The air sat still and sticky. Body heat from some 28,000 spectators at the Philippine Coliseum brought Manila’s midmorning temperature to a boiling point. Breathing felt like sipping warm water. An ...

As he taunted Joe Frazier, former heavyweight champion of the world, Muhammad Ali, current champ, pointed at the custom black T-shirts he and his entourage sported as they crashed the Aug. 26, 1975, ...

The 1971 Ali vs. Frazier fight was dubbed the “fight of the century.” The bout symbolized deep U.S. political and cultural divisions during the Vietnam War era. Frazier won by unanimous decision after ...

The “Thrilla in Manila” is not just about Muhammad Ali’s victory in his third and final fight with Joe Frazier, 50 years ago. In the months before the fight, Ali set a cruel agenda and, on the night, ...

It was oven-hot inside the arena, and that was before the fight began. The building’s air-conditioning had already lost the undercard against the tropical sun, and the air was thick with humidity.

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred Fifty years ago, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier ...

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought in the third and final installment of their storied rivalry 50 years ago in the Philippines. The fight was nicknamed the "Thrilla in Manila." In 2005, the Muhammad ...

They call it the "fight of the century." In one corner was Muhammad Ali, the "most charismatic and controversial athlete of the 20th century." In the other corner was Joe Frazier, who had just earned ...

An estimated 1 billion worldwide gathered around the ring, their television sets and closed-circuit theater screens to watch Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier put on one of the greatest fights of all time.