This October will mark the 50th anniversary of a truly great, indeed epic heavyweight title fight. A brutal fight that has been called by many as the greatest in the history of the division. We are of course talking about the third and final fight between bitter rivals, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
The two all-time greats gave their all during the course of their rubber-match, and so many millions of boxing fans around the world readily pay tribute to the supreme effort both heavyweight kings gave that day.
From Ali-Frazier to Navarrete-Suarez—Manila in the spotlight again?
Now, the man who promoted the epic “Thrilla in Manila,” Bob Arum, says he has plans in motion to return to the exact same venue Ali and Frazier went to war in half a century ago, and host a return fight between 130 pound warriors Emanuel Navarrete and Charly Suarez, who are coming off a controversial fight.
The fight between the pair ended up as a technical decision win in favour of defending WBO champ Navarrete, this as a cut he suffered in round six was deemed to have been caused by an accidental head clash. The fight went to the cards, and Navarrete got the win. However, replays showed that the cut was in fact caused by a punch, and Suarez and his team have filed an appeal.
It remains to be seen if the decision will be overturned, to that of a no-contest, or maybe even a stoppage win for Suarez.
Arum wants a legacy night—but can he land it?
But Top Rank boss Arum aims to take the two fighters to Manila, for the rematch, to take place on the 50th anniversary of the epic Ali-Frazier III.
“What I’m working on, and I don’t know if I can pull it off, is October and the 50th anniversary of the “Thrilla in Manila’ and I’d love to go back to the same building, the Araneta Coliseum, which has now been remodelled, and do this fight in Manila as a celebration of the Ali-Frazier fight,” Arum told Dan Rafael’s Fight Freaks Unite.
All we fans can say is, more power to Bob in this regard. It would be great to see the return fight between Navarrete and Suarez, while it would be even better to see them war again as the whole world watches and pays tribute to, let’s say it again, the greatest world heavyweight title fight of them all.
Let’s see if Arum can pull this one off.