5 Greatest Boxing trilogies of all time

#3 Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier

Both fighters displayed tremendous stamina in the morning heat of the stadium and for the first time

Joe Frazier was a small heavyweight with a Tyson-mimicking style, constantly bobbing and weaving, and a left hook that would break the Richter Scale.

Both met for the first time on 1971 when Frazier was the WBC heavyweight champion and Ali was The Ring heavyweight champion.

Although Ali dominated the opening rounds with his swift jabs and crosses, Frazier slowly took control and started pounding Ali with his left hooks.

At Round 15, Ali was put to canvas by a left hook but he got up quickly and finished the fight defending.

The decision unanimously went to Frazier and Ali lost for the first time in his life. For the first time, Ali looked like a mere mortal.

The second fight was termed Super-fight II. Ali was his usual self, back-peddling and utilizing the ring while throwing flurries in between.

While Frazier was pressing forward and throwing hook after hook. After 12 rounds the judges unanimously scored Ali as the winner.

The third and most important fight ‘Thrilla in Manila ’ happened in 1975. The buildup to the fight was epic and Ali known for his verbal antics called Frazier a gorilla.

Both fighters displayed tremendous stamina in the morning heat of the stadium and for the first time, we see Ali throwing hooks and uppercuts frequently, to Frazier.

Ali was hitting him so bad that his mouthpiece (teeth guard) flew off. Finally, before the start of the 15th round, Frazier’s corner conceded defeat and Ali won via technical knockout, thus concluding an epic saga of heavyweight rivalry.

This fight is considered one of the greatest in boxing history along with the first fight between the two.