Ruminating on HBO's Thrilla in Manila Documentary.....

What could an Afronerd possibly have to say about a sports film, you may ask? Well, you'd be surprised. I was fortunate enough to see a screener of HBO's boxing documentary, Thrilla in Manila and believe it or not, it dovetails on the very issues that this blog encapsulates-history, politics and race. From the onset, Thrilla definitely makes an excellent case for the usage of another network's famous slogan-Must See TV. Thrilla attempts to provide the viewer (and boxing historians) with a more centered, if not contrasting view of the last match in the famous boxing trilogy between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the Heavyweight title of the world. For the sake of full disclosure, while watching the film, I had to confer with my father about this historic sporting event because I distinctly remember him not having the greatest admiration for Muhammad Ali during this period.

Although I was a child during the contest, I can still remember the spectacle of it all and perhaps to date, how no other sporting event has rivaled it since. The Thrilla doc is also reminiscent of the Akira Kurisawa film, Rashomon in its depiction of a life-altering event (horrific in the Rashomon case) and how it is interpreted by four different witnesses. In this case, Joe Frazier gets the opportunity to provide his version of this cataclysmic battle between modern day gladiators. Over the years, there have been a number of Ali cinematic efforts, all of which portray The Greatest as well......The Greatest. In this film, Joe Frazier is seen as a one time friend and benefactor to Ali when he (Ali) fell out of public favor due to his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector. The film also highlights the fact that Frazier was instrumental in Ali obtaining his boxing license when it was initially revoked over the war controversy.

Any student of sports history (and history in general) knows how this story ends...Muhammad Ali ultimately received the accolades, wealth and iconic status. But what did Frazier receive? Some might say he was publicly embarrassed by Ali with attacks on Frazier's appearance and intelligence. But the truth is that the sport has taken away the health and vigor of both fighters. Frazier presently lives in a small backroom apartment in his Philadelphia boxing gym and Ali is a shadow of his former self due to his battle with Parkinson's Syndrome. Do yourself a favor, if you want to see Afros, Imelda Marcos, President Nixon and Filipino communist vs despots-pull out the flux capacitor and take a trip back to 1975 to witness a contest of two champions. Thrilla in Manila airs tomorrow on HBO at 8pm (ET).


HBO presents Thrilla in Manila