Manila thrills anew: ‘Thrilla in Manila’ returns to Araneta after 50 years

Once a thrilla, always a thrilla, and Manila proves it 50 years later back in Araneta.

After Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali and Joe “Smokin’” Frazier traded fire beneath the blistering Areneta spotlight, cheers and jeers reignited Manila half a century later to pay tribute to that legendary night.

In celebration and homage to the 50th anniversary of the iconic 1975 Ali-Frazier heavyweight showdown, the International Boxing Association (IBA) and MP Promotion brought the spectacle back with Thrilla in Manila 2, held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Oct 29.

The IBA-sanctioned event featured boxing sensations from around the globe, including Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, and a proud roster of the Philippines’ finest fighters in a series of championship bouts.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos entered the Coliseum with a roaring throng of about 10,000 fans, reminiscent of his father and mother’s presence at the first Thrilla in Manila back on Oct. 1, 1975. He was also joined by eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee.

It’s in the blood

Eman Bacosa, son of boxing legend Pacquiao, proved he had his father’s “touch” in the undercard, outlasting fellow Pinoy boxer Buci Salado via unanimous decision in their six-round lightweight match-up.

The General Santos City native kick-started the night with a flurry of aggressive jabs that sent the Boholano boxer hurling along the ropes in the first and fourth rounds.

Salado kept his cool in the last two frames, landing a short series of hooks, but failed to nip an edge against the 20-year-old Bacosa, as the latter landed a 58-55 on two scorecards, while the third judge scored the bout at 60-53.

“Confident po ako na mananalo. Pero sabi kasi ng coach ko huwag masyadong gigil, huwag masyadong habol sa knockout dahil darating din po yun,” said Bacosa after the match.

With the win, Bacosa keeps his stats unscathed with an unblemished 7-0 sheet, while Salado could only watch as his record slips to a 2-2-1 win-loss-draw statline.

Meanwhile, Nico Ali Walsh (11-2-1), carrying his late grandfather’s legacy, just narrowly missed the mark as he drew against Thailand’s Kittisak Klinson (10-2-1) in their 8-round middleweight card.

Fighting in the big dome as the great Ali in 1975, Ali Walsh exploded in the opening round but faced an equally fierce resistance from the 5’10” Thai from start to finish, which resulted in a 77-76 score against him, while the two other judges settled at 76-76 to save him the misery of a loss.

Despite the outcome, the 6’0” orthodox boxer shared his appreciation with the Filipino home crowd.

“I thought it was a clear victory. I’m happy that it felt like the crowd, the fans, enjoyed the fight. I thought it was a purely dominant performance. I was shocked by the decision,” said Ali Walsh during a post-match interview.

Jerusalem keeps his crown

Melvin Jerusalem started strong and ended stronger after successfully defending his WBC strawweight title for three straight years against South Africa’s Siyakholwa Kuse in 12 rounds via unanimous decision.

From the first frame to the last, the pride of Bukidnon matched Kuse in what seemed to be a slugfest of jabs, with neither side caring for defense, but the latter seized the upper hand by round 10 with a gutsy right hook that stunned the South African challenger to the post.

Jerusalem rode this newfound momentum down to the final stretch as he outworked Kuse in body shots, leading the 5’2” short king to earn the judges’ favor with a pair of 116-112 and 115-113 scorecards.

The win improves Jerusalem’s stats by a 25-3 win-loss slate, while Kuse drops to nine wins, three losses, and one draw.

Olympic grit persists

Never say die attitude prevailed in the co-card as Pinoy Olympian Eumir Marcial muscled through Venezuelan foe Eddie Colmeranes in 10 rounds of gritty swinging to clinch the WBC International middleweight title.

In a fight that quite resembled the original “Thrilla in Manila” five decades ago, Marcial rose above the odds after enduring two knockouts from the notorious hard-hitting Colmenares, falling to the canvas in the third and tenth rounds.

Bloodied and bruised, the bronze Olympic medalist clawed his way back behind a string of consistent jabs amid the clamor of the home crowd, enough to sway two judges to hand him 95-93 apiece, while the third saw it even with 94-94.

“Grabe talaga ang tibay ni Colmenares. Talagang pumunta siya dito para kunin ‘yung panalo. At nakita naman natin kung gaano katibay. Binigay ko yung best ko pero ako pa yung na-knockdown,” shared Marcial.

The Zamboanga City native, having turned 30 that day, also adds a “plus one” to his record with a perfect 7-0 slate with four knockouts, while Colmenares’ statline is stained by his first defeat at 11-1.

Notable mentions

On the other hand, Filipino pug Carl Jammes Martin (27-0) weathered Thailand’s Aran Dipaen’s (21-5) round three storm, taking the victor’s throne via unanimous decision to bag the World Boxing Organization super bantamweight title.

Dubbed “the Wonder Boy” by many, Martin took it personally after a clean jab from the Thai sent him to his knees, striking Dipaen down with a knockout of his own by the ninth canto to pull the three judges to his side, 98-81, 97-92, 98-90.

Meanwhile, Marlon Tapales’ nasty hooks were all it took to tame Venezuela’s Fernando Toro in the sixth frame, cutting their eight-round bout short to snare the super bantamweight crown.

After a bombardment of body shots from the General Santos City-born slugger, “El Indio” couldn’t help but gasp for air in the sixth stanza as the knockout daze got the better of him, ultimately catapulting Tapales to a 25-4 record, while Toro settled for 11-3.

A new generation of “thrill”

The excitement brought by Ali and Frazier’s bloody rivalry may have faded throughout the years, but a new generation of promising fighters is evermore willing to carry the torch forward. Because in Manila, the “will of the thrill” lives on—from one boxer to another.

With reports from ABS CBN and The Philippine Star (Philstar)