Manila
Four and a half years after the Fight of the Century, Frazier and Ali met for a third and final time in the fight that will forever be known as the "Thrilla in Manila" in September 1975. Eddie Futch served as Frazier's manager and chief second for this fight, having inherited those duties from Durham who had passed away from a stroke shortly after Frazier's defeat by George Foreman in 1973.
Futch's chief concern for this fight was that Ali not be allowed to repeat the illegal tactic of holding Frazier behind the neck to create extended clinches that kept Joe from getting inside, and allowed Ali to get needed rest during their non-title bout in 1974, which Ali won in a 12 round decision. By Futch's count Ali had done this 144 times in that fight without being penalized. He even did it to the much taller Foreman in his defeat of him in Zaire, leaving little doubt as to his intentions in the upcoming Manila bout. Sensing trouble, Futch vetoed (Ali-Foreman ref) Zach Clayton as referee, as well as two others suggested by Ali's promoter, Don King. He instead told Filipino authorities that 1) Ali was going to ruin what was to be a great event for their nation by constantly tying up Frazier illegally, and 2) assigning one of their countrymen to referee the bout would reflect well on the nation, and be a source of pride for its populace. This resulted in the appointment of Filipino Carlos Padilla, who sternly warned Ali on multiple occasions throughout the bout that he would be penalized if he continued the illegal tactic, thus preventing him from doing it as often or effectively as he would have liked.
As for the fight strategy, Futch wanted Frazier to try to bait him into throwing the uppercut again - this was attempted without success. He thought the key to the fight would be Frazier's constant attack on Ali's body, including punches to the hips when Ali effectively covered up his torso along the ropes. He told Frazier to be patient and deliberate in his attack, and to concentrate mostly on the body when Ali went into his rope-a-dope strategy so that he would not exhaust himself as Foreman had. This was brutally effective. It resulted in an exhausted, stationary Ali with hematomas on both hips, who informed his corner that he could not continue following the 14th round. Unfortunately for Frazier, Ali had landed enough punches to close his one sighted eye, rendering him nearly blind in the ring.
At the conclusion of the 14th, which was a terrible round for Frazier, fearing that Joe might lose his vision in his one sighted eye (his right), Futch stopped the fight over Frazier's objections. After finding out that Ali would not have continued, and seeing him pass out in the ring after briefly attempting to stand and acknowledge the crowd in victory, Frazier became deeply bitter at Futch for his decision. Futch, however to his dying day never expressed any regret over what may well have been the most consequential decision ever made by a trainer.
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