Frank Sinatra was working ringside, moonlighting as a photographer for Life magazine. Burt Lancaster, the Oscar-winning actor, was recast in the role of a color commentator. “I looked down from the ...

As he taunted Joe Frazier, former heavyweight champion of the world, Muhammad Ali, current champ, pointed at the custom black T-shirts he and his entourage sported as they crashed the Aug. 26, 1975, ...

The “Thrilla in Manila” is not just about Muhammad Ali’s victory in his third and final fight with Joe Frazier, 50 years ago. In the months before the fight, Ali set a cruel agenda and, on the night, ...

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. Fifty years ago, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought the “Thrilla in Manila,” still considered the greatest and ...

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Oct. 1, 2024. A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives. On Oct. 1, 1975, Muhammad Ali took on Joe Frazier in ...

The 1971 Ali vs. Frazier fight was dubbed the “fight of the century.” The bout symbolized deep U.S. political and cultural divisions during the Vietnam War era. Frazier won by unanimous decision after ...

It was oven-hot inside the arena, and that was before the fight began. The building’s air-conditioning had already lost the undercard against the tropical sun, and the air was thick with humidity.

As he taunted Joe Frazier, former heavyweight champion of the world, Muhammad Ali, current champ, pointed at the custom black T-shirts he and his entourage sported as they crashed the Aug. 26, 1975, ...