Alaska Employment Law

Catch, if you can, Thrilla in Manila, an HBO documentary now in rerun schedule on the tube.  Even if you have little interest in boxing, the third Ali-Frazier fight in 1975 was way beyond boxing, involving, as it did, efforts by the Marcos dictatorship to seem legitimate in the face of domestic turmoil in the Philippines, and - much more significantly - some withering racism practiced by Ali upon Frazier.  Ali comes across not only as a bully, but as a pawn, manipulated by Elijah Muhammad’s Chicago-based Nation of Islam.  Long-term Ali doctor, cornerman, and friend Ferdie Pacheco says as much.  In fact, he laughs at the interviewer for asking what Pacheco considers such an obvious question.

In fairness, the documentary favors Frazier’s point of view, though I know enough about this contest to think that Frazier’s point of view is more than likely the correct one.  It’s no secret that Frazier lost by a TKO when his trainer, Eddie Futch, threw in the towel as the 15th and last round was about to start.  You may not know why he threw in the towel, and you may not know that Frazier never spoke to Futch again.  And you may not know what would have happened if Frazier, who was nearly blind in the 14th round, had stepped into the ring in the 15th.  When the TKO was announced, Ali smiled, and then he fainted dead away.  Pacheco, his doctor, told him never to fight again - though of course he did.  And these days Joe Frazier says, Look at Ali, and tell me who won that fight.  He even says it in the message on his cell phone answering machine.

There may never have been a greater boxing match.  This film is riveting.