Muhammad Ali with the author Atty. Romulo B. Macalintal days before the historic “Thrilla in Manila” bout held in the Philippines. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
On October 1, 2025, the Philippines marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic events in boxing history: the “Thrilla in Manila” heavyweight match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier held in 1975 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., has even directed government agencies to support a nationwide celebration from October 26 to 31, highlighting a sporting milestone that put the Philippines on the global stage.
While many can only speak about Ali through historical accounts, mine is based on a personal one-on-one encounter with “The Greatest” for two solid hours. This happened on September 22, 1975, just before the legendary fight.
In 1975, I was a second-year law student at the University of the East in Manila and working as a Veterans Counselor at the United States Veterans Administration. I didn’t know anyone in Ali’s entourage or any of the fight sponsors. Yet, I was armed with a secret weapon: a very old scrapbook.
My collection contained photos and articles about Ali dating back to the 1960s when he was still known as Cassius Clay. I knew that even a brief glimpse of the man who was arguably the most popular and recognizable person in the world at the time would be exhilarating. I was determined to get his autograph.
Around three o’clock in the afternoon on that memorable September day, I went to the Manila Hilton Hotel where Ali was billeted. Security was relaxed enough that a simple request led me to Atty. Albert Grifin, Ali’s lawyer. I politely requested a meeting for an autograph. Grifin was apologetic, saying it was Ali’s rest day and no one was allowed in his room.
