MUHAMMAD ALI thought he was going to DIE in the sweltering Thrilla in Manila heat – as his grandson prepares to fight in the same venue 50 years on.
Ali famously faced Joe Frazier in their iconic trilogy bout in the Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines in 1975.
The fight was indoors, with no air conditioning or wind with estimates the heat soured up to 49 degrees Celsius.
Ali confined to his grandson Nico Ali Walsh – now a middleweight boxer himself – that he felt on the verge of death amid the insufferable heat.
Nico, 25, told SunSport in Manila: “That was the one fight he said that he felt the closest to death and he doesn’t exaggerate about those kind of things.
“So I can only imagine because I’m walking outside and you’re sweating so it’s just amazing that they were able to compete at that temperature.
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“It would just about kill a fighter, the fight that they had at that temperature is insane.”
Ali won the fight in the 14th round, stopping an exhausted Frazier and bringing an end to their bitter rivalry which culminated in three classic fights.
Both boxing legends retired in 1981 and later formed a close bond.
Ali Walsh said: “My grandfather always talked about the friendship he had with Frazier a lot. I can’t speak for him but I think they had the closest friendship.
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“They were bitter rivals but I think it was mostly on Frazier’s end, he would really get p****d off by the things my grandfather was saying while my grandfather was just trying to sell a fight.
“He had that kind of charisma where he would call people names to sell the fight. I think they were close, my grandfather spoke to me a lot about that.
“They had a love for each other. He loved Frazier. I remember when Frazier passed away how sad my grandfather was. That spoke a lot about their relationship.”
Frazier died in 2011 aged 67 while Ali passed away five years later at 74.
His legacy in the ring lives on through grandson Nico – who has 12 wins and two losses in his own career.
And he returns on Wednesday night in Manila against Kittisak Klinson of Thailand – promoted by IBA – back in the same arena his grandfather beat Frazier.
Nico said: “It’s a huge, humbling experience.
“It’s a blessing that it’s been 50 years, half a century and I just passed the arena just now, people are still cheering and taking pictures of my grandfather and Frazier.
“It’s crazy that I can be part of this. I think it will feel special. These fights, people don’t understand they’re like family events for me.
“I’ve got my parents here but for my mum especially, she saw her dad fight and now she gets to see me fight in the same arena.
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“She wasn’t there for that fight in particular but now she’ll get to see me.”
