Ali/Frazier/“Thrilla in Manila”
Artist
LeRoy Neiman
United States, 1921 - 2012
Date1975
MediumOffset Lithograph
Dimensions22 x 14 in. (55.9 x 35.6 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LineGift of the LeRoy Neiman and Jane Byrne Neiman Foundation
Object numberPH.6447
DescriptionThis poster advertises the last of three boxing matches between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, held on September 30, 1975, in the Philippines. After a brutal 14 rounds, Ali retained his heavyweight title when Frazier’s manager, Eddie Futch, ended the fight due to his client’s injuries. While Don King had originally nicknamed the fight “The Saga of our Lifetime,” Ali had boasted to the press that the event would be “a killa and a thrilla and a chilla, when I get that gorilla in Manila.” His posturing rhyme with its ugly racial overtones ultimately gave the fight a more memorable moniker. Neiman’s original painting for this poster was made in oil on pressboard, emphasizing through powerful stances the rivalry between the two athletes. Edvins Strautmanis added the lettering in a specially designed variation of Future Black. This fight also became a landmark moment for the pay-per-view model of broadcasting; HBO bought the exclusive rights from Don King and became the first network to continuously air a sporting event via satellite. As noted in the lower margin of the poster, the event was not available on home television or radio. On View
Not on view
