AS millions of Filipinos and people around the world mourn the passing of unquestionably the greatest heavyweight boxing champion of all time in Muhammad Ali, we can take solace if not pride from the fact that we had a President, Ferdinand Marcos and his lovely wife Imelda Romualdez Marcos, who dared to dream that Filipinos deserved to witness two of the greatest heavyweight champions face off against each other in an epic trilogy that will be remembered forever.
Of course, President Marcos wanted to show the world that the Philippines under martial rule, was blessed with peace and order, the economy was doing well and the people were contented.
Certainly there were pockets of people who took issue with the imposition of martial rule and the curtailment of some of the freedoms they enjoyed without the corresponding sense of responsibility.
Considering the amount that it cost the Philippine government to stage the “Thrilla in Manila,” which we learned was $10 million and it matched what the “Rumble in the Jungle” between Ali and George Foreman cost the government of Zaire, it was a good deal and a sound investment because it showcased the Philippines to the rest of the world for weeks on end with major western media outfits, wire agencies and radio and television networks filing daily stories datelined Manila.
People around the world then knew where Manila was, the kind of people Filipinos were and got a glimpse of our customs and traditions, as well as our scenic spots that opened up a whole new world to the uninitiated.
Ali, a towering individual with indescribable charisma and a fluent grasp of the English language and the facility of communication, carried the message of President Marcos wherever he went and that in itself was a major accomplishment.
Ali told me on quite a few occasions about how much he admired President Marcos and his achievements as well as his vision for the country, which Ali appreciated more that some of the habitual critics in our own society and the elements of the western media, who frowned on martial rule and strongman leadership.
The US government for one, appreciated the imposition of martial rule and the discipline that it developed in the conduct of business for one thing which enabled them to operate their enterprises without fear of labor unrest or similar disturbances in business and industry.
However, when they could not get their way when they wanted to, they turned against Marcos and the rest is unfortunate history.
Filipinos were avid sports fans at that time and boxing was—and still is—one of their favorite sports.
It was an era when Pancho Villa won the world flyweight title before some 40,000 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York and when Ceferino Garcia won the middleweight championship with a stunning seventh-round knockout of American Fred Apostoli at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 2, 1939.
Then, there was the remarkable Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, who won the world junior lightweight championship with a seventh-round battering of American Harold Gomes at the inauguration of the Araneta Coliseum on March 16, 1960, before a crowd estimated at 26,000, who crammed into the coliseum and roared each time Elorde dropped Gomes, which was seven times in all.
Fire trucks raced around the city with sirens blaring, people rushed into the streets to celebrate the singular achievement of a poor farmer’s son from Bogo, Cebu.
Elorde reigned as world champion for seven years, three months and 10 days before losing his crown to the much younger Japanese Yoshiaki Numata, who ran all night long to eke out a points’ decision
It was only last year that Elorde’s record as the longest-reigning Fiipino world champion was surpassed by WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes, certainly one of the heroes of our time.
The Ali-Frazier “Thrilla in Manila” reinforced the Filipinos love for boxing, which even today stands as one of the three most popular athletic disciplines alongside basketball and billiards. Just the other day, 64-year-old Efren “Bata” Reyes won the one pocket tournament in New Jersey, beating America’s No.1 Shane Van Boening, demonstrating some magical shots which he has long been known for, in the process.
We remember Ali not merely for his skill, his sense of humor, his caring and compassionate ways, but we are grateful that he lived, fought and died in our time, enriching us by his achievements and his legendary ways.
We were privileged to be appointed as his Liaison Officer for the “Thrilla in Manila” and had the good fortune of spending two weeks with him in Kuala Lumpur for the title fight against British champion Joe Bugner, went to Honolulu to accompany him to Manila for the “Thrilla,” lived with him at the then Manila Hilton and remained with him throughout the day, chronicling his every move and latching on to every word he said.
It was a memorable time in our life and we got close enough for him to call me “Brother,” while I called him “Champ.”
We were distraught when Jim Gomez of the Associated Press, who had done a lengthy interview with us on our memories of Ali and the “Thrilla in Manila,” called us a few minutes after the interview to tell us, “while we were talking, Ali passed away.”
Peace be with you my brother!