Editing Thrilla in Manila (section)

==Pre-fight promotions and training==
The president of the Philippines [[Ferdinand Marcos]] sought to hold the bout and sponsor it in order to bring attention to the Philippines from around the world.

In the lead-up to the Manila fight, as well as each of their other two encounters, Ali verbally abused Frazier. Ali nicknamed Frazier "The Gorilla", and used this as the basis for the rhyme, "It will be a killa and a thrilla and a chilla when I get the Gorilla in Manila," which he chanted while punching a  gorilla doll.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/zQ37lyT6u8Y Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20071031204636/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ37lyT6u8Y&rel=1 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ37lyT6u8Y| title = Muhammad Ali vs Gorilla Frazier | website=[[YouTube]]| date = September 30, 2007 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> Ali told reporter [[Dick Schaap]] that it was part of a longstanding pre-fight strategy of his: "I like to get a man mad, because when a man's ''mad'', he wants ya so bad, he can't think, so I like to get a man mad." This strategy had appeared to work in Ali's favor in his defeat of George Foreman. Frazier had skill, confidence, stamina and the character to persevere in difficult circumstances. Dave Wolf (who was a member of the Frazier team in Manila) said: "With all of the residue of anger that Joe had from what had happened before the first fight, what had happened before and during the second fight and after these fights, Joe was ready to lay his life on the line, and&nbsp;... he did."<ref name=BBCFilms>{{cite web|title=Thriller in Manila|url=https://www.youtube.com/#/watch?v=dUQNKb_1xlc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdUQNKb_1xlc|year=2009|publisher=[[BBC Films]]|access-date=January 3, 2012}}</ref>

Ali's preparations were upset before the fight when he introduced his mistress, [[Veronica Porché Ali|Veronica Porché]], as his wife to [[Ferdinand Marcos|Ferdinand]] and [[Imelda Marcos]]. This angered his wife, [[Khalilah Ali]], who saw the introduction on television back in the States, and subsequently flew to Manila, where she engaged her husband in a prolonged shouting match in his hotel suite.<ref name=BBCFilms/><ref name=Guardian>Hauser, Thomas (September 3, 2005). [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2005/sep/04/features.sport16 "The Unforgiven"], ''[[The Guardian]]''.</ref>

In the Frazier camp, trainer [[Eddie Futch]] made the decision that the throngs of people and the tension in the steaming hot city were a poor environment to prepare in. Thus, Frazier completed his training for what was to be his final shot at the championship in a lush, quiet setting in the mountainous outskirts of the city of Manila. There, he led a spartan existence, often sitting for hours in a contemplative state in preparation for the bout.<ref name=BBCFilms />