Art, photo tribute to Muhammad Ali at 'Thrilla in Manila' fight venue

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Art, photo tribute to Muhammad Ali at Thrilla in Manila fight venue
Fans look at memorabilia from the 'Thrilla in Manila' boxing fight at the launch of an exhibit at The Ali Mall in Quezon.

Manila - Why the Ali Mall? After the fight, the arena owner, Jorge Araneta, was so ecstatic he told Ali he would build a mall and name it after him.

By AP

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Published: Sat 11 Jun 2016, 2:58 PM

Last updated: Sat 11 Jun 2016, 10:26 PM

Filipino fans remembering boxing legend Muhammad Ali gathered near the site of his epic "Thrilla in Manila" fight with Joe Frazier for an art and photo tribute on Friday.
The display near Araneta Coliseum at Ali Mall was launched hours before Ali's burial in the United States. Ali died in June 3 at age 74.
Outside the coliseum, a cutout picture of Ali stands in a boxing ring. Fans crowded around a screen playing videos of the 1975 match that put the Philippines on the map. At the mall, memorabilia including boxing gloves with Ali's autograph, an original souvenir programme and a gold commemorative coin also are on display.
The October 1, 1975, heavyweight championship, one of the greatest boxing matches in history, was won by Ali on a technical knockout at the jam-packed coliseum in Manila's suburban Quezon city and was watched by a worldwide audience.
Then-Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos reportedly wanted to hold the bout in the Manila metropolis to deflect international and domestic attention from political restiveness and growing Muslim and communist insurgencies after placing Philippines under martial rule three years earlier.
Why the Ali Mall? After the fight, the arena owner, Jorge Araneta, was so ecstatic he told Ali he would build a mall and name it after him. Ali was delighted and came back the next year for the mall's grand opening.


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