Recently I mentioned my latest hobby...boxing documentaries. Thrilla in Manila is HBO's latest documentary describing the infamous fights between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. Incredible background and peak into the emotional intensity of this historic rivalry. Although, the documentary is a little biased (coming down hard on Ali), it's still a MUST SEE.
Below is the synopisis from the
official HBO Thrilla in Manila site.... 
"An Official Selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival,
THRILLA IN MANILA chronicles one of the bitterest sports face-offs ever, recounting a tale of personal betrayal that was stoked by the racial politics of 1970s America. Featuring archival footage and exclusive interviews with boxing insiders, including Ferdie Pacheco, Butch Lewis and Dave Wolf, as well as Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines, the documentary tells the story of two great fighters forever linked by three epic bouts, and looks at their final fight, considered the most brutal, from Frazier's perspective for the first time.
Directed by John Dower ("Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of The New York Cosmos"), THRILLA IN MANILA deftly tracks an extraordinary personal battle between two friends, and captures the poignant moment in the socio-cultural history of the country when they became American sports icons and legends. While Ali was a symbol of the civil rights struggle and anti-Vietnam War movement, Frazier was cast as the symbol of the pro-war,
conservative segment of American society, some would say unfairly.
In 1967, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight crown after refusing induction into the armed forces. The film reveals how Frazier subsequently befriended Ali and supported the renewal of his boxing license and status, showing the intense feelings of betrayal he felt after Ali returned to the ring in 1970 and subjected him to race-baiting attacks. "
A clip from the documentary ....I apologize I couldn't find the trailer anywhere.
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