1975 "The Thrilla in Manila" Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III Original Painting by LeRoy Neiman from The Don King Collection....
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Description
Image was used to create closed-circuit broadcast advertising posters!
1975 "The Thrilla in Manila" Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III
Original Painting by LeRoy Neiman from The Don King Collection.
They had called the first meeting between Muhammad Ali and Joe
Frazier "The Fight of the Century," and it had lived up to that
billing. The rematch was a decidedly less compelling affair, and
Ali's controversial split decision victory left the boxing world
clamoring for a satisfying and definitive conclusion. In Manila,
they would find it.For fourteen rounds in the boiling heat of Southeast Asia, these two iconic Heavyweight Champions waged a war of brutal attrition, Frazier withstanding Ali's deft and elusive early glovework, never slowing his forward progress, never going down. Ali had hoped and expected to make it a quick fight, certain that Frazier's recent decisive loss to Foreman was an indication of his decline. "Joe, they told me you was all washed up," Ali grunted during a seventh-round clinch. "They told you wrong, pretty boy," Frazier growled back.
The tide was beginning to turn, and Frazier dominated the middle rounds. Ali countered with sporadic flurries, and even tried without success to use the "rope-a-dope" strategy that had stymied George Foreman in Zaire, but Frazier was relentless in his onslaught and it appeared that Ali would soon surrender his title.
But somehow, in that hailstorm of blows, the Champion found a second wind, and, once again, the fight shifted on its bloody axis. Ali started to land power shots, and Frazier's legs started to wobble. With Frazier's left eye swollen to a slit, he stood helpless against Ali's straight right. A minute into round thirteen, Ali landed a thudding combination that sent Frazier's mouthpiece spinning into the crowd. Frazier's right eye likewise swelled to a close. Yet he returned for the fourteenth, able to do little more than absorb punishment. He returned to the corner at the bell to trainer Eddie Futch, who told him he'd seen enough. "I want him, boss!" Frazier protested. "It's all over," Futch replied. "No one will forget what you did here today." Ali biographer Thomas Hauser revealed later that Ali had returned to his own corner at the end of the fourteenth telling trainer Angelo Dundee to cut off his gloves. He, too, had had enough.
Legendary boxing promoter commissioned LeRoy Neiman to create the offered oil on board painting for use in promotional materials related to this storied showdown in the Philippines, and the result is one of the most compelling and desirable works from Neiman's catalog raisonne. Both former Heavyweight Champions lock eyes with the viewer from their stacked kaleidoscopic portraits, the figures set against against a swirling white background. The thick application of background paint has been professionally restored to address minor areas of loss, but it's important to emphasize that the figures themselves are virtually untouched by this restoration, which only grazes the absolute edge of the figures in a couple locations. This effect is only apparent under black light--our catalog imagery should demonstrate that the figures show no such signs in natural light. You can see that Neiman painted over his signature to the right of Frazier's torso and reapplied it at left, certainly an alteration that was made accommodate the poster design, and a reason for that particularly thick paint application.
The oil on board measures 48x48" in size, with framing completing the dimensions at 53x53".
Guide Value or Estimate: $400,000 - up.
Auction Info
2026 February 28 - March 1 Winter Platinum Night Sports Catalog Auction #50083 (go to Auction Home page)
Bidding Begins Approx.
February
6th
Friday
Auction Dates
Feb-Mar
28th-1st
Saturday-Sunday
Proxy Bidding Begins Approx.
13 Days
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: N/A
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 30
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Signature Internet Extended Bid: These Auctions are presented via catalog and online. Bidding is taken through our website or via phone. There are two phases of bidding during this type of auction: 1) Normal bidding: Bids are taken up until 10 PM CT the night the auction closes. 2) 30 Minute Ending: On a lot-by-lot basis, starting at 10:00 PM CT, any person who has bid on the lot previously may continue to bid on that lot until there are no more bids for 30 minutes. For example, if you bid on a lot during Normal Bidding, you could participate during Extended Bidding for that lot, but not on lots you did not bid on previously. If a bid was placed at 10:15, the new end time for that lot would become 10:45. If no other bids were placed before 10:45, the lot would close. If you are the high bidder on a lot, changing your bid will not extend the bidding during the 30 Minute Ending phase (only a bid from another bidder will extend bidding). If you are the only bidder at 10 PM, you will automatically win the lot at 10:30. Important: After normal bidding ends, you must be signed-on to the Heritage site to see the bidding option on lots where you qualify for extended bidding and you must be on an individual lot page to reflect the accurate time remaining for that particular lot.
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