October 1, 1975  was the day that Muhammad Ali died, while conquering his greatest foe, Smokin’ Joe Frazier. Being  Muhammad Ali , he lived 41 more years. The Thrilla in Manila is the greatest fight this Blogger has seen in his lifetime; this Blogger has also seen on his father’s old black and white television: Moore vs. Durelle, Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Olson, then on color television, Hearns vs. Hagler, and  Aaron   Pryor  vs.  Alexis   Argüello . The Thrilla in Manila was greater than all those. It ended in an incident which allowed Muhammad Ali to be victorious, and literally killed him. Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Clay Jr; Ali claimed that he changed his name to Muhammad Ali because Cassius Clay was his slave name. Ironically, the white Cassius Clay of Kentucky, the original Cassius Clay,  was an abolitionist, who was a "lion" against  Slavery . Muhammad Ali was the greatest heavyweight in History; and if Sugar Ray Robinson ...