Alan Hubbard: The fateful night which changed the future of boxing forever

Alan Hubbard: The fateful night which changed the future of boxing forever

I was watching a TV re-run of the Thrilla in Manila in the compelling "A Fight to Remember" series on BoxNation this week and as the 14th round, three minutes of unremitting savagery, reached its bloody, bone-juddering conclusion, with a half-blinded Joe Frazier led back to his corner by referee Carlos Padilla, a friend asked: ”Was it because of this that they cut World Championship fights to 12 rounds?”