Thrilla in Manila 50th anniversary celebrated with boxing matches and exhibit

A month-long countdown has begun in the Philippines to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic "Thrilla in Manila" boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

MP Promotions, led by Manny Pacquiao, and Araneta City have launched an exhibit featuring memorabilia from the historic 1975 fight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The original "Thrilla in Manila" took place on October 1, 1975, captivating a live audience of over 20,000 and a global television audience exceeding one billion.

To commemorate the anniversary, a stacked world championship fight card is scheduled for October 29 at the Araneta Coliseum, which was temporarily renamed the Philippine Coliseum for the original fight.

WBC minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem will defend his title against Siyakholwa Kuse in the main event.

Other Filipino boxing stars competing include Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial, unbeaten Carl Jammes Martin, and former world champion Marlon Tapales.

Marcial will fight for the WBC international middleweight belt, Martin will compete in a super bantamweight tussle, and Tapales will also have a super bantamweight encounter.

To provide a lineage link, Muhammad Ali's grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, will also be included in the card, clashing with Thai Patunpong Saengarun.