Nathanielsz shares what Muhammad Ali did with 3 models in Manila

On October 1, 1975, the epic final match between boxing titans Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier titled "Thrilla in Manila" at the Araneta Coliseum shook the world, with Frazier holding his ground against Ali for 14 rounds.

It's considered one of the best, if not the best boxing match in history and sports commentator Ronnie Nathanielsz adds more to the lore.

In an interview with BBC on the day news broke out that the greatest of all time (GOAT) had passed away, Nathanielsz shared an Ali anecdote.

"There was a dinner hosted by Nene Araneta, the owner of the coliseum, and there Ali met three beautiful models," Nathanielsz said, "They invited him to come over to their room after the dinner."

 

What happened when 3 gorgeous models invited Muhammad Ali to their hotel room? @ronnathanielsz has this gem:https://t.co/6alZ2a6Vly

— Julia Macfarlane (@juliamacfarlane) June 4, 2016

Ali accepted the offer and asked Nathanielsz to tag along. They left the dinner in 10 minutes and went up. Ali asked for an orange juice and sat down on a sofa.

 

"He preached about Islam until about 3 o'clock in the morning," Nathanielsz revealed. He quoted Ali as saying of the encounter, "I fooled them, didn't I?"

Ali passed away on Saturday (June 4) of septic shock after years of battling Parkinson's Disease. His death was mourned not only by his fellow athletes, but by those touched by the fights he fought outside the ring. —Aya Tantiangco/LBG, GMA News