IBA and Manny Pacquiao Promotions Present Thrilla in Manila 2 Strawweight Fight Card
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines (October 28th, 2025)– You heard it right. The headline is not wrong. The following preview is NOT for the famed ‘The Thrilla in Manila’ in the Philippines, when Muhammad Ali fought Smokin’ Joe Frazier for the third time in defense of his World Heavyweight title on October, 1975, The bout was conceded by the Frazier corner after fourteen rounds at Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines, located in the suburb of Rizal at the time of the event (later Metro Manila shortly after the event).
The Ali versus Frazier boxing venue was temporarily renamed ‘The Philippines Coliseum’ for their match. Ali won by corner retirement after Frazier’s trainer in the corner Eddie Futch asked the referee to stop the fight after the 14th round, telling Joe “Nobody will ever forget what you did here today, son.” Nobody ever did. The contest name was derived from Muhammad Ali’s rhyming boast that the fight would be “A killa and a thrilla and a chilla, when I get that gorilla in Manila.”
This particular boxing preview is for the newest boxing card to be hosted in Manila, Philippines, probably the most famous promoted card in Manila since Ali versus Frazier III. The new card, organized by the International Boxing Association, former multi-division world champion Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao and Manny Pacquiao Promotions, is entitled ‘The Thrilla in Manila 2’, on the 50th anniversary of Ali versus Frazier in Manila. It will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, in the same ring as Ali-Frazier 50 years ago, at Araneta Coliseum, Barangay Cubao, in Quezon City. The main event will feature a world title bout in the Strawweight or Minimumweight division, the lowest possible boxing fight class. This makes ‘The Thinner in Manila 2’ in all respects the exact opposite of ‘The Thrilla in Manila’ original heavyweight thriller in the same locale.
In a unique boxing irony, Muhammad Ali’s 11-2 grandson, middleweight Nico Ali Walsh, will appear in his first scheduled eight-round bout on the undercard. Too bad Ali did not live long enough to return to Manila and see this, the crowd in attendance would have roared.
In a spectacular twist, the eleven bout WBC and Pacquiao card will be fought in the same ring. In the main event, Melvin Jerusalem, 24-3 with 12 knockouts, Manolo Fortich, Philippines, is predicted to retain is WBC Minimumweight world title by 12-round unanimous decision over southpaw WBC Silver and former South African Minimumweight champion Siyakholwa Kuse, 9-2 with four knockouts, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Venezuelan Super Welterweight champion Eddie Colemares, 11-2 with 11 knockouts, El Tigre, Venezuela, is favored to win the vacant WBC International Middleweight title by stoppage over inexperienced Eumir Felix Marcial, 6-0 with four knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Zamboanga City, Philippines.
Undefeated Philippines super bantamweight southpaw Carl Martin, 26-0 with 20 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, by way of Metro Manila, Philippines, is favored to win by 10-round decision over Aran Dipaen, 21-4 with 18 knockouts, Khon Koen, Thailand.
Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, 11-2 with five knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, is favored to win by eight rounds majority decision over Kittisak Klinson, 10-2 with six knockouts, Bangkok, Thailand.
Berland Robles, 12-0-1 with five knockouts, Cebu City, Philippines, is favored to win the WBC International Flyweight title by 10 10-round decision over Arvin Magramo, 19-2-1 with 11 knockouts, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Albert Francisco, 14-1 with 10 knockouts, Metro Manila, Philippines, is favored to win the vacant WBC International Flyweight title by 10 10-round decision over Ramel Macado Jr., 10-1 with five knockouts, Cebu City, Philippines. Macado was the loser of a bizarre fixed one-round fight against Lorenz Dumam-ang on May 1, 2024, in Mandaue City, which was for the WBO Oriental Flyweight title. Macado went down three times in round one, but the knockouts were long after the three minutes bell supposed to end the round, which never rang. The first round went around a minute over the standard three minutes, although the official time of the stoppage recorded was 2:57 by timekeeper Jordan Dopalco. After an investigation by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), Dopalco had his license as a timekeeper permanently revoked due to gross negligence. The loss has not yet been reversed, but it should have been.
Former WBO Bantamweight and IBF Super Bantamweight Marlon Tapales, 40-4 with 21 knockouts, Kapatagan, Philippines, is favored to win by stoppage over southpaw Fernando Toro, 11-2 with nine knockouts, Los Teques, Venezuela. Tapales, ranked fifth among super bantamweights worldwide on BoxRec, holds the WBC International Silver Super Bantamweight title, is bidding for a rematch with Naoya Inoue of Japan, who knocked him out in the tenth round of their world title unification match in 2023.
Lightweight Ronerick Ballesteros, super bantamweight Ariel Antimaro, super flyweight Kenneth Albino, and lightweight Eman Bacosa are all predicted to win by decision on the untelevised portion of the undercard.
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