22
Philippine Showbiz Today
September 22 - October 7, 2017
The Belinda-Veronica Fiasco?
Muhammad Ali came to
Manila in mid-September 1975 to
defend his world heavyweight title
against arch-rival Joe Frazier.
He lost his wife Belinda
instead.
Before
boarding
the
Philippine Airlines flight to the
fight site, Ali listed 50 people to
compose his team. By the time
his full entourage had come, the
number swelled to more than
that.
Heading the list of Ali’s party
was a certain Veronica Porsche.
Among others were his father
Cassius Clay Sr. and mother
Odessa Clay. Veronica, it turned
out, was a beautiful black lady
the champ met in Africa when he
fought George Foreman and with
whom he had fallen head over
heels in love with.
One member of Ali’s
entourage that flew in two
weeks before the October 1,
1975 “Thrilla In Manila” and
Super Fight III, swore that Ali’s
relationship with his new-found
interest grew “increasingly serious
in the ensuing months.” Belinda
Boyd (later named Khalila when
her husband and she turned
Muslim), Ali’s second wife and
mother of his four children seemed
powerless to stop the affair.
While in Manila, the lovebirds
were often seen together attending
social functions, including a dinner
in Malacañang Palace tendered in
honor of the two fighters where Ali
introduced Veronica to President
Marcos as his wife.
That created quite a stir and
led to eventual end of the champ’s
marriage to Belinda.
When the First Lady Imelda
Marcos arrived, the President
introduced her to Veronica, saying
the girl was Ali’s wife. Everybody
who was privy to the Ali-Veronica
relationship knew she was Ali’s
mistress.
Belinda was known to have
tolerated her husband’s extra-
marital activities. Reports were
that she even had adopted a
“don’t ask, don’t tell” attitude on
the matter.
Not this one though. As soon
as she read the news from media
reports from Manila, she thought
this became too open to ignore.
Embarrassed no end and
humiliated in the international
media, Belinda boarded a plane
to Manila and went straight to the
Manila Hilton, Ali’s home while in
the country.
Members of Ali’s party and
media men outside the room
heard commotion and shouting
inside. It was reported later that
Belinda, all of her six-foot frame,
threw everything she could lay
her hands on to her beleaguered
Hidilyn Diaz grabs silver
in AIMAG women’s
weightlifting
Filipina Olympian Hidilyn
Diaz has won the silver medal
in the ongoing 5th Asian Indoor
and Martial Arts Games women’s
weightlifting
tournament
in
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Diaz finished just behind
China’s Liao Qiuyun of China
at the Weightlifting Arena in
Ashgabat.
The 26-year-old Zamboan-
guena registered 90 kilos in the
snatch and 115 kilos in the clean
and jerk for a total of 204.
Rounding up the top three
is
Turkmenistan’s
Kristina
Shermetova.
It was the first time Diaz
competed since her silver-medal
win in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
She joined jiu-jitsu fighters
Margarita Ochoa, Annie Ramirez,
and Jenna Napolis as early Pinoy
medalists in AIMAG.
Ochoa earlier completed
a dominant campaign in the
women’s ne-waza -45kg by edging
Vietnam’s Le Thu Trang Dao, 5-0,
in the final.
husband.
As fast as when
she arrived, Belinda
was seen rushing from
the hotel got into her
limo and flew back
home. Their marriage
over, Belinda emerged
the winner of sort as
she ended up richer
by $ 2 million besides
getting their houses as
well.
The
incident Muhammad Ali and Veronica Porsche (above); Ali with
prompted
one Belinda Boyd and children (below)
newsman to comment:
“More people were now
talking about Veronica-
Belinda than the Ali-
Frazier Thrilla.”
The next day, Ali
turned the already
volatile situation to
worse by calling a press
conference to try to
extricate himself from
the hole he dug himself
into. He told journalists
of the “needs of a man”
and the “desires of a
champion.”
Ali showed no
adverse effect of what
“I live on controversy,” he
happened the past 24 hours in
his talk with local and foreign said. “I’m used to pressure. That
journalists. He appeared jolly stuff you write, I laugh at it. It’s
and even exchanged jokes with goof publicity. It will sell out the
newsmen.
fight.”●
Despedida Party
for
Philippine Consul Anthony Achilles Mandap
Ramirez and Napolis then
secured a 1-2 finish in the
women’s ne-waza -55kg. Ramirez
seized the gold with a 2-0 win in
the final, while Napolis copped
the silver.●
- ABS-CBN
The UFCABC (United Filipino Canadian Associations in BC) will
host a despedida party for Consul Mandap on September 23,
2017 at Fraserview M.B. Church, 11295 Mellis Drive, Richmond,
BC V6X 1L8
For those who are interested to join us , please contact:
Joel Castillo – 604-726-5274
Rey Fortaleza – 604-588-6397
Arcie Lim – 778-980-5685
Janice Lozano – 778-772-5847
Amado Mercado – 604-786-6801
Mary Anne Velayo – 604-726-4165