Ali vs. Frazier:
The Second Generation

June 8, 2001 -- A quarter-century after boxing's celebrated "Thrilla in Manila," Ali and Frazier entered the ring. But this time the combatants were the daughters: Laila Ali, 23-year-old daughter of Muhammad Ali; and Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde, 39-year-old daughter of Joe Frazier.

The poster for the Ali vs. Frazier fight on June 8. (Photo courtesy of The Oneida Nation)

The daughters' June 8 bout, broadcast on pay-per-view TV, was billed as "Ali vs. Frazier IV" -- a continuation of the blood feud that fueled their fathers' three title fights in the 1970s. In one corner was Jacqui, a lawyer and mother of three who, with her father's coaching, vowed to "whip (Ali's) butt." In the other corner was Laila, a nail salon owner and sometime model, who says her famous father at first objected to her boxing but then supported her intention to "put a beating on" Frazier-Lyde. Ali did just that, defeating Frazier in eight rounds on a majority decision.

Laila Ali with The Kitchen Sisters, (left to right) Nikki Silva & Davia Nelson (Photo courtesy of The Kitchen Sisters)

On NPR's Morning Edition June 7 and 8, The Kitchen Sisters -- radio documentarians Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva -- took NPR listeners behind the scenes with the two fighters, from the trash-talk of the press conferences to the exhaustion of the training camps.

Enter the photo gallery
Meet the fighters:
Jacqui Frazier-Lyde and Laila Ali
Compare the fighters' statistics
Hear the boxing analysts
Check out books on boxing

Part I

Part II