Printed on 17 Nov 2022 8:44 pm (UK Time)
Joe Frazier was born in Laurel Bay, South Carolina, on January 12, 1944. “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier by no means got down to set the boxing world alight.
He started going to the gymnasium to get himself into form. Nonetheless, one factor led to a different, and he started competing. He was the youngest of 13 kids. He began his boxing profession at age 9 when he rigged up a home made punching bag of moss and leaves.
Twelve years later, after having married at sixteen, he moved to Philadelphia, the place he gained the Golden Gloves in 1962, 1963 and 1964. He additionally gained American’s solely gold medal in Boxing on the Tokyo Olympics.
With a bunch of businessmen from Philadelphia, Cloverlay, Inc, as his sponsors, Frazier launched his skilled profession on August 16, 1965, with a one-round knockout over Woody Goss.
He oiled up ten straight knockouts earlier than assembly Oscar Bonavena on September 21, 1966. Bonavena floored Frazier twice within the second spherical, however Frazier rallied to win a ten-round determination.
Frazier vs Chuvalo
After 4 extra victories, three of which had been knockouts, Joe Frazier was pitted in opposition to George Chuvalo on July 19, 1967.
Within the fourth spherical, the robust Canadian was knocked out for the primary time in his profession.
When Frazier fought Buster Mathis on March 4, 1968, he was decided to clear any trace of tarnish from his Olympic medal. Earlier than Frazier went to Tokyo he had gained thirty-eight of forty proper, His two losses had been to Mathis within the Olympics trials.
When Mathis had a damaged knuckle, Frazier had the higher hand. “Smokin Joe” flattened Mathis with a left hook in 2:33 of the eleventh spherical.
Frazier grew to become undisputed world champion on February 16, 1970, when the gong rang for the opening of the fifth spherical and the W.B.A’s champion, Jimmy Ellis, couldn’t come out. After the primary spherical, by which Ellis held a margin, Frazier dominated the match with a gradual and relentless type of sturdy, heavy stress.
As the tip of the fourth spherical approached, Frazier bombarded Ellis’s physique and head till the Kentuckian sank to that mat for a depend of 9, throughout which the bell rang. Elevating himself on the 9.
Ellis managed to get to this nook, when the fifth spherical gong rang sounded, supervisor Angelo Dundee motioned to referee Tony Perez that Ellis couldn’t proceed.
The primary encounter with Muhammad Ali happened on March 8, 1971, at Madison Sq. Backyard earlier than 20,445 followers plus 1.3 million watching closed-circuit theatre TV. Ali who described his personal preventing type as “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” was slowed down by Frazier’s fixed pounding.
Muhammad Ali’s technique was to let Frazier grow to be arm weary whereas flicking tiring jabs at his opponent, however regardless of a 6 1/2 inch drawback in attain, Frazier managed to get in beneath Ali’s jab to land numerous left hooks to Ali’s physique.
Joe Frazier suffered a swollen jaw and lumps round each eyes, whereas Ali merely sported a hematoma on the appropriate facet of his jaw.
Frazier gained unanimously with referee Arthur Mercante giving him eight rounds, six to Ali and Decide Invoice Recht awarded eleven to Frazier and 4 to Ali.
The one knockdown occurred within the fifteenth spherical when Ali was dropped for the third time in his profession however bounced again after the obligatory eight counts.
Frazier vs Foreman
Earlier than dealing with George Foreman, Frazier fought Terry Daniels in New Orleans on January 15, 1972, then Ron Stander, in Omaha, on Might 25, 1972. The percentages in opposition to his two opponents had been 15 to 1 and 20 to 1 respectively. Danis lasted 4 rounds, Strander, 5.
On January 22, 1973, at Kingston, Jamaica, Frazier, a 3-1 favorite, was floored six occasions by Foreman earlier than referee Arthur Mercante stopped the motion at 1:35 of the second spherical earlier than 36,000 followers. Frazier pressed the assault however was met by a challenger who moved out a step backwards.
A proper to the jaw by Foreman achieved the primary knockdown halfway into the primary spherical. Frazier obtained up, exchanged a couple of punches, and was down once more from a collection of rights to the pinnacle.
Once more Frazier rose shortly, however clearly dazed, and he was decked a 3rd time because the bell ended the spherical. As set down by the foundations, counting didn’t finish with the bell however was continued till Frazier struggled up on the depend of three.
Joe Frazier opened spherical two with a dashing assault and a left hook to the pinnacle however was a brief rally. Foreman, who weighed 217 kilos to Frazier’s 214 kilos, despatched the champion to the mat for the fourth time with a left-right to the jaw.
Up on the depend of two, Frazier was dropped by two left hooks. Once more Frazier struggled up however then went down for the final time from a collection of punches.
Frazier gamely obtained to his toes, however referee Arthur Mercante checked out his glazed eyes and reeling determine and signaled that there was a brand new champion.
After the George Foreman bout, Joe Frazier went on to combat Joe Bugner in London on July 2, 1973, whom he beat in twelve rounds after which on January 28, 1974.
Frazier vs Ali
Frazier and Ali fought once more at Madison Sq. Backyard in entrance of 20,746, who paid a reside gate of $1,053,688 and a theatre-TV viewers that paid £25,000,000.
The closed-circuit TV viewers reached 10,000,000. The gross income for the combat, together with overseas movie rights, and so on, got here to $25,000,000.
Of their earlier combat, Frazier went straight into his opponent whereas Ali sidestepped and countered. Frazier scored decisively and sometimes to the physique.
Ali hit solely Joe’s head, however extra usually and with extra energy than beforehand.
Essentially the most controversial second of the combat occurred within the second spherical when referee Tony Perez stopped the combat, considering he had heard the bell ring.
It was an important time.
Frazier had Ali in a nook, however Ali spun and jabbed out of hassle and hit Frazier solidly on his puffing cheekbone.
After taking a protracted left hook to the chin, Ali got here again to confuse and harm Frazier with lefts and chopping rights to the pinnacle.
It was at this level the referee stepped in; stalling the one alternative Ali needed to end his man.
The seventh was Frazier’s large spherical. The primary of a number of good left hooks related thirty seconds into the spherical, beautiful Ali.
Ali was off his toes, flatfooted, as Frazier once more carried the motion within the eighth. Though Ali was drained, he rallied to outpunch Frazier for the final 9 minutes and was awarded a unanimous determination for the twelve rounds by referee Tony Perez and judges Tony Castellano and Jack Gordon.
1975 was, as soon as once more, a 12 months of rematches for Joe Frazier, however this time they concerned extra abroad journey. He met Jimmy Ellis, the person from whom he had initially taken the WBA title, in Melbourne, Australia, knocking him out in 9 rounds.
That win made him as soon as once more the number-one challenger for the world crown, now held by Ali after an eighth-round knockout of George Foreman within the well-known “Rumble within the Jungle“.
Ali took each alternative to mock Frazier, once more calling him The Gorilla, and usually making an attempt to annoy him.
The combat for Ali’s title, which was attended by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, triggered one other media frenzy and was seen in lives around the globe.
It was way more action-filled than the earlier encounter (there was no belt at stake within the second combat) and was a punishing show that ended when Eddie Futch stopped the combat earlier than the fifteenth and ultimate spherical with Frazier sitting on his stool.
In 1976, Joe Frazier fought and once more misplaced to George Foreman, this time by fifth-round knockout, and retired.
In 1981, Frazier tried a comeback that lasted just one combat, drawing in 10 rounds with Floyd “Jumbo” Cummings in Chicago, Illinois. He then retired for good.
Joe Frazier was identified with liver most cancers in September 2011. Inside a couple of weeks, most cancers metastasized. By November 2011, he was beneath hospice care. He died on November 7, 2011.
RIP Smokin’ Joe! We carry our hats to you!
