BOXING LEGEND JOE FRAZIER PASSES AWAY FROM LIVER CANCER AT 67

Joe Frazier, a onetime heavyweight champion whose epic battles with Muhammad Ali in the 1970s spilled from the boxing ring into a decades-long war of words, died Nov. 7 of liver cancer at age 67. His family said he died in hospice care in Philadelphia. Mr. Frazier and Ali were the dominant heavyweights of their generation, and their rivalry was considered one of the most heated and enduring in all of sports. Both fighters had won Olympic gold medals, but in most other respects they were very different. Mr. Frazier, a sharecropper’s son from South Carolina, was stocky and powerful. The most exciting thing about him was his nickname, “Smokin’ Joe.” His crouching, relentless style of boxing was in stark contrast to the tall, graceful presence of Ali. Even more telling, Mr. Frazier’s quiet stoicism was no match for Ali’s glib flamboyance.



The last of their three fights, the “Thrilla in Manila” in 1975, is widely ranked as the greatest match in boxing history. But the bouts that Mr. Frazier and Ali fought in the ring were complicated by a personal antipathy rare in sports. Ali’s needling of Mr. Frazier turned from ordinary ribbing to something deeper that reflected the divisions of race and opportunity in America. Ali had been the heavyweight champion from 1964 to 1967, when he had to relinquish his title after refusing to participate in the military draft.

In 1970, Mr. Frazier beat Jimmy Ellis to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. With Ali returning to boxing after a three-year layoff, the stage was set for a showdown. Against a background of political and racial upheaval, Ali called Mr. Frazier “ignorant,” “dumb” and an “Uncle Tom.”Mr. Frazier, who had admired Ali, was baffled and insulted by what he considered a betrayal of the brotherhood of boxers. In response, he referred to Ali by his original name of Cassius Clay, which Ali considered an affront.“Clay, he makes me laugh,” Mr. Frazier told Sports Illustrated in 1971. “What do he know about hard times? Bigmouthing and loud talk, he’s an expert on that, but hard times — that’s something else.”

Their first fight took place at New York’s Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971, with a glittering backdrop. The crowd was studded with celebrities, including Woody Allen, Dustin Hoffman and Diana Ross. Frank Sinatra was a ringside photographer for Life magazine. Each fighter was guaranteed $2.5 million, the highest purse in boxing history at the time.
Early in the fight, Ali shook his head in disdain whenever Mr. Frazier caught him with a punch. By the 11th round, Ali was reeling backward from a succession of blows. For the first time, he looked confused and defeated in the boxing ring. About 25 seconds into the 15th and final round, Mr. Frazier landed a left hook on Ali’s jaw, sending him to the floor, with his head bouncing off the canvas.Mr. Frazier won a unanimous decision, giving Ali the first loss of his career. Both fighters ended up in a hospital.

On Jan. 22, 1973, Mr. Frazier lost his title when George Foreman knocked him down six times in two rounds, prompting ABC broadcaster Howard Cosell’s memorable exclamation: “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!” We send are condolences out to the frazier family, the LEGEND will be missed...