All Topics  
Joe Frazier

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Joe Frazier
 
 
  Topics Joe Frazier Topic Home

Joseph William Frazier, known as Smokin' Joe, (born January 12, 1944 in Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina

Beaufort is a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, South Carolina, United States, situated on the Beaufort River. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston, South Carolina....
) is a former Olympic (1964) and World Heavyweight Boxing
Boxing

Boxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar human weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds....
 Champion, active mostly from the later 1960s to the mid 1970s.

Frazier was a popular champion reprising himself in cameo roles in several Hollywood films and professionally is perhaps most famous for his trilogy of Heavy Weight Championship
Boxing

Boxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar human weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds....
 fights with Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is a retired United States boxing and former three-time List of heavyweight boxing champions.As an amateur, Ali won a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in the light heavyweight division gold medal....
 wherein one or the other challenged the current title holder resulting in dramatic memorable battles.

Frazier has a bullying fighting style, depending on bobbing and weaving and was a renowned power puncher.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Joe Frazier'
Start a new discussion about 'Joe Frazier'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Joseph William Frazier, known as Smokin' Joe, (born January 12, 1944 in Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina

Beaufort is a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, South Carolina, United States, situated on the Beaufort River. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston, South Carolina....
) is a former Olympic (1964) and World Heavyweight Boxing
Boxing

Boxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar human weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds....
 Champion, active mostly from the later 1960s to the mid 1970s.

Frazier was a popular champion reprising himself in cameo roles in several Hollywood films and professionally is perhaps most famous for his trilogy of Heavy Weight Championship
Boxing

Boxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar human weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds....
 fights with Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is a retired United States boxing and former three-time List of heavyweight boxing champions.As an amateur, Ali won a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in the light heavyweight division gold medal....
 wherein one or the other challenged the current title holder resulting in dramatic memorable battles.

Frazier has a bullying fighting style, depending on bobbing and weaving and was a renowned power puncher. Frazier is perhaps most famous for his vicious hooks. Compared to Ali's style, he was close enough to the ideal bruiser that some in the press and media characterized the bouts as the answer to the classic question: "What happens when a boxer meets with a brawler".

Life and career


Early professional career

After Frazier won the Olympic heavyweight gold medal, Durham helped put together Cloverlay, a group of local businessmen who invested in Frazier's professional career and allowed him to train full-time. Durham was Frazier's chief trainer and manager until Durham's death in August 1973. Frazier turned professional in 1965, defeating Woody Goss by a knockout
Knockout

A knockout is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving strike ....
 in the first round. He won three more fights that year, all by knockout, none going past the third round.

In 1966, as Frazier's career was taking off, Durham contacted Los Angeles trainer Eddie Futch
Eddie Futch

Eddie Futch was a boxing trainer who trained a number of legendary champions. The incredible list of fighters he trained includes Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, and Trevor Berbick, four of the five men to defeat Muhammad Ali...
. The two men had never met, but Durham had heard of Futch through the latter's reputation as one of the most respected trainers in boxing. Frazier was sent to Los Angeles to train, before Futch agreed to join Durham as an assistant trainer. With Futch's assistance, Durham arranged three fights in Los Angeles against Al Jones, veteran contender Eddie Machen, and George "Scrapiron" Johnson. Frazier knocked out Jones and Machen, but went 10 rounds with Johnson to win a unanimous decision.

After the Johnson match, Futch became a full-fledged member of the Frazier camp as an assistant trainer and strategist, who also advised Durham on matchmaking. It was Futch who suggested that Frazier boycott the 1967 WBA
World Boxing Association

The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level....
 heavyweight elimination tournament to find a successor to Muhammad Ali, after the heavyweight champion was stripped of his title for refusing to be inducted into the military, although Frazier was the top-ranked contender at the time.

Futch proved invaluable to Frazier as an assistant trainer, helping modify his style. Under his tutelage, Frazier adopted the bob-and-weave defensive style, making him more difficult for taller opponents to punch, while also giving Frazier more power with his own punches. While Futch remained based in Los Angeles, where he worked as a supervisor with the U.S. Postal Service, he was flown to Philadelphia to work with Frazier during the final preparations for all of his fights.

When Durham died in 1973, Futch was asked to succeed him as Frazier's head trainer and manager. In fact, Futch was also training heavyweight contender Ken Norton
Ken Norton

Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. is a former multi-time world champion heavyweight boxer....
 at the time. He was in Norton's corner in March 1973, when Norton broke Ali's jaw and won a split decision. After Norton lost the rematch to Ali in September 1973, Norton's managers, Robert Biron and Aaron Rivkind, demanded that Futch choose between training Frazier and Norton. Futch chose Frazier, but not without regret at being forced to make the choice.

Late 1960s: making his presence known

In 1966, Frazier won a decision over Argentine fighter Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Bonavena

Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena was a professional boxer. He earned the nickname "Ringo" for The Beatles hairdo that he sported....
, despite Bonavena flooring him twice in the second round (a third knockdown in that round would have ended the fight).

In 1967, Frazier won all four of his fights, including a sixth-round knockout of Doug Jones
Doug Jones (boxer)

Doug Jones was an American Heavyweight Boxer....
 and a fourth-round technical knockout (TKO) of George Chuvalo
George Chuvalo

George Louis Chuvalo, Order of Canada is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxing who was never knocked down in ninety-three professional fights between 1956 and 1979....
.

In 1967, Muhammad Ali was stripped of his world heavyweight title due to his refusal to be inducted into the military during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina Wars, the Vietnam Conflict, or often in Vietnam the American War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975....
. To fill the vacancy, the New York State Athletic Commission
New York State Athletic Commission

The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxing, professional wrestling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, seconds, ring officials, managers,...
 held a bout between Frazier and Buster Mathis
Buster Mathis

Buster Mathis had a very successful career as an amateur heavyweight boxing. He qualified for a spot in the 1964 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, he was injured and was unable to compete there....
, with the winner to be recognized as "world champion" by the state of New York. Although the fight was not recognized as a world championship bout by some, Frazier won by a knockout in the 11th round
Round

Round or rounds can mean:* The shape of a circle or sphere* Rounding , the smoothness of a sediment particle* Roundedness, the roundedness of the lips in the pronunciation of a phoneme...
 and staked a claim to the heavyweight championship. He then defended his title by beating Manuel Ramos
Manuel Ramos

Manuel Ramos, an attorney who also has taught Chicano literature courses at Metropolitan State College of Denver, is the author of several crime fiction novels....
 of Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
 in two rounds, and closed 1968 by beating Bonavena via a 15-round decision in a hard-fought rematch.

1969 saw Frazier defend his New York title in Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
, beating Dave Zyglewicz by a first-round knockout, and beating Jerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry

"Irish" Jerry Quarry , nicknamed ?The Bellflower, California Bomber,? was an American heavyweight boxing....
 by TKO in the seventh round. The competitive, exciting match with Quarry was named 1969 Ring Magazine fight of the year.

Early 1970s: defeats Ali; destroyed by Foreman

On February 16, 1970, Frazier became the undisputed world champion when he defeated WBA
World Boxing Association

The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level....
 champion Jimmy Ellis
Jimmy Ellis

James Albert "Jimmy" Ellis is a boxing from Louisville, Kentucky. He held the World Boxing Association Heavyweight title from 1968 to 1970.As an amateur, he was trained by Joe Elsby Martin, Sr., at Louisville's Columbia Gym....
 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City....
 by a fifth-round knock-out. Ellis had beaten Jerry Quarry in the final bout of a WBA elimination tournament for Ali's vacated belt, but Frazier had declined to participate.

In his first title defence, Frazier travelled to Detroit to fight world light-heavyweight champion Bob Foster
Bob Foster

Bob Foster is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA whom many boxing critics consider to be one of the greatest Light Heavyweight world champions in history....
, who had set a record for the number of defences in the light-heavyweight division. Frazier (26-0) retained his title by knock-out in two rounds. Then came what was quickly dubbed the Fight Of The Century
Fight of the Century

Fight of the Century was the promotional nickname given to the first boxing match between champion Joe Frazier and challenger Muhammad Ali , held on March 8, 1971 at New York's Madison Square Garden....
, his first fight with Ali. This would be the first meeting of two undefeated heavyweight champions, since Ali (31-0) had not lost his title in the ring, but rather been stripped because of his refusal to be inducted in the Armed Forces.

On March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden, Frazier and Ali met in the first of their three bouts which was widely called the Fight of the Century
Fight of the Century

Fight of the Century was the promotional nickname given to the first boxing match between champion Joe Frazier and challenger Muhammad Ali , held on March 8, 1971 at New York's Madison Square Garden....
 in pre-bout publicity and the press feeding frenzy. With a worldwide television
Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
 audience, and an in-house audience that included luminaries such as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an United States singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers"....
 (as a photographer for Life
Life (magazine)

File:Coles Phillips2 Life.jpgLife generally refers to three United States magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936....
 magazine to get a ringside seat), comedian Woody Allen
Woody Allen

Woody Allen is an Cinema of the United States film director, writer, actor, comedian, musician and playwright.Allen's distinctive films, which run the gamut from dramas to Screwball comedy film, have made him one of the most respected living American directors....
, singer Diana Ross
Diana Ross

Diane Ernestine "Diana" Ross is a recording artist, actress, and entertainer. During the 1960s, she helped shape the Motown Sound as lead singer of The Supremes before leaving for a solo career in the beginning of 1970....
, and actors Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Lee Hoffman is a two-time Academy Award-, six-time Golden Globe-, three-time BAFTA- and Emmy Award-winning United States actor....
 and Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster

Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an United States film actor and star, noted for his athletic physique, distinct smile and, later, his willingness to play roles that went against his initial "tough guy" image....
 (who served as "color commentator" with fight announcer Don Dunphy
Don Dunphy

Don Dunphy was a United States television and radio sports announcer specializing in boxing broadcasts. Dunphy was noted for his fast paced delivery and enthusiasm for the sport....
), the two undefeated heavyweights met in the kind of media-frenzied atmosphere not seen since Joe Louis
Joe Louis

Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was a List of Heavyweight Champions.Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, he is considered to be one of the greatest in boxing history....
' youth.

Many factors came together for Frazier in this fight. He was 27 years old and at his lifetime peak both physically and mentally, while Ali, 29, was coming back from a three-year absence, taking on Frazier soon after a bruising battle with Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Bonavena

Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena was a professional boxer. He earned the nickname "Ringo" for The Beatles hairdo that he sported....
, whom Ali had defeated by a TKO in 15. Frazier had exhaustively trained specifically for Ali under the tutelage of famed coach Eddie Futch
Eddie Futch

Eddie Futch was a boxing trainer who trained a number of legendary champions. The incredible list of fighters he trained includes Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, and Trevor Berbick, four of the five men to defeat Muhammad Ali...
, who had developed a strategy based on Ali's tendency to throw the right-hand uppercut from a straight standing position after dropping the hand in preparation to throw it with force. Futch instructed Frazier to watch Ali's right hand and, at the moment Ali dropped it, to throw a left hook at the spot where they knew Ali's face would be a second later.
>
>
>
> Frazier's staggering of Ali in the 11th round and his knock-down of Ali in the 15th were both executed precisely in this way.

Frazier lost a number of early rounds but took Ali's combinations without backing down. As Ali started to slow in the middle rounds, Frazier came on strong, landing hard shots to the body as well as the powerful left hooks to the head by virtue of Futch's instructions.

Consequently, Frazier won a clear, 15-round, unanimous decision. Ali was taken to the hospital immediately after the fight to have his badly swollen jaw x-rayed, and Frazier spent time in the hospital during the ensuing week.

In 1972, Frazier successfully defended the title twice, beating Terry Daniels and Ron Stander
Ron Stander

Ron Stander is a boxing referee and former professional boxer from Council Bluffs, Iowa, who was once a challenger for the heavyweight championship of the world....
, both in four-round knockouts.

It was Frazier's turn to lose his undefeated record of 29-0 and position as undisputed world champion at the hands of powerful puncher George Foreman
George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an United States two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and entrepreneur.He is the oldest man ever to win a major heavyweight title when, at 45, he knocked out 26-year-old Michael Moorer in the 10th round....
 on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the Capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country. It faces a natural harbor protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit which connects Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island....
. Foreman towered over the shorter, more compact Champ, and soon dominated the brief bout. The fight was stopped in the second round after Frazier was knocked down for the sixth time, three times in each round (the three knock-down rule was not in effect). The first of these knock-downs prompted Howard Cosell
Howard Cosell

Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist....
's famous call, "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!"

After his loss to Foreman, now 38-0, Frazier won his next fight, a 12-round decision over Joe Bugner
Joe Bugner

J?zsef Kreul "Joe" Bugner is a United Kingdom/Australian former heavyweight Boxing.Born in Szoreg, Hungary, Bugner and his family fled after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and settled in England....
 in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 to begin his quest to regain the title.

Mid 1970s: another title shot; ensuing decline

Frazier's second fight against Ali took place in 1974, in New York, with Ali winning a 12-round unanimous decision. Frazier finished that year with another rematch, knocking out Jerry Quarry in five rounds.

1975 was, once again, a year of rematches for Frazier, but this time they involved more overseas travel. He met Jimmy Ellis, the man from whom he had originally taken the WBA title, in Melbourne, Australia, knocking him out in nine rounds. That win made him once again the number-one challenger for the world crown, now held by Ali after an eighth-round knockout of George Foreman in the famous "The Rumble in the Jungle
The Rumble in the Jungle

The Rumble in The Jungle was an historic boxing event that took place on 30 October 1974, in the Stade Tata Rapha?l in Kinshasa, Zaire . It pitted then world Heavyweight champion George Foreman against former world champion and challenger Muhammad Ali....
."

The now aging Ali and Frazier met for the third and final time in Quezon City
Quezon City

Quezon City , is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the Cities of the Philippines and Philippine municipality that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region....
 (a district within the metropolitan area
Metropolitan area

A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central city and their zone of influence....
 of Manila
Manila

The 'City of Manila' , or simply 'Manila', is the Capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila....
), the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
: the "Thrilla in Manila
Thrilla in Manila

The Thrilla in Manila is the third and final famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the World, fought at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on October 1, 1975....
." Ali took every opportunity to mock Frazier, again calling him The Gorilla, and generally trying to irritate him (and succeeding) at every chance.

The fight for Ali's title, which was attended by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edral?n Marcos was President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate ....
, caused another media frenzy and was seen live around the world. It was far more action-filled than the previous encounter (there was no belt at stake in the second fight), and was a punishing display that ended when Frazier's coach and cornerman, Eddie Futch, stopped the fight before the 15th and final round with Frazier sitting on his stool. Frazier never spoke with Futch again. For his part, Ali described the match as "the closest thing to death" he had ever experienced.

In 1976, Frazier (32-3) fought and again lost to George Foreman, this time by fifth-round knockout, and retired.

Frazier made a cameo appearance in the movie Rocky
Rocky

Rocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa , an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia....
 later in 1976 and dedicated himself to training local boxers in Philadelphia, where he grew up, including some of his own children.

1980s: one fight comeback; trainer and coach

In 1981, Frazier attempted a comeback that lasted only one fight, drawing in 10 rounds with Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings
Floyd Cummings

Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings is a retired United States heavyweight Boxing.Cummings served 12 years in prison for murder in the Stateville Correctional Center, Illinois, and upon his release started boxing professionally, making his debut in March 1979 at the age of 29....
 in Chicago, Illinois. He then retired for good.

Since then, Frazier has involved himself in various endeavors. Among his sons who turned to boxing as a career, he helped train Marvis Frazier
Marvis Frazier

Marvis Frazier was a professional boxing of the heavyweight division....
, a challenger for Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes is a former world heavyweight boxing champion. Holmes has spent the majority of his adult life in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the state's Lehigh Valley region, giving rise to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
's world heavyweight title, and trains his daughter, Jackie Frazier-Lyde
Jackie Frazier-Lyde

Jackie Frazier-Lyde is a lawyer who is the daughter of former world Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier. In the year 2000, she shocked the boxing world by announcing that at the age of 38, she would begin participating in the sport of Women's boxing....
.

Frazier's overall record is 32 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw, with 27 wins by knockout. He won 73 percent of his fights by knockout, compared to 60 percent for Ali and 84 percent for Foreman. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame

The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, New York....
.

In 1986, Frazier appeared as the "corner man" for Mr. T
Mr. T

Mr. T is an United States actor known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team, as boxing Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III, and for his appearances as a professional wrestler....
 against Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper

Roderick George Toombs better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestling and film actor....
 at WrestleMania II at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City....
. In 1989, Frazier joined Ali, Foreman, Norton and Holmes for the tribute special Champions Forever.

1990s to present

Frazier lives in Philadelphia where he owns and manages a boxing gym. He has diabetes and high blood pressure. He and his nemesis, Muhammad Ali, have alternated over the years between public apologies and public insults.

Frazier appeared as himself in an episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons

The Simpsons is an Television in the United States animated cartoon Situation comedy created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company....
 ("Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?
Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?

"Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" is the 24th episode of The Simpsons The Simpsons . It was originally supposed to be the opener for season four, but Fox Broadcasting Company decided to air it earlier to promote the series premiere of Martin ; thus, it became the finale of season three....
") in 1992, in which he would be beaten up by Barney Gumble
Barney Gumble

Barney Gumble is a character in the animated cartoon situation comedy The Simpsons. The character is voice acting by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"....
. Frazier objected and was instead shown beating up Gumble. He appeared in another episode of The Simpsons ("Homer's Paternity Coot
Homer's Paternity Coot

"Homer's Paternity Coot" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons The Simpsons , and first aired on January 8, 2006, being the first episode of 2006....
") in 2006. In February 2006, Frazier appeared in Fight Night Round 2
Fight Night: Round 2

Fight Night: Round 2 is the sequel to EA Sports' acclaimed Fight Night 2004. It is a boxing game descended from the lineage of the Knockout Kings series of games and is produced for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube consoles....
 and 3
Fight Night: Round 3

Fight Night: Round 3 is a boxing video game developed by EA Sports. It is the sequel to EA Sports' previous boxing title, Fight Night: Round 2, which was released in 2005....
, a game made by EA Sports
EA Sports

EA Sports is a brand name used by Electronic Arts since 1993 to distribute games based on sports. Formerly a gimmick inside Electronic Arts sports games, that tried to mimic real-life sports networks, calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John Madden , it soon grew up to become a su...
.

Frazier's autobiography is titled Smokin' Joe and he was widely criticised by Ali fans for relating many of Ali's actions that he considered offensive. Some feel that Frazier has hurt himself with his unrelenting bitterness toward Ali. In 1996, when Ali lit the Olympic flame in Atlanta, Frazier told a reporter that he would like to throw Ali into the fire. Mismanagement of real-estate holdings was cited by the article as a partial explanation for Frazier's economic woes despite winning millions in the ring during the 1970s.

Frazier is still training young fighters, although he needed multiple operations for back injuries sustained in a car accident. It has been reported that he and Ali recently attempted a reconciliation, but as of October 2006 Frazier still claimed to have won all three bouts between the two (officially, Frazier won the first by unanimous decision, lost the second by unanimous decision, and lost the third by TKO). He declared to a Times reporter, when questioned about his bitterness toward Ali, "I am what I am."

Today much of his time is devoted to his foundation work: Smokin' Joe Frazier Foundation.

Professional boxing record

|- |align="center" colspan=8|32 Wins (27 knockouts, 5 decisions), 4 Losses (3 knockouts, 1 decision), 1 Draw |- | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Res. | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Record | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rd., Time | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes |-align=center |style="background: #dae2f1"|Draw |32-4-1 |Floyd Cummings
Floyd Cummings

Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings is a retired United States heavyweight Boxing.Cummings served 12 years in prison for murder in the Stateville Correctional Center, Illinois, and upon his release started boxing professionally, making his debut in March 1979 at the age of 29....
 |Draw |10 |1981-12-03 |align=left| Chicago, Illinois
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
 |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |32-4 |George Foreman
George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an United States two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and entrepreneur.He is the oldest man ever to win a major heavyweight title when, at 45, he knocked out 26-year-old Michael Moorer in the 10th round....
 |TKO |5 , 2:26 |1976-06-15 |align=left| Uniondale, NY
Uniondale, New York

Uniondale is a political subdivisions of New York#Hamlet as well as a suburb of New York City in Nassau County, New York, New York, United States, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, New York....
 |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |32-3 |Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is a retired United States boxing and former three-time List of heavyweight boxing champions.As an amateur, Ali won a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in the light heavyweight division gold medal....
 |TKO |14 , 0:59 |1975-10-01 |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center |Win |32-2 |Jimmy Ellis
Jimmy Ellis

James Albert "Jimmy" Ellis is a boxing from Louisville, Kentucky. He held the World Boxing Association Heavyweight title from 1968 to 1970.As an amateur, he was trained by Joe Elsby Martin, Sr., at Louisville's Columbia Gym....
 |TKO |9 , 0:59 |1975-03-02 |align=left| Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne

Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....
 | |-align=center |Win |31-2 |Jerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry

"Irish" Jerry Quarry , nicknamed ?The Bellflower, California Bomber,? was an American heavyweight boxing....
 |TKO |5 |1974-06-17 |align=left| New York City, NY
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 | |-align=center |Loss |30-2 |Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is a retired United States boxing and former three-time List of heavyweight boxing champions.As an amateur, Ali won a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in the light heavyweight division gold medal....
 |Decision |12 |1974-01-28 |align=left| New York City, NY |align=left| |-align=center |Win |30-1 |Joe Bugner
Joe Bugner

J?zsef Kreul "Joe" Bugner is a United Kingdom/Australian former heavyweight Boxing.Born in Szoreg, Hungary, Bugner and his family fled after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and settled in England....
 |Decision |12 |1973-07-02 |align=left| London, England
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 | |-align=center |Loss |29-1 |George Foreman
George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an United States two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and entrepreneur.He is the oldest man ever to win a major heavyweight title when, at 45, he knocked out 26-year-old Michael Moorer in the 10th round....
 |TKO |2 , 2:26 |1973-01-22 |align=left| Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the Capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country. It faces a natural harbor protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit which connects Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island....
 |align=left| |-align=center |Win |29-0 |Ron Stander
Ron Stander

Ron Stander is a boxing referee and former professional boxer from Council Bluffs, Iowa, who was once a challenger for the heavyweight championship of the world....
 |TKO |5 |1972-05-25 |align=left| Omaha, NE
Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County, Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River....
 |align=left| |-align=center |Win |28-0 |Terry Daniels |TKO |4 |1972-01-15 |align=left| New Orleans, LA
New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana. New Orleans is the center of the New Orleans metropolitan area metropolitan area, the largest metro area in the state....
 |align=left| |-align=center |Win |27-0 |Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is a retired United States boxing and former three-time List of heavyweight boxing champions.As an amateur, Ali won a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in the light heavyweight division gold medal....
 |Decision |15 |1971-03-08 |align=left| New York City, NY |align=left| |-align=center |Win |26-0 |Bob Foster
Bob Foster

Bob Foster is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA whom many boxing critics consider to be one of the greatest Light Heavyweight world champions in history....
 |KO |2 , 0:49 |1970-11-18 |align=left| Detroit, MI
Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Wayne County, Michigan. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwestern United States of the United States....
 |align=left| |-align=center |Win |25-0 |Jimmy Ellis
Jimmy Ellis

James Albert "Jimmy" Ellis is a boxing from Louisville, Kentucky. He held the World Boxing Association Heavyweight title from 1968 to 1970.As an amateur, he was trained by Joe Elsby Martin, Sr., at Louisville's Columbia Gym....
 |TKO |5 |1970-02-16 |align=left| New York City, NY |align=left| |-align=center |Win |24-0 |Jerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry

"Irish" Jerry Quarry , nicknamed ?The Bellflower, California Bomber,? was an American heavyweight boxing....
 |TKO |7 , 3:00 |1969-06-23 |align=left| New York City, NY |align=left| |-align=center |Win |23-0 |Dave Zyglewicz |KO |1 |1969-04-22 |align=left| Houston, TX
Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America and the largest city within the state of Texas. As of the 2007 U.S. Census estimate, the city has a population of 2.2 million within an area of 600 square miles ....
 |align=left| |-align=center |Win |22-0 |Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Bonavena

Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena was a professional boxer. He earned the nickname "Ringo" for The Beatles hairdo that he sported....
 |Decision |15 |1968-12-10 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population city in the United States. It is the fifth-largest metropolitan area and fourth-largest urban area by population in the United States, the nation's fourth-largest consumer media market as ranked by the Nielsen Media Research, and the 49th-most...
 |align=left| |-align=center |Win |21-0 |Manuel Ramos |TKO |2 |1968-06-24 |align=left| New York City, NY |align=left| |-align=center |Win |20-0 |Buster Mathis
Buster Mathis

Buster Mathis had a very successful career as an amateur heavyweight boxing. He qualified for a spot in the 1964 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, he was injured and was unable to compete there....
 |TKO |11 , 2:33 |1968-03-04 |align=left| New York City, NY |align=left| |-align=center |Win |19-0 |Marion Connor |TKO |3 , 1:40 |1967-12-18 |align=left| Boston, MA
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the State capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region, and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England." Boston city proper had a 2007 est...
 | |-align=center |Win |18-0 |Tony Doyle |TKO |2 , 1:04 |1967-10-17 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA | |-align=center |Win |17-0 |George Chuvalo
George Chuvalo

George Louis Chuvalo, Order of Canada is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxing who was never knocked down in ninety-three professional fights between 1956 and 1979....
 |TKO |4 , 0:16 |1967-07-19 |align=left| New York City, NY | |-align=center |Win |16-0 |George Johnson |Decision |10 |1967-05-04 |align=left| Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. state of California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles is rated as a beta global city, has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California....
 | |-align=center |Win |15-0 |Jefferson Davis |KO |5 |1967-04-11 |align=left| Miami Beach, FL
Miami Beach, Florida

Miami Beach is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated on 26 March, 1915.Miami Beach has been one of America's pre-eminent beach resorts for almost a century....
 | |-align=center |Win |14-0 |Doug Jones
Doug Jones (boxer)

Doug Jones was an American Heavyweight Boxer....
 |KO |6 , 2:21 |1967-02-21 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA | |-align=center |Win |13-0 |Eddie Machen
Eddie Machen

Edward Mills Machen was born in Redding, California, on June 15, 1932. Machen was a convict turned boxer. His 64-bout career began on March 22, 1955, and he went on to win his first 24 bouts....
 |TKO |10 , 0:22 |1966-11-21 |align=left| Los Angeles, CA | |-align=center |Win |12-0 |Oscar Bonavena
Oscar Bonavena

Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena was a professional boxer. He earned the nickname "Ringo" for The Beatles hairdo that he sported....
 |Decision |10 |1966-09-21 |align=left| New York City, NY | |-align=center |Win |11-0 |Billy Daniels |TKO |6 , 3:00 |1966-07-25 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA | |-align=center |Win |10-0 |Al Jones
Alfred Jones (boxer)

Alfred Jones is a former professional Boxing....
 |KO |1 , 2:33 |1966-05-26 |align=left| Los Angeles, CA | |-align=center |Win |9-0 |Chuck Leslie |KO |3 , 2:47 |1966-05-19 |align=left| Los Angeles, CA | |-align=center |Win |8-0 |Don Smith |KO |3 , 1:09 |1966-04-28 |align=left| Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania with a population of 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is 2,462,571....
 | |-align=center |Win |7-0 |Charley Polite |TKO |2 , 0:55 |1966-04-04 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA | |-align=center |Win |6-0 |Dick Wipperman |TKO |5 , 2:58 |1966-03-04 |align=left| New York City, NY | |-align=center |Win |5-0 |Mel Turnbow |KO |1 , 1:41 |1966-01-17 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA | |-align=center |Win |4-0 |Abe Davis
Abe Davis

Abe Davis is an United States Boxing.Abe Davis started his career with 2 losses, but won the next 4. However, after that, he only achieved one more win, and lost all of this other fights, compiling a record of 5 wins , 27 losses, and 1 draw....
 |KO |1 , 2:38 |1965-11-11 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA | |-align=center |Win |3-0 |Ray Staples |KO |2 |1965-09-28 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA | |-align=center |Win |2-0 |Mike Bruce |TKO |3 |1965-09-20 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA | |-align=center |Win |1-0 |Woody Goss |TKO |1 , 1:42 |1965-08-16 |align=left| Philadelphia, PA |

Relationship with Muhammad Ali

While Ali's characteristic taunts of his opponent began typically enough, after regaining his title, his taunts of Smokin' Joe eventually turned mean-spirited and racist. Joe was painted by Ali as the white man's hope and as an "Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom

Uncle Tom is a pejorative for a Black people who is perceived by others as behaving in a subservient manner to White American authority figures, or as seeking ingratiation with them by way of unnecessary accommodation....
" interjecting an element of racism into an already contentious and controversial series of great bouts. (The early controversy was whether Ali should be allowed to fight at all.)

It should also be noted that Joe Frazier petitioned President Nixon to have Ali's right to box reinstated setting up the whole series of matches.
>See Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is a retired United States boxing and former three-time List of heavyweight boxing champions.As an amateur, Ali won a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in the light heavyweight division gold medal....

>. Frazier also boycotted the 1967 WBA heavyweight elimination tournament to find a successor to Muhammad Ali, when the champion was stripped of the title.

Trivia

  • Joe Frazier was the first American boxer to win both the Olympic gold medal and the professional world title in the heavyweight division.
  • He had a band called "Joe Frazier & the Knockouts" that released songs in the "soul" genre.
  • In the 1990s, he trained award winning artist Richard T. Slone
    Richard T. Slone

    Richard T. Slone is an England Painting who has established himself as one of the world?s most sought-after up and coming artists, a multi-award winner whose paintings are now widely collected throughout the world....
     to box.
  • He has operated a boxing gym in North Philadelphia since the late 1960s, used by fighters such as Michael Spinks
    Michael Spinks

    Michael Spinks a native of St. Louis, Missouri, Missouri, is a former boxing who was champion in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight division....
    , Meldrick Taylor
    Meldrick Taylor

    Meldrick Taylor is a former Olympic gold medalist and world boxing champion in two weight classes....
    , his son Marvis Frazier, and Bernard Hopkins
    Bernard Hopkins

    Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins is an United States Boxing. He is best known for his ten year reign as Middleweight World Champion in which he defended his title a record 20 times....
    .
  • He is the father of 11 children.
  • Frazier was played in the 2001 film Ali
    Ali (film)

    Ali is a 2001 in film Cinema of the United States biographical film directed by Michael Mann . The film tells the story of boxing icon Muhammad Ali from 1964 to 1974 featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston, his conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War, banishment from boxing, his return to fight Joe Fraz...
     by boxer/actor James Toney
    James Toney

    James "Lights Out" Toney is a professional boxing from Ann Arbor, Michigan....
    .
  • Some of the most memorable moments in the 1976 boxing-themed feature film, Rocky
    Rocky

    Rocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa , an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia....
     - such as Rocky's carcass-punching scenes and Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
    Philadelphia Museum of Art

    The Philadelphia Museum of Art, known locally and colloquially as "The Art Museum", is among the largest art museums in the United States....
    , as part of his training regime - are taken from Joe's real-life exploits, for which he received no credit.


"But he never paid me for none of my past. I only got paid for a walk-on part. Rocky is a sad story for me."
  • Joe had his Olympic gold medal cut up into eleven separate pieces to divide it between his eleven children.
  • In March, 2007, a Joe Frazier action figure was released as part of a range of toys based on the Rocky film franchise, developed by the American toy manufacturer, Jakks Pacific
    Jakks Pacific

    JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a multi-brand company that designs and markets a broad range of toys and consumer products and is based in Malibu, California....
    .


See also

  • Frazier's portrayal in the film Ali
    Ali (film)

    Ali is a 2001 in film Cinema of the United States biographical film directed by Michael Mann . The film tells the story of boxing icon Muhammad Ali from 1964 to 1974 featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston, his conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War, banishment from boxing, his return to fight Joe Fraz...
     (2001
    2001 in film

    The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ...
    ); directed by Michael Mann
    Michael Mann (film director)

    Michael Kenneth Mann is an Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. For his work, he has received nominations from international organizations and juries, including those at British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Cannes Film Festival and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts a...
    .
  • List of heavyweight boxing champions
    List of heavyweight boxing champions

    This is a chronological list of world heavyweight boxing champions since the introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry rules:...


  • List of WBA world champions
    List of WBA world champions

    List of WBA world champions is a table showing the world champions certificated by World Boxing Association . This list includes champions certificated by the National Boxing Association ....
  • List of WBC world champions
    List of WBC world champions

    List of WBC world champions is a table showing the world champions certificated by World Boxing Council ....
  • Notable boxing families
    Notable boxing families

    This is a list of boxing families with two or more notable boxers. Many families have had multiple members become famous in the sport of boxing with some having had multiple world champions....
  • Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years
    Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years

    In 2002, Ring Magazine published a list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years in boxing, as voted by the magazine's writers.#Sugar Ray Robinson...


External links