Smokin' Joe R.I.P.

[anonymous-user]

Fraziers 3 fights with Ali were the stuff of legend. He was the first fighter to beat Ali and the "Thriller in Manila" was one of the greatest ever fights. In the days when the heavyweight championship was something really special Joe, Ali and Foreman were the Kings of the ring.

R.I.P. Smokin'.

[E31Shrew]

Sad day RIP

[lady topaz]

unrepentant said:

Fraziers 3 fights with Ali were the stuff of legend. He was the first fighter to beat Ali and the "Thriller in Manila" was one of the greatest ever fights. In the days when the heavyweight championship was something really special Joe, Ali and Foreman were the Kings of the ring.

R.I.P. Smokin'.

Agreed, but if the bloody BBC news readers get his name wrong again I will go mad. Twice yesterday I heard him called Frazer.
Ignorant, incompetent and disrespectful.

R.I.P.

[juan carr]

lady topaz said:

Agreed, but if the bloody BBC news readers get his name wrong again I will go mad. Twice yesterday I heard him called Frazer.
Ignorant, incompetent and disrespectful.

R.I.P.

Yes, the worst thing in the world ever

[Eric Mc]

Amazing that Ali is outliving a lot of his old oponents.

[dickymint]

Point to remember - Frazier gave Clay the chance (and some say cash) to drag himself out of the gutter when Clay lost his license.

God bless Smokin Joe Frazier.

[anonymous-user]

RIP, some classic fights.

[Laurel Green]

RIP.

[tigerkoi]

dickymint said:

Point to remember - Frazier gave Clay the chance (and some say cash) to drag himself out of the gutter when Clay lost his license.

God bless Smokin Joe Frazier.

Wrong.
Frazier fought Ali. Clay wasn't a name that he went by for years, by that stage.
Also, Ali had just come off wins over Quarry and Bonavena, so was active again. He was hardly in 'the gutter' as you put it, as whilst he was fighting a legal battle he was working almost daily with the Nation of Islam during this period. Regardless of personal opinion about Elijah Muhammed and all the other dubious characters, Ali was not exactly scratching around spending his 60's prize money.

[chris watton]

Sad news - a legend - even appeared in the Rocky film IIRC.

Boxing used to be so popular, with many household names - seems to have dropped from the radar over the past 15 years or so.

[anonymous-user]

tigerkoi said:

dickymint said:

Point to remember - Frazier gave Clay the chance (and some say cash) to drag himself out of the gutter when Clay lost his license.

God bless Smokin Joe Frazier.

Wrong.
Frazier fought Ali. Clay wasn't a name that he went by for years, by that stage.
Also, Ali had just come off wins over Quarry and Bonavena, so was active again. He was hardly in 'the gutter' as you put it, as whilst he was fighting a legal battle he was working almost daily with the Nation of Islam during this period. Regardless of personal opinion about Elijah Muhammed and all the other dubious characters, Ali was not exactly scratching around spending his 60's prize money.

It's true that Frazier gave financial support to Ali and campaigned to have Ali's license reinstated after it was removed for draft dodging. He also refused to take part in the elimination contest to choose a new champion when Ali was stripped of the title. He then had to endure years of Ali taunting him as an "Uncle Tom". Pretty shameful.

[Eric Mc]

chris watton said:

Sad news - a legend - even appeared in the Rocky film IIRC.

Boxing used to be so popular, with many household names - seems to have dropped from the radar over the past 15 years or so.

Two reasons - it's removal from terrestrial TV. Boxers are no longer household names.
Also, multiplicity of governing bodies has effectively destroyed any meaning of the term "World Champion".

[dickymint]

tigerkoi said:

dickymint said:

Point to remember - Frazier gave Clay the chance (and some say cash) to drag himself out of the gutter when Clay lost his license.

God bless Smokin Joe Frazier.

Wrong.
Frazier fought Ali. Clay wasn't a name that he went by for years, by that stage.
Also, Ali had just come off wins over Quarry and Bonavena, so was active again. He was hardly in 'the gutter' as you put it, as whilst he was fighting a legal battle he was working almost daily with the Nation of Islam during this period. Regardless of personal opinion about Elijah Muhammed and all the other dubious characters, Ali was not exactly scratching around spending his 60's prize money.

"The authorities" at the time especially the Army would not recognise him as Ali. During the ban his money was gifted/tied up or scammed by the "Nation".
It is said that Frazier met with Ali (happy ) Gave him a load of cash which set him up for his come-back fight against Quarry.

[tigerkoi]

unrepentant said:

tigerkoi said:

dickymint said:

Point to remember - Frazier gave Clay the chance (and some say cash) to drag himself out of the gutter when Clay lost his license.

God bless Smokin Joe Frazier.

Wrong.
Frazier fought Ali. Clay wasn't a name that he went by for years, by that stage.
Also, Ali had just come off wins over Quarry and Bonavena, so was active again. He was hardly in 'the gutter' as you put it, as whilst he was fighting a legal battle he was working almost daily with the Nation of Islam during this period. Regardless of personal opinion about Elijah Muhammed and all the other dubious characters, Ali was not exactly scratching around spending his 60's prize money.

It's true that Frazier gave financial support to Ali and campaigned to have Ali's license reinstated after it was removed for draft dodging. He also refused to take part in the elimination contest to choose a new champion when Ali was stripped of the title. He then had to endure years of Ali taunting him as an "Uncle Tom". Pretty shameful.

It's always trotted out that he gave '...financial support', during this period. But exactly what does that mean...give me facts, not what's loosely asserted by Frazier's supporters.
Turning up at conventions and hustling crowds in joint PA efforts is one thing, and it can certainly also be argued that he did this with a very acute sense that getting Ali back in the ring was mutually beneficial. As for going down to the local Chase Manhattan and drawing down $500 dollars each week for him, well, you have to doubt that.

For my money, I'd have Frazier in my top ten of all heavyweights, but only just. He would have been bombed out by Shavers, and I would think that Norton would have his number too.

[dickymint]

Just hooked up the PS3 and am half way through watching The Thriller in Manilla (Documentary about all three fights) on Youtube. If you're a fan it's got to be
seen.

If, like me, you get a bit emotional I suggest you watch it on your own.

Joe Frazier was an incredible man and I salute you Joe