Frazier
right moment to apply the hook that ended so many of his fights, all this was “Smoking” Joe Frazier, but he was also much more.
So with his father ties wrapping the hands, and hitting a boxing bag made of corn, moss, bricks and everything else Frazier could find, a champion started being molded, tells history that Frazier learned his left hook by teasing and fighting the family hog (a beast with nearly 300 pounds) finally in 1959 he decided to make a change in his life and hop on the first train heading north "It was 1959, I was 15 years old and I was on my own."
In 1967 Frazier was 16-0 in his professional career and was the top contender for the recently vacant World Boxing Association title ( Ali had been striped of his title due to his refusal to go to Vietnam) the boxing commission wanted to solve the matter with a tournament but Frazier boycott the elimination tournament in a protest against the stripping of Ali’s title. Frazier eventually ended up going head to head with his old nemesis and the man that beat him for the Olympic trials Buster Mathis for the New York State Athletic Commission championship.
For the first time ever, in an unprecedented event, two undefeated world champions would meet in the squared circle and “something gotta give”. Ali has an unbelievable intelligent man had predicted this moment and started his usual mind games in 1967 before being stripped of his title saying that Joe would never stand a chance of "whipping" him, not even in his wildest dreams, but Frazier was a son of Philadelphia and said he was not frightened by Ali’s words and eager to prove he was a true champion he would put a show that is still remembered today as the Fight of the Century. After loosing the first rounds Frazier kept on coming, he would take the best of the “Greatest” and keep coming, eventually destroying Ali’s spirit and in the 15th destroying Ali’s jaw with a text book left hook that would circle around the world crowning Smoking Joe Frazier the true champion, Joe won the bout by unanimous decision and both fighters spend weeks in the hospital.
Ironically loosing to Ali twice again in two of the greatest demonstrations of boxing and will he have ever seen in boxing, and one more time against Foreman, in the end the only two man capable of defeating Joe Frazier.
Frazier - Ali II 1974 is the year and Ali’s mind games are crossing the line between funny jokes and personal abuse, this is the start of a bitter resentment that ultimately would put Joe Frazier’s life in risk. During the build up of the match Ali would repeatedly call Frazier , Ugly and an ignorant and when the two met at Howard Cosell show for ABC Ali keep offending Frazier calling him an ignorant for saying that he won the first bout till Frazier stood up to a seated Ali and ask him "why you call me ignorant... how am I ignorant?” Ali waited till Frazier turn his head to the other side to grab him by the neck and a wrestling fight live on national television was started, in the end both men were subsequently fined for this.
This time Ali decided to call Frazier the gorilla, "It's gonna be a thrilla, and a chilla, and a killa, when I get the Gorilla in Manila.". Frazier could not forgive Ali giver everything he did for him in his life. Frazier had attended tribunals, hearings, and public relations functions in support of Ali throughout his three year exile. Frazier's support of Ali extended beyond Ali's legal difficulties, Frazier supported Ali in his attempt to have his boxing license restored. Frazier also provided Ali some financial support during his exile. For all this while Ali’s training camp was a happy camp joking and promoting the fight, Frazier trained like a maniac trying to punish what he thought was a magistral injustice.
Ali changed his style of fighting against Frazier this time and entered the bout blazing, punch after punch he would hurt Frazier but Billy Boy never back down and despite being viciously beating he continuous went to Ali’s body draining all his energy. Ali amazed with the stamina and will of Frazier (by this time everyone thought that Frazier was ended) would reportedly say "Joe, they told me you was all washed up" Frazier snarled back, "They told you wrong, pretty boy." Frazier then started dominating the rounds and people start believing in him, it seems that Ali was finally going down but in the 10th round the gas was over and Frazier start being savagely beating by an Ali with renewed power. Both men where drained, Ali had internal damage and Frazier was so swollen in the eyes that he barely could see anything, in the end Joe Frazier trainer and corner man Eddie Futch in one of the most memorable moments in boxing history and fearing for Joe’s life trow the towel and everything was over.
An old and tired Frazier would fight Foreman one more time in 1976 for the NABF title loosing by a TKO on the 5th round. His last fight was against Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings in 1981 and spite Frazier good match he would draw and retire for good.
In the decade of 2000 Frazier fought again, he had two battles with one win and one loss. He struggle against his feelings towards is rival Ali, winning that battle in 2009 on a interview to Sports Illustrated where he said that he had finally come to peace whit himself and with Muhammad Ali in a piece that should be called redemption. In late September of 2011 he started his last bout, this time against liver cancer, he would trow the towel for the last time on November 7 2011.
