Today in our History – March 8, 1971 - Joseph William Frazier nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", Frazier and Ali met for the first time.
GM – LIF – Today’s American Champion was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He reigned as the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973, and as an amateur won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable punching power, and relentless pressure fighting style.
He emerged as the top contender in the late 1960s, defeating opponents that included Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena, Buster Mathis, Eddie Machen, Doug Jones, George Chuvalo, and Jimmy Ellis en route to becoming undisputed heavyweight champion in 1970, and followed up by defeating Muhammad Ali by unanimous decision in the highly anticipated Fight of the Century in 1971. Two years later, he lost his title when he was defeated by George Foreman. He fought on, beating Joe Bugner, losing a rematch to Ali and beating Quarry and Ellis again.
His last world title challenge came in 1975, but he was beaten by Ali in their brutal rubber match, the Thrilla in Manila. He retired in 1976 following a second loss to Foreman. He made a comeback in 1981, fighting just once before retiring for good, finishing his career with a record of 32 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw.
The International Boxing Research Organization rates Frazier among the ten greatest heavyweights of all time. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1967, 1970 and 1971, while the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1969, 1971 and 1975. In 1999, The Ring magazine ranked him the eighth greatest heavyweight. BoxRec ranks him as the 18th greatest heavyweight of all time. He is an inductee of both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
His style was often compared to that of Henry Armstrong and occasionally Rocky Marciano, dependent on bobbing, weaving and relentless pressure to wear down his opponents. His best-known punch was a powerful left hook, which accounted for most of his knockouts. In his career, he lost to only two fighters, both former Olympic and world heavyweight champions: twice to Muhammad Ali, and twice to George Foreman.
After retiring, he made cameo appearances in several Hollywood movies and two episodes of The Simpsons. His son Marvis became a boxer—trained by Frazier himself—but Marvis was knocked out in the first round by an up-and-coming Mike Tyson in 1986, with Marvis ending his career with a record of 19 wins and 2 losses.
His daughter Jacqui Frazier-Lyde also boxed professionally and is a former WIBA world light-heavyweight champion, ending her career with a record of 13 wins and 1 loss, with her sole loss coming in a majority decision points loss to Laila Ali, the daughter of Muhammad Ali, in a fight dubbed as "Ali–Frazier IV". He continued to train fighters in his gym in Philadelphia. His attitude towards Muhammad Ali in later life was largely characterized by bitterness and contempt, interspersed with brief reconciliations.
He was diagnosed with liver cancer in late September 2011 and admitted to hospice care. He died of complications from the disease on November 7, 2011.
Remember - “I believe in doing a job of work, not talking about it. I don't think a man has to go around shouting and play-acting to prove he is something. And a real man don't go around putting other guys down, trampling their feelings in the dirt, making out they're nothing”
― Joe Frazier
Today in our History – March 8, 1971 - Joseph William Frazier nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", at Madison Square Garden, Frazier and Ali met in the first of their three bouts which was called the "Fight of the Century".
With an international television audience and an in-house audience that included singers, and actors, and with Burt Lancaster (who served as "color commentator" with fight announcer Don Dunphy), the two undefeated heavyweights met in a media-frenzied atmosphere reminiscent of Joe Louis' youth.
Several factors came together for Frazier in this fight. He was 27 years old and mentally and physically at his peak; Ali, 29, was coming back from a three-year absence but had kept active. He had had two good wins, including a bruising battle with Oscar Bonavena, whom Ali had defeated by a TKO in 15 rounds. Frazier worked on strategy with coach Eddie Futch.
They noted Ali's tendency to throw a 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 staggered Ali in the 11th round and knocked him down in the 15th in this way.
In a brutal and competitive contest, Frazier lost the first two rounds but was able to withstand Ali's combinations. Frazier was known to improve in middle rounds, and this was the case with Ali. Frazier came on strong after round three, landing hard shots to the body and powerful left hooks to the head. Ultimately, Frazier won a 15-round unanimous decision 9–6, 11–4, and 9–6.
Ali was taken to a hospital immediately after the fight to check that his severely swollen right-side jaw wasn't actually broken. Frazier also spent time in hospital during the ensuing month, the exertions of the fight having been exacerbated by hypertension and a kidney infection.
Later in the year, he fought a 3-round exhibition against hard-hitting veteran contender Cleveland Williams. In 1972, Frazier successfully defended the title twice, beating Terry Daniels and Ron Stander, both by knockout, in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively. Daniels had earlier drawn with Jerry Quarry and Stander had knocked out Earnie Shavers.
Joe Frazier was a professional boxer and former World Heavyweight Champion. He was born on January 12, 1944 and was the youngest of several children. His parents were farmers and lived in Beaufort, South Carolina. They lived in relative poverty and Joe had to work as a farmhand from a very early age.
He had a strong build and was interested in boxing from his childhood, when he first watched fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Willie Pep and Rocky Graziano on the family’s black and white television. He used to work at a meatpacking factory and would often punch the hanging animal carcasses to practice his punches. A scene inspired by this incident is shot in the film “Rocky” starring Sylvester Stallone. In 1959, at the age of 15, Frazier left home to go to New York to live with his elder brother and his family.
Frazier began boxing in 1961 under the training of Yank Durham. Durham helped the young Frazier to hone his technique and perfect his punches. During his amateur boxing career, he won three consecutive Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championships in 1962, 1963 and 1964.
His only loss during his amateur career was to Buster Mathis, who also beat him in the final round of the U.S. Olympic Trials held at the World Fair in New York in 1964. However, his coach persuaded him to attend the Olympics nevertheless which proved to be extremely fruitful as Mathis became injured and Frazier took over for him. Despite injuring his thumb in the semi final fight, he ended up winning Olympic Gold.
He turned professional in 1965 and in just a year’s time, built up an impressive record of 11 victories to 0 losses. When Muhammad Ali was stripped of his title in 1967 for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War, the title was up for grabs. The match for the title was held in 1970 between Jimmy Ellis and Frazier at Madison Square Garden. Frazier defeated Ellis in 4 rounds to become the World Champion.
He defended his title against World Light Heavyweight Champion Bob Foster in Detroit. He then fought Muhammad Ali, who had successfully sued the WBA to win his license back. This fight took place on March 8, 1971 at Madison Square Garden in New York City and was titled “The Fight of the Century”.
It was one of the most anticipated events of the century and drew crowds of thousands as it was the first time in history that two undefeated heavyweight champions were facing each other. The fight went the full 15 rounds, before Frazier was declared the unanimous winner.
Frazier successfully defended his title twice more before eventually losing it to George Foreman in January 1973. He then fought Ali for a second time, in which Ali was declared the winner. Their final, and one of the most memorable meetings, was the “Thrilla In Manila” held in Manila, Philippines.
This was a punishing 14 round match in which both fighters were injured and exhausted, with Ali being the eventual winner. Frazier retired in 1976 with a career record of 32 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw, out of which 27 of the wins were by knockout. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and is considered as one of the top 10 heavyweight boxers of all time.
Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali had a capricious relationship throughout their career, alternating between friendship and public enmity. Frazier reportedly had financial troubles because of mismanagement of his estate.
He died in November 2011 of liver cancer, and Ali was one of the few attendants at his private funeral, presided over by Jesse Jackson. Research more on the great American Champions of the boxing world and share them with your babies. Make it a champion day!