Had to take a little time to honor the passing of a very prominent member of the sports culture of my youth, Smokin’ Joe Frazier. Frazier’s 32-4-1 professional record hardly told the story. 27 of his 32 wins were by KO and he fought with a fierceness and tenacity that I’ll always remember. Smokin’ Joe won an Olympic gold, and was World Heavyweight Champion when it meant something. He ducked no one and inflicted the first loss on Muhammad Ali when virtually no one thought he could (including Ali). I pulled for Ali as a kid, but I’ll never forget the image of Frazier moving forward, bobbing, fearing no punch, firing that left hook. Joe Frazier left his mark on boxing when boxing mattered and fought in some of the most memorable fights ever. Re-read the Sports Illustrated story about the “Thrilla in Manilla” (link below) to understand the heart of Joe Frazier, and remember that Frazier signed up to fight Foreman a 2nd time, after what happened to him in the first one. Who would do that? I’m sad to see Joe go.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1005750/index.htm
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I loved Joe Frazier.
I was going to post something and may after the holidays get here.
What a horrible media play against Frazier with Ali's media savy.
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