Frazier's blindness

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by robert ungurean, Aug 10, 2017.


  1. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    In Ghosts of Manila it is strongly implied Frazier was blind in one eye for basically his whole career. Im sure he even fought the 2nd Foreman fight with a contact lense in.
    If this is the case do you see Joe's career playing out any differently? That is one hell of a handicap for a fighter.
     
  2. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    Nope.Harry Greb ,Marvin Hart,Pat Valentino ,& Sam Langford did okay.
     
  3. HerolGee

    HerolGee Loyal Member banned Full Member

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    It would be impossible for a man with one eye to win the hw title. The documentary is very obviously exaggerating a discrepancy in the power of one of his eyes, that many people have.
     
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  4. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    It was in the book. Not the documentary. I believe its in the beginning of the book. It covers Gypsy Joe Harris and his being banned because of it.
     
  5. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    The blindness story is BS.
     
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  6. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    We will never know for sure.
     
  7. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    So do you dismiss there was anything wrong with the eye at all or just the blindness end of it?
     
  8. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    I have an article somewhere and Eddie Futch says the story was BS. That is more than enough for me.
     
  9. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    Futch dismissed Joe’s allegations that he fought the last few years virtually blind in one eye.

    “Joe wasn’t blind. We had good doctors. We had him checked periodically. We had one fighter [Gypsy Joe Harris] who had gotten away with it by memorizing the eye chart. He got caught and had to retire. If [Joe] had been blind, I would have retired him. Joe was working in a packing house and had five or six children. I wouldn’t want any fighter to risk his life because of a physical abnormality.”
     
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  10. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    Nice..Havent seen that befor..Ill c if I can get more precise info from the book later today
     
  11. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    Futch is a red hot source and he's very very clear in what he says there Rob.
     
  12. Radrook

    Radrook Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Sure it would have been different since he could see better where the shots were coming from. So we can safely assume that he would have either won easier or more often.
     
  13. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Frazier is very specific and detailed about his eye issues in his 1996 autobiography (written with Phil Berger) too.
    I wouldn't dismiss all of that as "BS".

    Doctors, names of surgeons, hospital, precise dates of surgery, for example. He underwent surgery to remove a cataract in his eye a few weeks after Manila, if I remember rightly.
     
  14. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    If he did become blind in one eye, it probably occurred later on, perhaps even during the thrilla. I can't see him winning the title and defending it 9 times, as well as the Fotc, and been legally blind in one eye. But if he was I have even more respect for him.
     
  15. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    I have that book also. Ill revisit it again.
    Now I remember in the gym one eye looked different up close but were talking 1992 here so I cant recall details