I loved Joe Frazier. Loved how he never wanted to give up. The smaller guy in the ring most of the time, yet having no fear. For me he had two careers really. The first when he was the favourite and looked unbeatable. When he smashed his way to the undisputed title beating Muhammad Ali. Then after he lost to Foreman, he became the underdog. Trying to fight his way back to the championship, failing but not in disgrace. They very rarely make em like Joe Frazier.
I read that parts of Rocky were based on Joe. Firstly, it was in Philly whilst Chuck Wepner who was the main inspiration was from New York area. Secondly, we have the punching the ribs of beef. Frazier worked at meat packing factory and was known for punching the meat there.
I'm a huge fan of Frazier as well. I think Joe is pure hell for anyone around 210 pounds and below and is particularly a matchup nightmare for anyone that doesn't have the physicality to back him up. People say the phrase, they don't make em like they use too all the time but that truly is the case with Joe. We simply don't see guys like him anymore and haven't for quite some time.
We haven't have we, not really. The closest is Holyfield probably, with the under dog mentality. But Joe was just.. One of a kind. Against Ali in FOTC, has anyone ever pumped himself to win or die in the process like Joe?!
Yep, he greets both Rocky and Appolo in the ring before their fight. Appolo and Joe talk **** to each other just like Joe and Muhammad would.
Completedly agree. His bob and weave attack was amazing. Don´t know how Ali survived that 1st fight, people always mention the 15th round but I think it was 11th when Ali was out on his feet from a non-stop barrage. Frazier was never the same but he got that terrific victory. On a side note, I think Frazier threw his left hook the way he did because he broke his arm as a kid but couldn´t afford to get it fixed so remained crooked.
Hi Buddy. Exactly, all the greats divide opinion on the forum, Johnson, Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, Ali, Holmes, etc, but Frazier stands alone as the champ you have to admire, as pointed out, his size, height, and maybe weight, he was never a " big " heavy weight, but if he lacked in them departments, then he certainly made up for it with his will to win, heart, and determination, I grew up with him, 69 to 76 I was boxing mad, well remember the cover of the Ring a couple of weeks after he beat Foster, he had both arms raised, and a huge grin, he looked very imposing, so yea, how can you not. stay safe McGrain, chat soon.
Neither science, mechanics nor AI has yet invented a machine with the capacity to measure Joe Frazier’s heart. He was all heart and soul. If it had been composed earlier, Joe would have been a natural to come to the ring to Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” Wrote Mark Kram in Sports Illustrated of the Thrilla in Manila: Came the sixth and here it was, that one special moment that you always look for when Joe Frazier is in a fight. Most of his fights have shown this: you can go so far into that desolate and dark place where the heart of Frazier pounds, you can waste his perimeters, you can see his head hanging in the public square, may even believe that you have him and then suddenly realize that you have not. One more the pattern emerged as Frazier loosed all the fury, all that made him a brilliant heavyweight.
As the years passed I grew to respect Mr. Frazier far more than Ali. I still believe if Frazier had come out for the 15th in Manilla he beats Ali, Muhammed was finished.
Joe was finished and Ali would have died before quitting and he probably would’ve hurt Frazier very badly if it had gone on. It ended how it was supposed to end. It’s an open question who was the better person and I have enormous respect for Frazier, but Ali was the superior fighter.
Love Joe best body puncher in heavyweight history. best at cutting the ring. One of the great left hooks ever. I wish he fought Lyle instead of Foreman.
Frazier is a fighting bull, without fear or calculation. When I posted this thread: https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/a-better-heart-holyfield-or-frazier.712316/ ...the best answer I got was this:
