In defense of Joe Frazier

It seemed like it was mainly his fight with Foreman that gave way to the slow starter assumptions.

 

Many of his KO’s were early.

 

He destroyed ali's hips in Manila, its kind of blatant. After that, i think Joe respected combat too much to do any cheap tricks

 

He lost FOTC's first round, Ellis first round, Buster Mathis the few first rounds, i think Quarrys first round, Joe had to get in a groove to really start dangerously smoking

 

Yes, Joe was also stung early by Bonavena, Ramos and even Ali in their 2nd and 3rd fights.

Quite natural for Joe not be at full steam from opening bell but perhaps the period it took him to hit full smoke has been exaggerated in some
instances.

 

Frazier was absolutely a slow starter. Stopping nobodies early does not disprove this as fact. Joe would go overboard with warm ups in his dressing room to try to start quicker but to no avail.

 

It’s very much exaggerated. 21 of 27 KO’s inside five rounds.

 

No it’s not. Frazier stated himself he did not get “smoking” until the fifth round. He would do extraordinary levels of warm up in his dressing room in an effort to start faster to little avail.

 

But at a full head of steam, Frazier was extraordinary - anything less than that during the build up to full smoke didn’t necessarily make Joe a bad fighter or ripe for the taking - unless you’re name was George Foreman.

I would say, on average, Joe only took 1-2-3 rounds to get into his groove. It’s also not as if other fighters don’t have a “feeling out” phase for a few rounds.

In the face of different opposition Joe had to get his timing and rhythm down pat - and he wasn’t unduly delayed in doing so - though the first 1-2-3 rounds would provide for a small window for the truly elite punchers to try and pounce on Joe asap.

 

Yes, much credit to Frazier for being a clean swarmer when it's so tempting to be rough throwing the occasional elbow, low blow, or head butt.

 

There is a middle ground before full throttle & slow.

 

It was well known and well understood during his time that Joe was a slow starter. Frazier said so himself.

 

He was slow…in the first round. That’s it. As his career indicates.

 

Joe didn’t warm up until around the fifth round as Frazier himself stated. Joe completed an extraordinary amount of warm up in his dressing room to try to improve this to little avail.

 

“To no avail.”

That’s why 80% of his KO’s were inside five rounds?