Not to say that Patterson didn't have a tremendous amount of heart, but least we forget that Frazier also got back in the ring with Foreman, and I think the condition he fought in for the last few rounds in Manilla with his lack of vision added on to that puts him just ahead of Patterson in the heart department for me.
I love Joe.One of my favorite fighters ever.Without a doubt one of the most courageous,bravest and classiest fighters that ever lived.:good
smokin joe is perhaps my favourite heavyweight ever..his work ethic, pride, heart and debilitating, buzzing, hooking style make him so much more watchable than so many fighters deemed 'greater'.....frazier, in my mind, had the measure of ali...obviously in the first fight, and probably in the third too, that was THE fight of the century and for me was the defining moment of both mens career...
i remember big george saying he'd seen joe smiling as he was tradiing leather with jerry quarry.george was a big fan of quarry and couldn't imagine a fighter, any fighter enjoy slugging it bout with quarry
Quarry enjoyed a good tear up. He could n't keep it up for long though. He was at his best as a counter puncher.
Would love to add my two sense to this thread: Fraizer is in the pantheon. So many people foolishly judge Frazier by the Foreman fights. Styles make fights, and Frazier was the best for Ali ever. He won their closest encounter, and almost won the third fight. Great fighter.
Love Joe Frazier...have since 1968.....FOTC in 1971 is THE fight of my lifetime...that's Joe at his peak....you would have had to kill him to beat him that night...he was never the same again...