Found this little story fascinating

Joe and Ali were friends previously, well if not friends, Joe definitely helped him out.

Then Joe beats him and Ali claims he really won and half the media lap it up. meanwhile, because of the jibes Ali made, Joe did not get the credit he deserved from the black community.

Always thought it interesting that Ali kept his nastier side for his black opponents but always kept things jovial with his white opponents.

 

I don't think he was ever as outmatched as they say he was when it came to the war of words. Unfortunately the interview from 1969 with a quiet Ali and a talkative Frazier has been taken off youtube but I do have this great Sports Illustrated interview at hand:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1084610/index.htm

 

I spoke w Larry yesterday. He told me Joe's gym is being repossessed by the bank, he no longer lives there and his cell has been turned off. It's very sad.

 

I wouldn't say they were friends. Frazier helped out Ali so that he could get Ali in the ring and beat him up, that was about the extent of it.

 

This is not cool. I knew the gym was struggling...were things that bad?

 

Good thread, I guess I reminded you to bump yours, eh?

 

I agree, great article. Who said Joe Frazier isn't articulate? Those words could move you to tears. They could make a movie from just those few paragraphs. If I had one wish for the fight game it would be that it would take care of its fighters, after they retire.

 

That's terrible. I saw a video with him on the Howard Stern show (What a jackass that guy is) and Marvin said Joe was in a high rise and is doing good. He also said that he was trying to sell the gym, though. This was about a year ago I'm guessing.

 

The weird thing was, Frazier appeared on `this is your life` when Ali was on, said a few nice things about him too, this was AFTER their series of fights.... If Joe hated him that much, he would have just told whoever asked him to be a guest on that show to **** off, surely.

I think Joe has grown bitter with time TBH because of the way Ali is loved worldwide & he is also doing better than Joe financially, Frazier likely feels hard done by but he should just let it be IMO, its been a very long time.

 

Hearing the host of 'This is your life' refer to Joe Louis as Joe Louwee like he's some kind of ******ed Frenchmen tilts the tits off of me.

 

Damn Pete, that gym is a landmark. That's Joe's gym...I hope it at least stays a gym.

 

The host (Eamon Andrews), was one of the greatest British/Irish Boxing commentators ever. The Louis thing comes from him trying to Americanize it for Ali, as we Brits tend to say Joe Loo-is, rather than the American way of loo-e.

 

I surely was for Frazier eac time he fought Ali..I mean, how much was a guy supposed to take? How much **** from Ali...and from most black celebs back in those days...their nuthugging idolatry for Ali was repugnant at times..the lack of respect...the outright dissing of Frazier by black celebs...one in particular I remember on some talk show, Sly Stone...he was so sassy and disrespectful to Joe, about his chances with Ali just prior to the Thrilla...I wonder if it hadn't been a live audience and other people around, would that clown had popped off to Joe like that...and Ali's abuse..hey it's ok to sell tickets, and showbiz is showbiz, but it went on too damned much..I was rooting for Frazier to kill him. I don't blame Frazier's bitterness and animosity not one bit.