Has time been unkind to Smokin' Joe?

I agree with you. People forget that there was a reason way Foreman avoided Frazier after beating him and renegged on the immediate rematch clause in their 1973 title fight. He fought Jose Roman and Ken Norton instead because he knew an immediate rematch with Frazier wouldn't be an exact replay.

There no denying the fact that Foreman always would present a tough challenge for Frazier. What's ignored is the fact that Foreman never fought the very best Frazier, who was miles apart from the 1967 - FOTC version. Prime Frazier just prior to the FOTC would pose a much much tougher challenge for Foreman and was more than capable of knocking him out in the late rounds.

 

Are you serious? Foreman avoided a rematch with Frazier,get real!Who would have paid to see it ?Foreman avoided Frazier? More like Frazier avoided Ali why did it take him 3 years to give Ali a rematch? Why did he fight 2 third raters instead of a ranked contender after beating Ali?Rematch clauses had been out lawed since the ladt Ingo Floyd fight and with good reason they tied up the title and stopped deserving contenders from getting a shot ,any clause would have been legally unenforcable and worht nothing .Foreman took on Norton perceived as a much more dangerous challenger than Frazier.

 

One thing that has to be said for Frazier when comparing him to other all time greats is that it took one hell of a fighter to beat him.

The worst fighters to beat Joe Frazier are Muhamad Ali and George Foreman.

Louis, Ali, Johnson, Dempsey, Foreman, Liston, Tyson, Lewis all lost to worse fighters than the worst person who beat Joe Frazier.

It almost seems as if he and Marciano had a set of limited atributes that never failed against a sub top 10 all time heavyweight.

 

Well apart from those two he didnt face many did he? Quarry is his best win,Ellis was stopped by punchers,Bonavena ran him close,Foster was a LH who flopped as a heavy, Marciano and Frazier? Marciano never defended his title against 3 unranked challengers,[Zyglewisz,Daniels and Stander ]. Plus a Mexican Heavyweight! a hyped Ramos who had 6 defeats and a draw with Scrap Iron Johnson on his record.Missing on Fraziers resume as champion are defences against Norton,Mac Foster and Liston ,who all had two things in common ,they were all big ,and they could all punch.

 

Mac Foster probably would have got a shot at Frazier if he could beat Quarry. But Quarry took him apart.

Joe Frazier certainly didn't duck Ken Norton. In fact, Frazier was one of the first people to really give Norton his dues, calling his praises long before anyone took Norton seriously. No one seemed interested in Norton before he beat Ali, they would have regarded him along the same lines as Stander had he gotten a shot at Frazier. Norton was considered definitely second-rate at the time.

 

Ken Norton was not in the big time yet. Liston died the year he won the title. Mac Foster lost to Jerry Quarry the same year Frazier won the title.

This all happened in 1970.

 

Ok you first!Frazier didnt duck Norton ? well he didnt fight him did he?
Considered definitely second rate?Norton was ranked 9 in 72 and 3 in 73. Stander ,Daniels ,and Zyglewiz never were ranked at all.On a par with Stander ?Stander came from tough man contests he was a bar room brawler unranked and untested.In 70 Foster was no 5 ,in 71 no 5,title shot? NO! Another name for you to excuse Lyle no4 in 72 ,no5 in 73 title shot NO! Want anothe rpuncher who was ranked?Garcia no 10 in 70,no 8 in 71,no10 in 72,Now tell me Frazier took on more deserving challengers in Ziggy ,Stander and Daniels.