How highly would you rank Frazier if he retired after FOTC and came back in 1975 to fight Ali in Manilla and loses such a fight? This scenario assumes Ali beats Foreman and Frazier never runs into Foreman. I can't help but feel most people would rank Frazier significantly higher if he didn't run into Foreman.
"Top of the World Ma!!!!!!!" I think Frazier, along with these fighters (Jeffries, Johnson, Dempsey, Tunney, Louis, Marciano, Liston, Ali, Holmes) fighting under the rules of each fighters time, could be the greatest Heavyweight who ever lived. Long list I know and some would put Tys Hol and Lew there too, but each had unique abilities during the rules of his time to beat more than anyone else. Unless yr name is Foreman, Frazier is a nightmare opponent; on you every second of the way. Relentless pursuit.
I have him top 5 as is, but I think the majority underrate him because of the Foreman fight. Frazier’s stylistic nightmare and his own style meant that his loss would be a quick one and not a long schooling via points. People tend to punish him a little too much for that one IMO.
It took perhaps the greatest overall puncher, plus the greatest overall heavyweight who ever lived to beat him. I'd say that's pretty damn good.
I dont rank Frazier and less because of the Foreman fight. Foreman would have wrecked just about anyone at that time and a past it Chubby Frazier got up from every knock down so there goes the Frazier bad chin theory. The man kept getting up from point blank bombs. Frazier will always be top 10 in my book
I don't think it would change his ranking at all. It would only make Foreman's ranking less, and by extension that might make Ali's legacy less too. I have Frazier around #6 or #7 all time.
I don't hold either Foreman loss against him. Nor the Ali rematches. If anything, I'd late him slightly lower as he'd have less defences and a slightly thinner losses. If I could rewrite his career to be better, I'd have put him with Young, Norton and Lyle after FOTC, and maybe Liston and Terrell.
Yeah, always best to match 'em while they are still alive. Rather than just keeping 'em on ice at the morgue and tipping them into the ring for one last payday.
Easily top 5, Joe Frazier was a working man's champion. He had immense determination in the ring, he usually wore down his opponents, battering their torso's, that their adversaries could not take it any more. He was a great guy and a perfect example on how a champion should carry himself.
