Joe Frazier's Chin Against Ali...

I think Frazier personal dislike to Ali made him even extra tough in the Ali trilogy. Still, Ali did badly stun Frazier in the 2nd match, and did score the TKO in the 3rd.

 

I don't think Frazier had a bad chin,in fact it was probably above average out of the Heavy Champs.The problem with Joe is the only monster puncher he met used him as a yo yo,so we have only that frame of reference to go on.Certainly being bounced like a ball by Foreman is no disgrace, he ranks among the hardest ,if not the hardest hitting champs of all time.Fights with some of the other big punchers may have confirmed Joe's durability ,as the series with Ali confirmed his extraordinary wiilingness to accept punishment and keep coming,as they did not happen,there will allways be a question mark over his chin at the very top level imo.

 

rounds 13 and 14 in manila most impressed me about frazier's chin. he had unbelievable heart. i think 1973 foreman would have demolished a lot of ATG's in the opening 3 rounds.

 

Good post, you forgot about Manila though. Ali staggered Frazier like 3-4 times in rounds 13 and 14. Besides his fight against Foreman, I have never seen Frazier stagger like that. I also don't know why this forum is up here...Frazier had one of the best chins of all time...even Foreman couldn't keep him down after 6 knockdowns and it took Ali everything he had to stop him in Manila. Frazier took serious punishment throughout his career especially against Foreman and Ali yet Frazier though punished, kept coming. The guy was relentless, Frazier had an amazing chin. Look at it like this, how many other fighters got up 6 times against Foreman? And how many fighters could take the punishment Ali gave Frazier in Manila? Most fighters would bend from the beating Frazier got from Ali in Manila, Futch had to stop the fight even. I just don't see why people would say Frazier had a poor chin....to my understanding he is considered to have a great chin. He was stopped only by Foreman and Ali, that says it all.

 

I love how Frazier's inhuman mental strength seemed fueled by hate. Not by anything usually deemed positive, not by pride or a desire for glory, fame or the championship. It seemed to stem from a dark place, some prehistoric survival gene that had snaked through generations and settled into this fighter.

And yet it's one of the most pure and beautiful things I've seen in the ring. This ugly, raw, honest "I will not yield, not to you, not today". Sheer power. Terrifying.

 

Very nice McGrain.

 

i laughed at that list

lennox lewis has a better chin than frazier????

2 x 1 punch kos vs nobodys

 

Solid post.

 

Frazier had a strong chin, pure and simple. Jerry Quarry, who could punch like hell, really nailed frazier with some hard, flush punches and joe just kept coming. When you consider that frazier was often tagged coming in, which doubled the impact of the punches and still he still moved forward it's really hard to understand why people say he had a weak chin.

 

This content is protected

This content is protected

This!

 

Yes, Quarry hit him with some strong punches those first two rounds in '69.

42 years ago today, as a matter of fact.

Back in '68, early in their fight Ramos hit Frazier flush with a big right uppercut as Joe came in, which increases the impact as you say. Frazier was momentarily buckled but quickly recovered and shortly resume his swarming. I know Ramos finished badly in boxing, but he was a big rangy guy who had some good power and he hit Frazier with pretty much his best lick.

That right uppercut that Foreman hit Frazier with to cause the second knockdown in '73 was one of the most devastating uppercuts I've ever seen. Quite a few heavies would not have gotten up from that shot.

 

Pressuring Foreman is a difficult and dangerous thing to do. If fighters were not allowed to go backwards, he might have been the best heavy to ever do it. And Frazier was champ, was used to fighting wars and winning 'em, why would he change strategy?

Still, virtually impossible to win this way.

 

Well put Shake, you hit the nail on the head.

I think Frazier did desire to be champ. But in the same way, would it have totaled near the tremendous guts, blood, heart, and effort had it not been Ali? I think we all know it wouldn't have as you intelligibly put it. Frazier had soul. Frazier claimed he kept fighting on despite bad joint and back pain (I believe that's what it was) because he still dreamed of being champ.

 

As someone once wrote,Muhammad and Joe were n't only fighting for the championship of the world. They were fighting for the championship of each other.