Many happy returns to Joe Frazier

Burt and Henry,,,,,

Joe Frazier was 38-2 as an amateur.
Who beat him besides Buster Mathis.

And, do you remember 'Smokin Joe's first nickname,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

Burt, coming from you that really means something to me.

I feel the same way about you.

I think were both pretty lucky to have met such Great fighters. Like I said before, last month I was with Joe Frazier from about 11:30 AM to 6 PM. I had the pleasure of talking to him and I was the one that introduced him.

I was with him another time several years ago when I was ring announcing. I sat with him for about an hour before the show. Later they had some guards around him so no one would bother him. My grand daughter was only a few months old and I brought her up in the ring to take some pictures. When I got out of the ring I saw Joe looking at us so I asked him if I could get a picture of him with my grand daughter. He said, no problem and told the guards to let us by.

He's a Great guy, and it was my pleasure to have met and introduced him at those affairs.

 

I think he lost twice to Mathis but he did lose another one in the New Jersey Golden Gloves to a boxer by the name of Gerald O'Neill.

Early in 1964 Joe Frazier fought in the New Jersey Golden Gloves.

At the time he was a member of the Trenton New Jersey Boxing Team and the Tournament took place at the local Elks Club in Elizabeth.

The final bout of the night would be an Open Class Heavyweight bout in which Frazier was boxing a guy by the name of Gerald O'Neil.

The 1st round bell hadn't faded away when a terrible ferocious left hook bounced off O'Neil's jaw and dropped him like a sack of potatoes. Somehow almost miraculously O'Neil scraped his way off the canvas at the count of 9. He bravely weathered the expected storm from his steam roller opponent. Midway in the 2nd round O'Neil smashed Joe to the canvas with a crackling right hand returning the favor. This time it was Joe that was lucky to finish the round. Joe then took a pasting in the 3rd and lost the decision.

Also, I believe Tony Doyle beat Joe Frazier as amateur (The Ring, Sept 1968).

 

Thanks,

Still remember Joe fighting the tough German Hans Huber for the Gold Medal in 1964.
Joe looked so small in their.

 

Here's what I have:

Amateur Highlights

Frazier wrote the he was the Middle Atlantic Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champions in 1962, 1963 & 1964.

1963
National AAU Tournament
Mar Tony Doyle Utica, NY L 3 (2-3) Unconfirmed
(Doyle lost to Vic Brown in the finals, so if this bout happened it was prior to Mar 10, I can't confirm that Frazier competed in the tournament)
It seems likely Frazier lost to Doyle in 1963, but I can't track down a date.
Doyle beat Joe Frazier as amateur (The Ring, Sept 1968).

1964
New Jersey Golden Gloves
--- Gerard O'Neil Elizabeth, NJ L 3

--- Opponent KO
--- Opponent KO
--- Opponent KO
--- Opponent KO
--- Opponent KO
--- Frazier won eastern Regional Olympic Trials

Olympic Trials, Flushing NY (World's Fair)
May 19 Clay Hodges Flushing, NY KO 2
May 20 Buster Mathis Flushing, NY L 3 Finals

Sep 18 Buster Mathis Hamilton, CA L 3 Mathis broke thumb
Sep 24 Clay Hodges N. Hollywood, CA Sch 3 result needed

Tokyo Olympics
Oct 15 George Oywello (Uganda) TKO 1
Oct 19 Athol McQueen (Australia) TKO 3
Oct 20 Vadim Yemelyanoz (Russia) TKO 2 (1:59) Semi-final, Frazier broke left hand
Oct 22 Hans Huber (Germany) W 3 (3-2) Final

 

The first time I saw Cassius Clay fight was in 1960,at the finals in MSG. He fought an Australian champion named Tony Madigan . Clay tall and lanky won a very very close decision over Madigan. In my wildest dream I never thought he would ever someday be a heavyweight champion called Ali !
Four years later I saw Joe Frazer lose to rotund Buster Mathis in the 1964
Olympics at Flushing NY. Then I saw these two greats collide at MSG 1971.
In 1949 i saw Rocky Marciano viciously ko Carmine Vingo in MSG...
But I never saw the true "greatest heavyweight" of our time Joe Louis.At his peak he Ko's all three heavyweights IMO. Sooner or later he hurts each one,and once Joe hurt you, he finishes you.
P.S. I don;t consider the Joe Louis of the 1st Conn fight at his peak. The
Louis of the Baer or second Schmeling fight would have caught up and kod Conn much earlier...A "coil spring unwinding",described the young Brown Bomber...

 

Brilliant thread!! I love Smokin Joe. One of the best ever.

 

WOW eye opening story. They should make a film of your life and bloody hell you write well on here.