Tribute to Smokin' Joe

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by prime, Nov 18, 2017.


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  1. prime

    prime BOX! Writing Champion Full Member

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    On the 47th anniversary of Frazier's knockout of Bob Foster:

    Joe Frazier has been so underestimated - even by myself - over the decades. He didn't possess a scary physique. He could be so one-dimensional with the left hook. He was bounced around like a little boy, like a pathetic basketball by Big George Foreman. Ali belittled him in a hundred and one mocking ways.

    But he beat Ali. He kicked that smug ass in front of the whole civilized world, when it mattered most. And Ali was truly a great fighter that night. He was hungry - like a caged tiger unleashed - to regain the title he'd been wrongly stripped of. He was young, fast, accurate, strong, cocky. He had experience and endurance. He wasn't at his peak, but Frazier - who himself already had health issues to contend with - beat him with margin to spare. It's interesting to see that when Ali attempted to dance, Frazier bounced along without skipping a beat and immediately cornered him. Nothing Ali did worked well to stop Frazier's onslaught.

    And Frazier was a sight to behold. Compact, well-muscled, regal in green, glimmering with sweat, fast, powerful, proud and relentless, he gave a manly boxing exhibition having few peers in history before or after: before a star-studded, politically-charged world audience, Smokin' Joe was all business - tirelessly attacking body and head, left and right all night - and outfought Muhammad Ali over 15 rounds, crescendoing by knocking the fabled Ali down in the last stanza with a picture-perfect left hook for the ages. No other mortal can claim to have done this to the acknowledged Greatest of All Time, to that winner of so many fantasy fights, that hero of so many imaginations.

    In the all-time ranks, as I see it, where Ali goes, Frazier must be close by - like in all their fights.

    Joe Frazier has my eternal respect and admiration. He deserves mention along with the greatest names of the ring.
     
    prime, Nov 18, 2017
    prime, Nov 18, 2017
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  2. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing

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    Their will never be another. RIP smoke.
     
    swagdelfadeel, Nov 18, 2017
    swagdelfadeel, Nov 18, 2017
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  3. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    Joe was a great force in the heavyweight division. He cleaned out the division in the late 60s and early 70s with Ali being the icing on the cake. His prime didn't last as long as some others based on his ring style. Frazier was certainly an original and I agree there will never be another Joe Frazier.
     
    ETM, Nov 18, 2017
    ETM, Nov 18, 2017
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  4. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    Thank God someone is finally giving Frazier the props he deserves!!!! Been saying it for yrs that hes the most underrated HW on this forum!
    Thanku Prime!!!
     
    robert ungurean, Nov 19, 2017
    robert ungurean, Nov 19, 2017
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  5. steve21

    steve21 Well-Known Member

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    Frazier was Heart, plain and simple ... more than talent or anything else; no fighter ever had a greater heart, and was so unwilling to step back no matter what. I still think Ali, of all people, paid him the best tribute: "If God ever calls me to a holy war, I want Joe Frazier beside me"
     
    steve21, Nov 19, 2017
    steve21, Nov 19, 2017
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  6. jyeahfosho

    jyeahfosho mrtechnicalboxer Full Member

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    Beautiful tribute prime. Joe would take you to the pits of hell and places that you didn't know existed and keep you there. Beating away at you relentlessly, like a possessed, angry pitbull, Non-stop. Heart like no other. When speaking of fighters having heart like Marciano, Gatti, Ali, Holyfield, etc. Thats all fine and good, But Smokin' Joe was in a league of his own in this respect. There will never be another like Him. R.I.P Smokin' Joe Frazier.
     
    jyeahfosho, Nov 19, 2017
    jyeahfosho, Nov 19, 2017
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  7. DJN16

    DJN16 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    A legendary fighter. A fighter in every sense of the word.
     
    DJN16, Nov 19, 2017
    DJN16, Nov 19, 2017
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  8. Cecil

    Cecil Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Ali's my favourite fighter, my hero, but Joe Frazier is up there with him for me.
    If you love Ali, you've got to love Frazier.
     
    Cecil, Nov 19, 2017
    Cecil, Nov 19, 2017
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  9. Birmingham

    Birmingham Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    My favourite heavy ever. Pure fighter and man.
     
    Birmingham, Nov 19, 2017
    Birmingham, Nov 19, 2017
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  10. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Gggreat tribute :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
     
    The Morlocks, Nov 19, 2017
    The Morlocks, Nov 19, 2017
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  11. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Guys like Greb Walker Conn Jones Toney et al move up to fight heavies and have limitted success. Can you imagine stepping up to fight Frazier? With Smokin' Joe's style, they would be ground into horsemeat. Absolutely destroyed with nithing they could do about it. Have always felt Frazier and MARCIANO were meat grinders against opponent s and chewed up fighters and seriosly hurt the more than any other heavies. Case in point Chuvalo, who Smoke made turn away from the pain. Love ya Joe. Thanks for the great memories and undying examples of heart in the face of adversity.
     
    The Morlocks, Nov 19, 2017
    The Morlocks, Nov 19, 2017
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  12. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    And thanks for beating the **** out of the first bigmouthed racist athlete. :) :) :) :) :) Wish you could lay into Lynch and Co.
     
    The Morlocks, Nov 19, 2017
    The Morlocks, Nov 19, 2017
    #12
  13. Birmingham

    Birmingham Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    i didn't want to mention it, but Ali measures up terribly with a man like Frazier. "Pure" is the word that comes to mind when talkin frazier. His personality could be seen in his fighting skills
     
    Birmingham, Nov 19, 2017
    Birmingham, Nov 19, 2017
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  14. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Frazier was the greatest as a man. Ali worshipping not withstanding, Ali spouted racism and acted like the stuck up spoiled fake hero he was, every fault allowed. Frazier was a great humble man. Joe was a Christian man who came from dirt. Ali was a hypocritical phoney from a hateful made up group. Holmes said it best when he said Ali didn't come close to being the man Joe Frazier was. And as fighters, I never saw Joe lose except to as George. I thouvht he won fight 2 and just beat the hell out of Ali from rounds 3-12 in Manila. Ali left the Philippines in far worst shape than Joe. Really Ali was finished. Then the Lord brought down His wrath on Ali. Long live being an honest humble man! And, long live Smokin' Joe Frazier.:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
     
    The Morlocks, Nov 20, 2017
    The Morlocks, Nov 20, 2017
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  15. Birmingham

    Birmingham Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    Good post mate. Probably get flamed for this. I grew up listening to my old man talk like Ali was god, and believed it until I was old enough to judge myself. I felt like he had made it all up lol, I couldn't believe it. Ali was fake as they come, racist piece of ****. Age mellowed him with his racist thick as pig **** views, and a bit of common sense, but it was there still
     
    Birmingham, Nov 20, 2017
    Birmingham, Nov 20, 2017
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