Who loves Joe Frazier?

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Frazier ain't a dope.

 

And Antuofermo, who tangled with southpaw champions Hope, Hagler and Minter, was among those who said they're only southpaws until you get inside, so there's an assenting verdict from the other side of the issue. LaMotta could switch, but typically opted to remain orthodox for his infighting (at least on extant footage).

It's harder to defend the left hook delivered from the orthodox stance. It requires less room to execute and a shorter distance to travel, with less inherent risk than a cross. Against another orthodox stance, the body is a convenient target.

When Joe was faced with an opponent of similar stature, his jab could be an effective tool. This was most apparent in the rematch with JQ. His hand speed even allowed him to jab on fairly even terms with Bob Foster through their only completed round.

 

Nobody less in my opinion. There's nobody that would intimidate me more looking over at the opposite corner. Not a prime Tyson, not a prime Liston, not a prime Foreman.

 

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Just imagine.

 

He's very fond of pointing out that he was always purely a heavyweight from the get go, something true for very few heavyweight champions prior to Holmes. He took up boxing to lose weight, because at 240 to 250 pounds, he was having trouble fitting his legs into his pants. It's a miracle that even his diligent training ever got his weight below 200 (his own expressed ideal was 199), yet he was 203 for the first Quarry fight, at age 25. Today, he'd probably be competing around 230, as he did when he finished up against Cummings. (I wonder if Toney actually weighed around 205 when portraying Joe in that 2001 Ali biopic. He was certainly competing around that weight range at the time.) He would never have been a cruiserweight.

 

Great pictures!

I rank him #5. He's my second favorite fighter, ironically tied with Ali. I don't know why people have to split these two. They're brilliant.

 

This ones interesting. Patterson watching, almost studying, Frazier boiling. Ali just there, almost oblivious to what's taking place around him.

 

Joe Frazier,in his prime was one of the best and BRAVEST heavyweights of all time.No doubt...I first saw Joe Frazier lose a decision to large Buster Mathis in the 1964
Olympics in Fresh Meadow, NY..The decision was not a popular one. But as a pro Frazier became a great Champion, and Mathis had a mediocre career..
No one was any braver than Joe Frazier...

 

I think he might have one of the greatest hearts in heavyweight history. only Ali and Patterson rival him in this category.

I would be more intimidated by Dempsey or Liston than Frazier though, I think.

 

"Liston was a bully. Frazier was a bulldog."-Mutual Liston and Frazier corner man Milt Bailey, discussing the main difference between the two for a televised retrospective on Manila. "Foreman accused Frazier of quitting (in Kingston). Joe Frazier never quit in his life!"-Howard Cosell, scathingly rebutting Foreman in defense of Joe during their rematch.

 

More so than Marciano? I kind of like to view Marciano, Frazier, and Ali as pretty much split equals among heart in ATG HW talks.

 

Patterson has more than them all. :deal

 

The rabbit? No. Didn't you even call him mentally weak or was that Unforgiven (I believe it was Unforgiven so pardon if I'm wrong).

 

Getting back in the ring with Liston after beeing blown out in one round like he was proved it.