Not so long ago, boxing ruled the world of 1 on 1 physical sports. It didn’t have the hype or mass marketing of MMA. It wasn’t on every week with the next bout of the decade. It wasn’t about the money even. It was about being great.
In those days, the greatest boxer in the world, or at very least the best known was the heavyweight champion of the world. It was a title earned in sweat, blood, and talent. Few men could ever acheive such a feat. Fewer were able to keep the title. Each earned the respect they got.
But Joseph William “Joe” Frazier, born on January 12, 1944, was a unique man. He was the youngest son of 12 children. He grew up poor in the South, when it was a bad time to be Black and poor. He left the South, at the insistance of his family, for his own well being, at the age of 15. This eventually lead him to boxing by 20.
Frazier won the Middle Atlantic Golden Gloves heavyweight championships in 1962, 1963 and 1964. He lost 1 fight as an amatuer. He went to Tokyo for the 1964 Olympics. He won against George Oywello of Uganda in the 1st round by knockout, beat Athol McQueen of Australia in the 3rd round by knockout, and beat Russian Vadim Yemelyanov badly enough that by the 2nd round Yemelyanov’s team threw in the towel. Frazier fought for the gold medal with an injured left thumb against German Hans Huber, and won the decision 3 -2, winning the only boxing gold medal in the 1964 Olympics for America.
Frazier would go on to win bout after bout without defeat, eventually facing an undefeated Muhamad Ali in 1971. In a world before cable, it was THE sports event of the year. Some thought at the time, the decade. It was a 31 – 0 champion, facing a 26 – 0 challenger. It was the near-perfect match-up between a boxer and a brawler.
Joe Frazier, taunted by Muhammad Ali, would win the match in 15 rounds and unanimous decision. It would be followed by another fight between the two men in 1974 where Ali won in 12 rounds, but no title was at risk. Which ultimately lead to an inevitable final battle. The Thriller in Manila. 1975′s massive event, with Frazier holding the title this time and Ali seeking to unseat him. It became one of the top 20 all-time boxing matches. Ali won, with Frazier having both eyes swollen shut and being stopped against his will. Ali often would say, it was the hardest fight he ever fought.
Frazier did fight after that time, and had his share of success. Were it not for the shadow of Muhammad Ali, Frazier surely would have been hailed widely on television as one of the top athletes of the decade in the 60′s and 70′s. A view that was earned and due to him. There is no denying the ability and power he possessed.
His career record was 32-4-1, with 27 knockouts. He only lost to 2 men as a professional, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman – a caliber of opponents that are unmatched in sports today. It’s no surprise that in 1990 he was brought into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The loss of this boxing great, at the age of 67, to cancer, brings up the thought of this quote
