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Smokin Joe dead at 67
yahoo sports
PHILADELPHIA — Joe Frazier had to throw his greatest punch to knock down “The Greatest.”
A vicious left hook from Frazier put Muhammad Ali on the canvas in the
15th round in March 1971 when he became the first man to beat him in
the Fight of the Century at Madison Square Garden.
“That was the greatest thing that ever happened in my life,” Frazier said
It was his biggest night, one that would never come again.
The relentless, undersized heavyweight ruled the division
as champion, then spent a lifetime trying to fight his way out of Ali’s
shadow.
Frazier, who died Monday night after a brief battle with
liver cancer at the age of 67, will forever be associated with Ali. No
one in boxing would ever dream of anointing Ali as The Greatest unless
he, too, was linked to Smokin’ Joe.
“I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration,”
Ali said in a statement. “My sympathy goes out to his family and loved
ones.”
They fought three times, twice in the heart of New York
City and once in the morning in a steamy arena in the Thrilla in Manila
in the Philippines. They went 41 rounds together. Neither gave an inch
and both gave it their all.
In their last fight in Manila in 1975, they traded punches
with a fervor that seemed unimaginable among heavyweights. Frazier gave
almost as good as he got for 14 rounds, then had to be held back by
trainer Eddie Futch as he tried to go out for the final round, unable
to see.
“Closest thing to dying that I know of,” Ali said afterward.
Ali was as merciless with Frazier out of the ring as he was
inside it. He called him a gorilla, and mocked him as an Uncle Tom. But
he respected him as a fighter, especially after Frazier won a decision
to defend his heavyweight title against the then-unbeaten Ali in a
fight that was so big Frank Sinatra was shooting pictures at ringside
and both fighters earned an astonishing $2.5 million.
The night at the Garden 40 years ago remained fresh in
Frazier’s mind as he talked about his life, career and relationship
with Ali a few months before he died.
“I can’t go nowhere where it’s not mentioned,” he told The Associated Press.
Bob Arum, who once promoted Ali, said he was saddened by Frazier’s passing.
“He was such an inspirational guy. A decent guy. A man of
his word,” Arum said. “I’m torn up by Joe dying at this relatively
young age. I can’t say enough about Joe.”
Frazier’s death was announced in a statement by his
family, who asked to be able to grieve privately and said they would
announce “our father’s homecoming celebration” as soon as possible.
Manny Pacquiao learned of it shortly after he arrived in
Las Vegas for his fight Saturday night with Juan Manuel Marquez. Like
Frazier in his prime, Pacquiao has a powerful left hook that he has
used in his remarkable run to stardom.
“Boxing lost a great champion, and the sport lost a great ambassador,” Pacquiao said.
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