Frazier, Ali's biggest foe, dies
Source: Agencies |
November 9, 2011, Wednesday
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JOE Frazier, the relentless slugger who became the heavyweight champion of the world and earned boxing immortality with three epic battles against Muhammad Ali, died on Monday at age 67.
Frazier beat Ali in the Fight of the Century, battled him nearly to the death in the Thrilla in Manila. Then Frazier spent the rest of his life trying to fight his way out of Ali's shadow.
That was one fight Frazier never could win.
He was once a heavyweight champion, and a great one at that. Ali would say as much after Frazier knocked him down in the 15th round en route to becoming the first man to beat Ali at Madison Square Garden in March 1971.
But he bore the burden of being Ali's foil, and he paid the price. Bitter for years about the taunts his former nemesis once threw his way, Frazier only in recent times came to terms with what happened in the past and said he had forgiven Ali for everything he said.
Frazier, who died after a brief battle with liver cancer at the age of 67, will forever be linked to Ali. But 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 Philippines. They went 41 rounds together, with neither giving an inch and both giving 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.
"They told me Joe Frazier was through," Ali told Frazier at one point during the fight.
"They lied," Frazier said, before hitting Ali with a left hook.
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 US$2.5 million.
But the bitterness remained. After a trembling Ali lit the Olympic torch in 1996 in Atlanta, Frazier was asked by a reporter what he thought about it. "They should have thrown him in," Frazier responded.
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 said. "That was the greatest thing that ever happened in my life."
Ronnie Nathanielsz, a veteran Filipino boxing commentator who covered the Thrilla in Manila recalled Frazier being bullied by Ali.
"Ali was sort of mean to him and you felt a little sorry for Joe Frazier because he was such a nice man, he was a really nice man," Nathanielsz said. "He took all the verbal abuse although you could sense the bitterness within him over the abuse he suffered at the mouth of Ali, not the hand so much, but the mouth.
He said that Frazier was "a hell of fighter and he had probably the most devastating left hook in the business."
"Whenever an athlete of that stature, that kind of bearing passes away, it pains you. The sad thing about that fight was both Ali and Frazier suffered so much that their careers went down."
Just before the 40th anniversary of his win over Ali earlier this year - a day Frazier celebrated with parties in New York - he said he no longer felt any bitterness toward Ali.
"I forgive him," Frazier said. "He's in a bad way."
Frazier beat Ali in the Fight of the Century, battled him nearly to the death in the Thrilla in Manila. Then Frazier spent the rest of his life trying to fight his way out of Ali's shadow.
That was one fight Frazier never could win.
He was once a heavyweight champion, and a great one at that. Ali would say as much after Frazier knocked him down in the 15th round en route to becoming the first man to beat Ali at Madison Square Garden in March 1971.
But he bore the burden of being Ali's foil, and he paid the price. Bitter for years about the taunts his former nemesis once threw his way, Frazier only in recent times came to terms with what happened in the past and said he had forgiven Ali for everything he said.
Frazier, who died after a brief battle with liver cancer at the age of 67, will forever be linked to Ali. But 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 Philippines. They went 41 rounds together, with neither giving an inch and both giving 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.
"They told me Joe Frazier was through," Ali told Frazier at one point during the fight.
"They lied," Frazier said, before hitting Ali with a left hook.
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 US$2.5 million.
But the bitterness remained. After a trembling Ali lit the Olympic torch in 1996 in Atlanta, Frazier was asked by a reporter what he thought about it. "They should have thrown him in," Frazier responded.
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 said. "That was the greatest thing that ever happened in my life."
Ronnie Nathanielsz, a veteran Filipino boxing commentator who covered the Thrilla in Manila recalled Frazier being bullied by Ali.
"Ali was sort of mean to him and you felt a little sorry for Joe Frazier because he was such a nice man, he was a really nice man," Nathanielsz said. "He took all the verbal abuse although you could sense the bitterness within him over the abuse he suffered at the mouth of Ali, not the hand so much, but the mouth.
He said that Frazier was "a hell of fighter and he had probably the most devastating left hook in the business."
"Whenever an athlete of that stature, that kind of bearing passes away, it pains you. The sad thing about that fight was both Ali and Frazier suffered so much that their careers went down."
Just before the 40th anniversary of his win over Ali earlier this year - a day Frazier celebrated with parties in New York - he said he no longer felt any bitterness toward Ali.
"I forgive him," Frazier said. "He's in a bad way."
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