“Smokin’ Joe”

Here's one I HAVEN'T been looking forward to writing, but I wanted to pay tribute in my own way to one of the greatest heavyweights we've ever had, and one of the greatest CHAMPIONS in or out of the prize ring......."Smokin' Joe" Frazier, who just died a couple of days ago from liver cancer.

Joe was one of those "old-school", ferocious----never say die fighters from Philadelphia who trained hard, fought clean, and fared well with the public too.  people liked Joe.  I was a Frazier fan myself.

at 5' 11", he was only about an inch taller and a few pounds heavier than former champ Rocky Marciano, but had to fight the same way because of his lack of reach.......bore in, take what you had to take to get inside of your opponent and  wail away.  His "Sunday punch" was that feared left hook, and he sent 27 men to the floor with it.

Joe had the heart of a lion......ducked nobody and never made excuses if he lost a fight.....or blamed it on the judges.

He is probably best remembered for his classic fights with former champ Muhammed Ali.  What most people do NOT know about was that after Ali had been stripped of his title for refusing the draft (which would have JAILED anybody else), Frazier went to bat for him to help Ali get his license back.  He even helped Ali FINANCIALLY to help get him through some lean times.

But as soon as Ali got on his feet and started training again, he turned on Joe publicly and for the next several years and through their three fights, Ali unleashed a relentless barrage of verbal put-downs  (under the guise of "pre-fight hype" to promote ticket sales).

Ali referred to Joe as "stupid, ugly, gorilla-like.......even labeled him as an "Uncle Tom."  Marvis Frazier, one of Joe's sons has talked about the problems that caused HIM in school, when some of the other black kids (who had all heard Ali's hype)....would taunt Marvis, with "Hey man-----your dad's a TOM!).......and the fight would be on.

Ali had a lot of fun at Joe's expense, and Frazier never forgot or forgave him for it...........and I don't blame him a bit, because I wouldn't have either.

Ali was a character you either liked or didn't like.  No in-between.  Like many, I've NEVER liked that braggart and if you're an Ali fan, you have no way to know the ELATION we Frazier folks felt, the night of March 8, 1971, when "Smokin' Joe" put that draft-dodging loudmouth on the seat of his pants with a sweeping left hook in the 15th round at Madison Square Garden.  It's a boxing image that lives on today in the minds and hearts of those of us who liked and admired the qualities of Joe Frazier.

There's a lot more to being a champion than just holding the title, and Joe Frazier was a CHAMPION, inside that ring as well as out.

The "greatest", on his way to the canvas.  he wasn't running his mouth THAT night!

Joe lost his title in 1973 to another slugger........a HARDER one, George Foreman, and even in defeat, Joe showed the heart that you don't see today.  Throughout both of Foreman's careers, rarely did ANYBODY get up ONCE from a Foreman right hand.  He put Frazier down SIX times, and SIX times, Joe gallantly rose and fought on.  That alone was an incredible feat.

By all accounts, Joe Frazier was a nice guy and even after retirement, he was well-liked by all who knew him.  The only disdain he ever had for anyone was for all of the public humiliation that Ali put him through, and to this day, Ali has never apologized for it.

The record book shows Ali winning their 2nd & 3rd fights.......but I really have my questions about that 2nd one.  I have that fight on disc.........and it didn't look like it to me.  But that's boxing. Ali did win the 3rd one.

My son Danny is a big boxing fan and stays pretty current with today's crop.........but knowing I"ve always been a Joe Frazier fan, he sent me a personally certified autographed Left Glove for my birthday a couple of years ago.......signed by Smokin' Joe himself at a public event.  I got it out just this morning for the photos:

Joe would have really fit in, had he fought back in the 40's & 50's during the Louis-Marciano era.  He was just a hard working fighter, who gave you all he had every moment in the ring......would walk through fire to get to an opponent.  Never "ran some guy down" before a fight, nor gloated after a victory.  he never had to make a "career" out of trying to convince anyone who would listen "how great he was."

Like the "Rock" and the "Brown Bomber" before him, he did all of HIS talking when the opening bell rang.  Joe Frazier should go down in history as one of the greatest champions ever------but probably WON'T.,,,,,,because he wasn't out there causing scandals and controversy.  he wasn't steadily on the covers of magazines and scandal rags.

He was just a courageous, gallant, "gutsy" guy, a ferocious puncher, yet a good sportsman.  A guy you really couldn't help but to like.

And  an awful lot of us DID.

Rest in peace, Champ...........we'll miss ya.