Joe Frazier

At 67 years old, Joe Frazier has this physical status:

Amateur career

He won the Golden Gloves heavyweight championships in 1962, 1963, and 1964 during Frazier's amateur career. Buster Mathis was his only loss in three years as an amateur. Mathis will be Joe's greatest obstacle to qualifying for the 1964 US Olympic boxing team. In the summer of 1964, they competed in the final of the US Olympic trials at the New York World's Fair. They were due for three rounds and battled with 10-oz gloves and headgear, but the boxers who made it to Tokyo would not wear no headgear and wore 8-oz gloves. Frazier was keen to return to Mathis after his only amateur defeat, and he defeated two opponents to advance to the finals. The judges had called it for Mathis once more, as Joe believed. "All the fat boy had done was run like a thief," he would say.

Mathis' trunks were so high that they were regarded with suspicion by Frazier when the referee struck Mathis with legitimate body shots that turned off the mathis. The referee had gone so far as to penalize Joe two points for coming under the belt in the second round. "A man can't afford a points deduction like that in a three-round match," Frazier said. He then returned to Philadelphia and was so sad he had never been and had even considered giving up boxing. Duke Dugent and his handler, Yank Durham, were able to talk to him out of his doldrums and even suggested that Frazier travel to Tokyo as an alternate in the event that something happened to Mathis. Frazier agreed and was a workhorse there, sparingly with any of the Olympic boxers who needed some action. "It's light heavyweight, light heavyweight," he said, "I got in there and boxed all comers." Mathis, on the other hand, was slacking off. Mathis will run a mile and begin walking in the morning as the Olympic team's roadwork will begin, and she'll say, "Go ahead, big Joe." I'll catch up."

Frazier's amateur record stood at 38–2.

Buster Mathis, the country's top heavyweight, graduated in 1964, but was forced to leave as a substitute, so Frazier was sent as a replacement. Frazier knocked out George Oywello of Uganda in the first round and then knocked out Athol McQueen of Australia 40 seconds into the third round of the heavyweight boxing tournament. He was then sent to the semifinal as the only American boxer left, facing the Soviet Union's 6'2" 214-lb Vadim Yemelyanov.

"My left hook was a heat-seeking missile, careening off his face and body time and again." I knocked him to the ground twice in the second round. However, as I pounded away, a jolt of pain shot through my left arm. Frazier said, "Oh, the thumb." He knew the thumb of his left hand had been weakened right away, but was uncertain as to the extent. "It's impossible to know such things in the midst of a war, with your adrenaline pumping." My attention was on more significant topics. I'd like how I was going to fight Yemelyanov for the remainder of the war." In the second round, the Soviet's handlers threw in the towel at 1:49, and the referee raised Frazier's injured hand in victory.

Now that Frazier was in the final, he's told his broken thumb to no one. He returned to his room and soaked his thumb in hot water and Epsom salts. Joe Frazier of Beaufort, South Carolina, was going for gold, whether or not he proclaimed it. He began fighting German Hans Huber, who was eight years younger. Frazier was now used to fighting bigger guys, but not with a strained left hand. Joe came out, started swinging punches, and threw his right hand more often than normal on fight night. Every so often, he'd use his left hook, but nothing came with the same effect as those that had been used in previous matches. He made a 3–2 decision.

Professional career

Yancey "Yank" Durham, Frazier's manager, helped bring together Cloverlay, a group of local businessmen (including a young Larry Merchant) who invested in Frazier's career and encouraged him to train full time, after Frazier captured the only American 1964 Olympic boxing gold medal. Prior to Durham's death in August 1973, Durham served as Durham's chief trainer and boss until Durham's passing.

Frazier made a name for herself in 1965 by defeating Woody Goss in the first round by a technical knockout. He had three other fights in the year, none of whom were knocked out or in the third round. He was in a training crash that left him legally blind in his left eye later this year. Frazier switched hands but covered his left eye for the second time during pre-fight physicals, but state athletic commission physicians did not seem to worry or act.

In the fact that Frazier was decked in the round by Mike Bruce, his second match was of utmost importance. Referee Bob Polis gave Frazier an "8" count but the third round saw a TKO over Bruce.

Durham hired Los Angeles trainer Eddie Futch in 1966, when Frazier's career took off. The two guys had never met before, but Durham had heard of Futch, one of the most respected boxing trainers. Frazier was sent to Los Angeles to train before Futch agreed to join Durham as an assistant trainer. Durham staged three fights in Los Angeles against journeyman Al Jones, veteran challenger Eddie Machen, and George "Scrap Iron" Johnson, with Futch's help. Frazier knocked out Jones and Machen, but he won unanimously by a ten-round consensus. According to Ring Magazine, Johnson had apparently bet all his money that he would live to the final whistle, and he somehow did it. However, Johnson was regarded as "impossibly robust" in the trade.

Futch joined Durham as an assistant trainer and strategist who advised Durham on matchmaking after the Johnson match. It was Futch who suggested that Frazier boycott the 1967 WBA Heavyweight Elimination Tournament to find a replacement for Muhammad Ali after the Heavyweight Champion was barred from his honour for refusing to be accepted into the military, but Frazier was the top-ranked contender at the time.

Futch was a valuable assistant trainer and aided in changing Frazier's style. Frazier embraced the bob-and-weave defensive style under Futch's tutelage by making it more difficult for taller opponents to punch and giving Frazier more power with his own punches. Futch stayed based in Los Angeles, where he served as a director with the US Postal Service, and he moved to Philadelphia to work with Frazier during the final preparations for all of his combats.

Futch was asked to replace him as Frazier's head trainer and boss after Durham's 1973 death of a stroke. Ken Norton, the heavyweight champion who lost a rematch against Ali less than two weeks before Durham's death, was training him. Robert Biron and Aaron Rivkind, Norton's generals, had Futch request that Futch train either Frazier or Norton, with Futch selecting Frazier.

Frazier won a close match over rugged opponent Oscar Bonavena in September 1966 and somewhat green, despite Bonavena flooring him twice in the second round. Under the three knockdown rule, a third knockdown in the third round would have ended the match. After ten rounds, Frazier gathered and won a close split victory. Following that match, the Machen prevailed.

Frazier roared ahead in 1967, winning all six of his matches, including a sixth-round knockout of Doug Jones and a tense fourth round (TKO) of Canadian George Chuvalo. No boxer had ever stopped Chuvalo, but Frazier, despite the suspension, was unable to floor Chuvalo, who would never be suspended in his entire career despite fighting many top names.

Joe had won 14 games by February 1967, and his fame was on the rise. This culminated in his first appearance on the front page of Ring Magazine. Ali had not been stripped of his title at that time, but he did not know it was happening. Joe will never have a chance of "whipping" him, according to Ali, even in his wildest hopes. Mohammed Ali was stripped of his world heavyweight title later this year because of his refusal to accept the military draft during the Vietnam War.

The New York State Athletic Commission held a contest between Frazier and Buster Mathis, who were undefeated going into the contest, with the winner named as "World Champion" by New York State. Although Frazier was not deemed as a World Championship match by some, he was deemed as the 11th round champion and secured a right to the Heavyweight Championship.

Frazier first defended his position by defeating Manuel Ramos of Mexico, a hard-hitting prospect. He won in only two rounds.

In a hard-fought match, he capped 1968 by defeating Oscar Bonavena in a 15-round draw. Bonavena responded some defensively and allowed himself to be often threatened to the ropes, giving Frazier a huge lead. Bonavena's face was shown by Ring Magazine after a gruesome face. It had been a brutal match.

Frazier won the NYSAC championship in Texas in 1969, defeating Dave Zyglewicz, who had only lost just once in 29 fights, by a first-round knockout. In a seventh-round stoppage, then defeated Jerry Quarry. In 1969, the fierce, exciting match against Quarry was dubbed the year's finest match. Despite Quarry's fame as a solid counter-punching heavyweight, Frazier demonstrated that he could do more than slug by using his newly honed defensive skills to slip, bob, and weave a barrage of punches from the Quarry weave.

Frazier met WBA Champion Jimmy Ellis at Madison Square Garden on February 16, 1970. Ellis had outlasted Jerry Quarry in the final bout of the WBA elimination tournament for Ali's vacated belt. Frazier had declined to participate in the WBA tournament to protest their decision to strip Ali. Ellis had some close victories over Oscar Bonavena and Leotis Martin, among others. Ali had declared his death and relinquished the Heavyweight title, allowing Ellis and Frazier to compete for the undisputed title, but neither had any lineal authority. Frazier was defeated by a technical knockout, but Ellis' manager Angelo Dundee did not allow him to come out for the fifth round after two fourth-round knockdowns, the first knockdowns of Ellis' career. Frazier's sweeping victory over Ellis was a frightening display of strength and tenacity.

Frazier traveled to Detroit to face World Light Heavyweight Champion Bob Foster, who would go on to record the number of title defenses in the light-heavyweight division. Frazier (26–0) retained his position by twice flooring the hard-punching Foster in the second round. Foster could not get out of his seats after a devastating left hook on the second knockdown, and he was unable to recover the count. Then appeared on "Fight of the Century" for the first time, his first match with Muhammad Ali, who had comeback from boxing after a three-year ban. It would be the first meeting between two undefeated heavyweight champions (and the last until Mike Tyson's face Michael Spinks in 1988) since Ali (31-30) had not lost his crown in the ring, but it had been stripped because of his refusal to be called into the armed forces. Some believed him to be the greatest wrestler in the world, and the show will crown the one true heavyweight champion.

Frazier and Ali met in the first of their three bouts, the "Fight of the Century," on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden. Both undefeated heavyweights and a worldwide television audience at a live broadcasting convention with singers and actors, as well as Burt Lancaster (who performed as "color commentator" with Don Dunphy, were in a media-frenzied setting reminiscent of Joe Louis' youth.

Several elements conspired against Frazier in the war. He was 27 years old, both physically and mentally, and was at his peak. Ali was 29 and returning from a three-year absence. In his comeback, he had two big wins, including a bruising, fifteen-round technical knockout victory over Oscar Bonavena.

Ali's tendency to launch a right-hand uppercut from a standing position after losing the hand in preparation to throw it with force is evidently observed by Frazier and Futch. Frazier told Ali's right hand and, after Ali dropped it, to throw a left hook at a point where they knew Ali's face would be a second later.

Frazier lost the first two rounds of a brutal and competitive match, but was able to withstand Ali's combinations. Frazier had a tendency to flourish in middle rounds, as was the case with Ali. Frazier came on strong after the third round by launching hard shots to the body and strong left hooks to the head. Frazier won a unanimous vote 9–6, 11–4, 8–1, and claimed the lineal title. Ali was admitted to the hospital right away after the war to ensure that his massively swollen right-side jaw was not really broken. Frazier spent time in hospital during the subsequent month, the fight's pressures being exacerbated by hypertension and a kidney disease.

Later this year, he fought in a three-round exhibition against hard-hitting veteran Cleveland Williams. Frazier won the championship twice in 1972 by defeating Terry Daniels and Ron Stander in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively. Earnie Shavers had been drawn earlier in the game, but Stander had earlier pulled Daniels out Earnie Shavers.

Frazier's undefeated record of 29–0 and his world championship lay in his custody until 1978 in Kingston, Jamaica, by the unbeaten George Foreman. Despite Frazier's being the overall favorite, Foreman stood 10 cm (4 in.) The more compact champion and an 8-inch champion were favored along with the 8 in. From the get-goal, the company was able to profit and dominated from the start. Foreman was able to knock Frazier down six times over the course of two rounds, resulting in a technical knockout victory.

Frazier won his next fight, a 12-round victory over Joe Bugner in London, to kick off his attempt to regain his title.

In New York City, Frazier's second war against Ali took place on January 28, 1974. Ali prevailed in a 12-round unanimous decision in comparison to their previous encounter. The contest was notable for the amount of clinching. When asked about Ali's death, Tony Perez said the only offence was if you hold and strike at the same time, although Ali was holding Frazier but not striking.

Frazier won the fifth round with a strong left hook to the ribs, five months later.

Frazier defeated Jimmy Ellis in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975, knocking him out in nine rounds. Frazier was crowned the top heavyweight challenger for the title, which Ali had taken from Foreman in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" five months before.

On October 1, 1975, Ali and Frazier met in Quezon City (a district of Manila, the Philippines) for the third time. Ali used to mock Frazier by calling him a "gorilla" and generally irritate him before the fight.

The match was a punishing spectacle on both directions under punishing heat. Ali said to Frazier, "They said you were through," he said during the war. "They lied," Frazier said. Ali firmly held Frazier around the back of his neck with his right hand, in breach of the rules that went unpunished by the referee. Ali returned to his corner after 14 grueling rounds, demanding that they remove his gloves and put an end to the match. Dundee, on the other hand, dismissed Ali. Futch stopped the fight out of fear for his innocence, which was fortuitous. Frazier had a closed left eye, an almost closed right eye, and a scar. Ali later said that it was the "closest thing to death" that I knew about.

Ali told interviewer Reg Gutteridge in 1977 that he found this third Frazier war to be his best effort. Ali said, "No, Frazier's much tougher and rougher than Cleveland Williams" when Gutteridge predicted his victory over Cleveland Williams.

Frazier (32–3) fought George Foreman for the second time in 1976, shaving his head for the contest. Frazier was more relaxed than normal, and he avoided running into big shots as he had in their first match. However, Foreman lobbed a massive left hook that lifted Frazier off his feet. In the fifth round, the match was called off after a second knockdown. Frazier resigned just shy of the end of the war.

Frazier appeared in Rocky in 1976 and devoted himself to teaching local boxers in Philadelphia, where he grew up, including some of his own children. He also helped prepare Duane Bobick.

Frazier attempted to return in 1981. In Chicago, Illinois, he won over ten rounds with hulking Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings. With mixed reviews, it was a bruising contest. He later resigned for good.

Frazier, then, has been involved in many ventures. Frazier helped prepare Marvis Frazier, a challenger to Larry Holmes' world heavyweight title, among his sons who went back to boxing as a career. Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, who became a WIBA light-heavyweight champion whose most notable fight was a close majority decision points loss against Laila Ali, his niece.

Frazier's overall record was 32 victories, 4 losses, and 1 draw, with 27 wins by knockout. He won 73% of his matches by knockout, compared to 60% for Ali and 84% for Foreman. He was a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.

Frazier was the special referee for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship match between Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes at Starrcade '84. Because of Rhodes' excessive bleeding, he gave the match to Flair.

Frazier starred as Mr. T against Roddy Piper at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in 1986 as the "cornerman" for Mr. T against Mr. T against Roddy Piper, a member of WrestleMania 2. Frazier joined Ali, Foreman, Norton, and Holmes in 1989 for the tribute special Champions Forever.

Frazier was inducted into the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame in 1996.

Music career

Frazier formed "Joe Frazier and the Knockouts" in the late 1970s, a term that was mentioned in Billboard and appearing in a number of singles. Joe toured extensively in the United States and Europe, including Ireland, where he appeared in Donegal and Athy County Kildare with his band. In a 1978 Miller beer commercial, Joe Frazier and the Knockouts were also featured.

Frazier appeared at the 1978 Jerry Lewis Telethon and he performed the United States national anthem before Ali and Leon Spinks clashed on September 15, 1978.

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