Smokin Joe

"Joe Frazier would come out smoking. If you hit him, he liked it. If you knocked him down, you only made him mad," – George Foreman

————

Joe Frazier was relentless in the ring, he neglected the duck-and-cover and embraced the philosophy that one must absorb punishment before one can properly distribute it. This boxing style garnered him a gold medal at the Olympics and to the heavyweight championship of the world.

Frazier's nemesis was Muhammad Ali. Ali and Frazier would be forever linked, thanks in part to their three timeless fights in the ring. Frazier only won the first bout, which was known as the Fight of the Century. By the evening of the match, Madison Square Garden had a circus-like atmosphere, with scores of policemen to control the crowd, outrageously dressed fans, and countless celebrities, from Norman Mailer and Woody Allen to Frank Sinatra, who took photographs for Life magazine. Artist LeRoy Neiman painted Ali and Frazier as they fought. The third and most famous bout, was known as the "Thrilla in Manilla", nearly killed both of them. Ali was quoted as saying that this was the "closest thing to dyin' I know of". The two boxers clubbed each other for 14 rounds. Frazier's trainer would not let his fighter come out for the 15th round. Frazier retired after his next fight.

RIP Smokin Joe.

————

Music — Simon And Garfunkel — The Boxer