Monday evening, I got a text that simply said, “Joe’s
gone” from a friend close to the Frazier family. They wanted to pass the official
word that Joseph William Frazier- “Smokin’ Joe” to you and me- had passed at
age 67 of liver cancer while surrounded by his family. Early Sunday, reports
had surfaced that Frazier was gravely ill and rumors spread he had died. I was
told that he did not pass until after his sister had come to see him on Monday.
It was as if he waited for her to say goodbye.
For fights fans, Joe Frazier is the epitome of what
boxing is all about. Joe was not a boxer. He was a fighter. Great fighters
always have some weapon of choice that the boxing gods bestow on them. Joe was
given many, among them heart, will, toughness and a left hook that dropped the
great Muhammad Ali and changed the minds of many a man who dared to challenge
him.
Frazier was one of a family of ten in Laurel Bay, Beaufort,
S.C., on Jan 12, 1944 and was particularly fond of his father, Rubin, and
mother, Dolly, who owned and operated a watermelon and cotton farm. It wasn’t
until the ‘50s that Joe found boxing. His family had a black-and-white TV
they’d set up for the family and neighbors to watch the fights on. Joe grew
fond of these fights, watching and marveling at the courage of Sugar Ray
Robinson and Rocky Marciano among others.
It was his uncle, Israel, who said of a young Frazier,
“That boy is going to be another Joe Louis,” due to his fighter’s build.
The next day became history for the rest of us as Frazier
built a heavybag from a burlap sack and began punishing it for the next few
years. Many men spend their whole life looking for what they should be. Upon
the first shot at that bag, Joe had his answer.
A freak accident or an intervention from the boxing gods
created Joe’s left hook. The family had a 300-pound hog that Frazier liked to
tease. One day, he teased it so bad, it broke out the pen and chased him down.
In his haste, Joe fell and injured his left arm. Being a poor family of ten,
the Fraziers let his arm heal on its own. When it was healed, it remained in
the cocked position; creating a perfect left hook waiting to unload on someone.
At age 15, Joe left home following a disagreement with a
white farm owner he was working for. From there, he found himself living in New
York with his brother, Tommy.
As an amateur fighting out of Philadelphia, Frazier won
the Middle Atlantic Golden Gloves heavyweight title from 1962 to 1964. In three
years, he did not lose to anyone except Buster Mathis Sr., losing to him again
in the Olympic trials in ’64, on what Frazier considered bad judging. However
he would land work as an alternate, giving valuable sparring experience to the
Olympians. In an exhibition with Mathis before the Olympics, Mathis broke his
knuckle on Joe’s head and Joe ended up taking his place on the team. It seemed
destiny once again stepped in to move this great fighter forward.
In the Olympics, Joe made it to the semifinals but broke
his thumb while stopping his opponent. With one good hand, Joe Frazier put on a
performance that would define him as a fighter who neither gave nor took any
quarter. He won the 1964 US men’s team’s only Olympic gold as an alternate with
one good hand.
After he returned to Philly, Joe’s trainer Yancey “Yank”
Durham put together a group known as Cloverlay, made up of several businessmen
including (according to Wikipedia) “a young Larry Merchant.” They financed him
and helped him become a full-time fighter.
It was Durham who brought Eddie Futch to the team. Futch would
serve as assistant and strategist until Durham’s death in 1973. Afterward,
Futch took over. It was because of Futch that Joe employed his “hands up at a
sideways position” style, perfect for a man with nasty hooks to offer. Futch is
also credited as the man who told Frazier to not participate in the 1967 WBA heavyweight
championship tournament (after Ali was stripped of the title for not
participating in the Vietnam draft for religious purposes).
Frazier fought during a golden age of heavyweights. He
took on everyone from George Chuvalo, Oscar Bonavena twice, Eddie Machen, Buster
Mathis (again, stopping him in 11 rounds), Jerry Quarry twice, Jimmy Ellis (whom
he won the WBA and vacant WBC heavyweight titles from in 1970) twice and George
Foreman twice. Foreman ultimately took those titles away.
But no one defined Frazier in the ring like his nemesis Muhammad
Ali.
They first fought on March 3, 1971 for the titles Ali
felt were his but were in Frazier’s possession. It was a war of two undefeated
men that polarized the boxing world and most of America. Ali was the people’s
champ. Frazier was painted by Ali as the establishment’s champion. It was a
classic war that saw Ali dropped hard late as Frazier took a unanimous 15-round
decision.
They met again on January 28, 1974 for the NABF title.
This time, Ali won a close decision. By then, Joe had begun to fade a bit after
his shocking knockout loss to Foreman.
The third time, known as “The Thrilla in Manila” was held
on October 1, 1975. This time, both men were faded stars but their chemistry in
the ring and their animosity out of it made for one of boxing’s great wars. Ali
won when Futch refused to let Joe come out for the final 15th round.
Ali and Frazier would reconcile much later in life after
years of bitterness due to how Ali treated Joe in the press.
After his pro career, Joe owned a boxing gym until 2009.
Financial hardships kept him making money doing public appearances and
signings.
However, to boxing fans, Joe Frazier is one of the most
meaningful reasons we all love this sport. If boxing was personified, Joe
Frazier would be its left hook and its heart. A man who defined what hard work
was all about, Frazier will be remembered for the moments he gave us as well as
the endless rounds of fury and tenacity.
Sitting here writing this, I find I don’t have the words
to entirely describe what Joe was to all of us. Sometimes you just have to
allow a legend to define itself. He simply will be missed by all.
They don’t make them
like Joe Frazier anymore. May his soul rest in peace.
.
