'Smokin Joe' has passed RIP

First topic message reminder :

I thought the above sad news deserved its own thread as opposed to the "Joe Frazier may be ill one".

Unfortunately Joe Frazier has lost his battle with liver cancer at the age of 67. His family thanked people for their prayers, love and support - but have requested time to grieve privately.

'Smokin Joe' will be sorely missed but will be fondly remembered as one of the greatest fighters to ever lace them up. He left us with one of the most iconic rivalries and trilogies in heavyweight history as well as arguably the greatest fight of all time. A class act in and out of the ring and a proper legend.

RIP champ.

Very sad news, a boxing legend who will live in all of our (boxing fans) hearts.

Rest in peace Smokin.

RIP Smokin Joe a true legend and a credit to the sport inside and outside the ring.
A great gesture from Floyd Mayweather with regards to the funeral well done Floyd.

John Bloody Wayne wrote:You were right to start a fresh article for the passing of Smokin Joe, given the uncertainty of the one I wrote. I wasn't sure what to put at the time as it's a delicate subject and there was uncertainty at the time. this sums it up well though.

Ah yeah there was a need for both articles John. As you say at the time of yours we didn't know what the story was and could only hope. Nice to see him get the recognition he desreves.

A fighter's fighter and a fans fighter...A succesful fighter in a talented age....A guy that history may tend to overlook to a certain extent because Foreman and Ali... two record breaking top 5 heavyweights of alltime in a lot of opinion s were around basically at the sametime..

To say he belongs in the same company as them.. kind of say's everything we need to know about this guy.......and it's a valid statement for sure!!

A man that had almost as many white fans as he did black in a very turbulant time in America's civil right history also shows the class of the Man....

A blue collar guy through and through who had great heart and pride and some times that pride overspilled into slight bitterness at the way others had labelled him...and any sensible observer can forgive him for that!!

A guy with a lot to be proud of...and one that will be sorely missed by the Boxing community and rightly so...

Sure some people sometimes overlooked him with Ali and Foreman around but most of us knew how special he was...and he'll be remembered by us how he should be!!!!

RIP Joe.........You left a lasting impression........

CHAMPION FOREVER!!!!!!

Great post Trussman

RIP Joe. Great fighter. 67 years old and what a great legacy. The great thing about Joe was, being just 5 10, he had it all to do against the big guys in the most talent rich heavyweight era ever but he still rose to the top. He was not pretty like Ali or monstrous like Forman but he was relentless and determined against whoever was put in front of him.

Tyson-Frazier would've been interesting.....for sure.

Tyson early or Frazier late. I've always sided with Frazier late, myself.

Would rather see Frazier v Marciano.

I think Rocky ko's Frazier late after a bloody bout. Marciano will eat some serious leather with Frazier up on all score cards but Marciano would weather the storm and would throw 1 to many power shots for Joe to handle.

Disagree...Frazier was naturally bigger and I've never seen Marciano fight on the back foot..

Probably pick Joe..

Respect to a great fighter who helped define the sport in what many consider the glory years.

Seemed a sound, honest chap too.

Truss, personally I don't think Frazier is in danger of being overshadowed by the likes of Ali and Foreman. He's up there alongside them. Rumble In The Jungle might have been special but Fight Of The Century and Thriller In Manila are two bouts that will become part of boxing folklore imo, the hype and delivery of both was a phenomenon that 90% of current fighters can only dream of achieving.

A fighter with the skill of a champion and the heart of a champion. An exceptional human being who I think we could all do worse than learn from.

RIP Joe, legend without a shadow of a doubt.

Hope you're right but Ali beating the unbeatable in Zaire.....

Seems to get more ink.........

But agree with everything else......

Smokin Joe was truly one of the hardest boxers ever...

Dreadful news although I was probably more saddened when I read John's article at the weekend that Smokin Joe was gravely ill. I take a little comfort for Joe and his family that the suffering was not too long drawn out.

An immense link to a golden age of boxing when talent and excitement exceeded the hype has been cruelly taken from us.

Smokin Joe was a true icon for the sport of boxing, all sport for that matter. I remember in the run up to the "fight of the century" the Sun newspaper had just started and they were doing a week long article on the two fighters which I devoured and waited with baited breath for the fight to happen.I was the only one of my workmates who picked Joe to win and I picked up a few bob because of my faith in him. I saw my hero in 1975 doing a bit of bobbing and weaving when he called in to Auckland in 1975 on his way home from knocking out Jimmy Ellis in Australia. Thank you Joe for all those great memories,you were a diamond.

For those lamenting the passing of good sports journalism:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/nov/08/joe-frazier-muhammad-ali-1971

The focus is more on Ali but it is still relevant and well worth a read.

superflyweight wrote:For those lamenting the passing of good sports journalism:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/nov/08/joe-frazier-muhammad-ali-1971

The focus is more on Ali but it is still relevant and well worth a read.

Cracking read Superfly, however do fear comparing the modern bunch of jornalists is a mismatch on almost Haye Harrison levels. They are not fit to lace Hugh's boots.

Channel 4 are showing Thrilla in Manila at midnight.

Balti- was gonna post the same thing. Seen it more than a few times now, but as everyone knows. For fight fans an absolute must.

For me, as good as he was, and he was second or third best HW of all time, Ali largely gets his kudos for embodying a proud, brash, black image to an african america still largely coming out of aparteid. Personally, I think a lot of it is his own hype and hyperbola and era. My reasons NOT to rank Clay so highly is most is because of his treatment of Frazier (and Patterson), his hypocritical racist affiliations etc. Watching Frazier being so humble tonight reaffirms my views.

Frazier was a great fighter. A little "light and short" for the likes of the truly big HWs like Foreman but he faught, unflinchingly, with only one eye and beat Ali. Similar in many ways, they both had great foughtitude. But for me, Frazier was a greater person.

Brings a tear to the eye watching it.

Joe you were/are a legend, what if that last round was allowed to start.Just glad no one died. An epic war between warriors.

The two of them had such mental fortitude. Frazier was immense.

Slightly ironic of Dundee to call Frazier dumb when his ex charge has parkinsons and lost his money to the NoI......

Both had great determination, pride and courage. Not sure you can dismiss one without the other.

Savage beauty. Beautifully savage.

Ali always kept nibbling round the edges but he never did what he had to do and that was be magnanamous in victory. That, and the shameful bullying of Patterson, for me, undermines Ali as "the greatest". Shameful episodes against great fighters. I don't blame Frazier for being bitter. Ali's attempts at reconsilliation were largely too little and a long time after.

In so many ways they were too similar except Frazier was humble. But their similarities, courage, pride, fortitude etc made for 3 amazing fights. Both deserve credit for that reason but Frazier was a greater man...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Rs53iCjVc