RIP Smokin' Joe :(

[Snake_Whisperer]

Grew up watching his old fights.

BBC News - Boxing ex-world champion Joe Frazier dies

 

[Smithers]

Rip

 

[SamNabz]

Very sad - R.I.P Joe

 

[Darlyn]

Another part of history has shuffled off this mortal coil.

Boxing is the only sport you can get your brain shook, your money took and your name in the undertaker book
~ Joe Frazier

 

[HonestPirate]

Yeah- those classic Ali fights were from a time when boxing was the toughest sport in the world; pre MMA.

He may not have been as flamboyant as Ali and as bad as Foreman (pre-grille) but he was as tough as any of them- the first to beat Ali.

RIP Smokin' Joe.

 

[pythrulz]

Saw That on the news aside from ALI one of the all time greatest boxers

 

[HonestPirate]

Tyson.

 

[PythonLegs]

R.I.P Joe..can't believe Ali had the hide to send his regards..Joe'll be doing his block up there!

 

[HonestPirate]

Yeah Ali disrespected Joe throughout his whole career- said he wasn't black enough; called him ugly...

Ironically Joe came from slave stock (literally) while Ali was a middle class educated man who appealed to whites more than African-Americans.

Typical USA- the loudest gets the gig.

 

[Poggle]

not many of the great sporting legends left now days

 

[Cockney_Red]

Ali and Joe were close friends....RIP Joe...many great memories

 

[HonestPirate]

Ali and Joe were close friends....

Uh huh....

"..........The pair have had a fractious relationship over the years, stemming from the Ali's taunting of Frazier in the run-up to their famous trilogy of fights.

Ali called his rival a "gorilla" and "Uncle Tom", insults which Frazier found difficult to forget. On his last speaking engagement, in Britain last year, he said there were certain things he could not forgive.

"I don't mind talking about the rivalry I had and have with Muhammad," Frazier said. "But you know - I had better fights than when I beat him, but at that time the world wanted me to kick his butt, so that is the one people see as the best of them."

Although he admitted it seemed "unfair to kick a man when he is down" - referring to Ali's fragile state due to Parkinson's disease - Frazier said he still could not forgive Ali for the taunts.......

"Forgiveness? It's not up to me to forgive him, only the Lord can do that. There's no forgiveness," said Frazier. "Who will be the best guy in the final round, who is the one of us two who is going to heaven and who is going to hell? I know which one it is and I sure ain't the one who is going to hell."

Ali has attempted to make amends in recent years, saying in one interview: "I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have said. Called him names I shouldn't have called him. I apologise for that. I'm sorry. It was all meant to promote the fight."........."

SOURCE: YESTERDAY'S NEWS


Thanks for playing

 

[mungus]

Yeah Ali disrespected Joe throughout his whole career- said he wasn't black enough; called him ugly...

Ironically Joe came from slave stock (literally) while Ali was a middle class educated man who appealed to whites more than African-Americans.

Typical USA- the loudest gets the gig.

You been watching the " Back Page " :lol:

 

[HonestPirate]

You been watching the " Back Page " :lol:

Hahha ......you are correct

I also like to READ my old friend

But yes that show the other day sent me on a big journey throughout the internets; it sounded so interesting that I wanted to learn more about it...

Didn;t realise the whole backstory was so intense; that's when I found this article:

TODAYonline | Sports | Muhammad Ali: I'm praying for my friend Frazier

 

[PythonLegs]

If you can find a book called 'ghosts of manila', grab it. Excellent look at both men, and one of the few books to look at Ali without the rose coloured lenses.
And..yeah, not friends.

 

[SteveNT]

RIP mate. Respect.

 

[jinjajoe]

All I remember from th footage I have seen is this... not sure if it is any of the links & I can't be bothered to check....

& it goes....... "Its gonna be a Thriller in Manilla when I beat the Gorilla & I will blaze ya when I knock out Joe Frazier"

Those kind of comments are what creates the hype around boxing & they both needed eachother & Frazier knew that.... his hate Ali comments were a little tongue in cheek in the broadness of the show-piece whilst at the same time a retort at his 'new found religion' to stir him up a little.....

Heavy-weight boxing has no such characters anymore.......

 

[HonestPirate]

Yeah boxing is a dinosaur now.... now we have MMA to get into- I can't get into boxing.....coincided with UFC being freely available (well, in the context of cable TV and PPV's anyway ).

 

[longqi]

Wonderful fighter who simply had the bad luck to be around at the same time as Cassius Clay
Apart from Thriller he never really received the respect or accolades he would have been given at any other time

 

[jinjajoe]

Thats why I loved Mundine (I think he is past tense now as a force)..... he polarises (sp) people but he makes you switch on the TV to either see him win or get knocked out...... 'The Mouth' in boxing is essential & a fine art. Ali had in spades & he built the trilogy with Frazier on the back of it.....