Joe Frazier was far more than just a foil for Muhammad Ali - ESPN

OOOoooh! NO WAY! He was like an early Mike Tyson!

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

AFIAC Ali was a weenie compared to Joe Frazier. This is not even mentioning the fact that Joe Frazier was NOT a draft dodger.

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Ali is not a weenie compared to anybody, IMHO. Maybe if he had a bit of weenie in him he would be in better shape today.

The guy on the radio this morning said that Frazier and Ali made amends, which says a lot for Frazier's character. Ali treated him like crap. It was really inexcusable, but Frazier found a way to forgive him.Neither is Ali. He was a conscientious objector who paid a real price for stand against the war in Viet Nam. He walked the walk on that one, IMHO.

We just can't let this tribute thread be a tribute thread can we?

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Sorry about that.

Yes, Joe Frazier had more character in his right toe than Ali could EVER muster up. I have nothing but praise for Joe Frazier. I have not said anything to imply anything OTHER THAN praise for Joe Frazier. When the time comes for Ali's thread I will remain silent.

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What I got from the article, was that both losses to Ali, one was on decission and the other both basically knocked each other into a bloody pulp. Frazers coach had the human sense to throw in the towel.
He did loose to Foreman. Some fighters, teams etc. just have the others number. Those were times when boxing was big. I think Sugar Ray Lenard and Duran was the last of the really big fights.
Tom

Yes 75, boxing was really big when I was a kid in the fifties and on up through the seventies. Now there are just too many sports and forms of entertainment to compete with it. Smokin' Joe served the sport well.

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Those were great days for heavyweight boxing. Frazier, Liston, Ali, Spinks (maybe), Foreman, Norton. Holmes was the last great heavyweight.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

I remember Kenny Norton working Ali over really well. It would have been probably May of '75. Norton was in fabulous shape for the fight, but Ali was NOT. In about the 7th or 8th, Norton's manager told him to go in and give the round to Ali. He went in with guard in place. Ali was smart enough to figure it out and started wailing on Norton's gloves. The referee then called the fight.

When the referee raised Ali's hand, Ali looked like he was about to drop from exhaustion, while Norton could have probably run a marathon. It was the most obviously fixed boxing match that I ever saw.

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I think you could say that, after his knockdown from Frazier, Ali changed his fighting style drastically.

He spent much more time playing 'dummy-on the ropes' to wear the younger guys down (see Foreman -Ali '74). Beyond working as a clever tactic, I think it was partially out of fear that he couldn't get over after Frazier... regardless of his trash-talking.

Ali is great, but Frazier was driven...

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Ali might not have gotten up from that one if Frazier had been 5lbs heavier. Frazier went into it from almost a crouch and uncoiled his whole body on that left hook.

I used to love boxing. Sure there are more brutal forms of pugilism but boxing seems to be the most gentlemanly of all violent sports.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Look what I've been missing. Go to 35:00 mark.

Riddick Bowe vs Andrew Golota I (Good Quality) - YouTube

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

I saw a documentary about Joe recently, not sure how old it was.

During one portion of the interviews, Joe was not so lovie-dovie about Ali.

To quote Joe> "You see the way Ali shakes all the time now?. I was the man that did that to him"...(slight chuckle from Joe).


Sorry to see him pass on, Joe was one bad-a$$ Mo-Fo in the ring.

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