Much respect to Joe Frazier. Contributed to some of history's most memorable fights and was always a decent and honest individual. Legend. Never expected him to be outlived by Ali.
Joe Frazier was my first favourite fighter. Even tho I am not that old, watching his first match with Ali is what got me into all of it. Loved his fighting style, loved his determination, loved his personality. Read a few of his books, love them too. R.I.P.
All respect to Joe Frazier, a true man's man. I'm the biggest Ali fan of all time, but there would not be an Ali legacy without a Frazier to help get him there. As an aside, Greg Jones, former running back of the Florida State Seminoles and present Jacksonville Jaguar fullback is a cousin of Joe's. We used to talk boxing on occasion while I covered the jags as a radio guy.
I wonder if I'd be as big a boxing fan now if not for growing up watching Frazier's relentless attack. I know I wouldn't have near the appreciation for a champion's heart if not for the Frazier-Ali trilogy.
Ali would have a legacy without Frazier...(Liston, Foreman, Spinks) but I see your point. Frazier is certainly a large part of the Ali narrative. Frazier though has no legacy without Muhammad Ali.
incredibly disingenuous He was a champion for four years before he ever fought Ali... it's completely unfair to say what you said
Anyone that thinks Ali's legacy doesn't suffer greatly without Frazier really doesn't understand how polarizing that first fight was. The idea of Ali returning from exile to face Jimmy Ellis probably doesn't sound like it would warrant being called the "Fight of The Century". If not for that fight the sport itself doesn't enjoy the resurgence it did and consequently Ali's greatness would have mattered to far fewer.
Yep... and losing that fight, which gave him the chance to later do the impossible and beat Foreman for the title actually ended up enhancing his legacy.
That's a great point. And think about it, if not for Foreman having the belt, maybe Ali avoids him for a few years and someone else exploits Big George's endurance issue.
Ali was FAMOUS from the Cooper and Liston fights, then refusing the army and Exile...loooong before he fought Frazier. Frazier helped though no doubt.
Cooper? Are you serious? Dude, there is famous, and then there is "Fight of the Century" famous. I sincerly doubt Frank Sinatra has trouble getting a ringside seat for Ali-Cooper, Ali-Liston or post exile Ali-Ellis fight like he did for Ali-Frazier. There is a Grand Canyon sized gap between being HW Champion popular and being the most-recognizable-person-on-the-face-of-the-earth popular. Without Frazier, Ali never bridges that gap in my opinion. What people always fail to fully appreciate is the impact of Ali-Frazier 1 on the popularity of the sport. Not only did the anticipation of the fight create an unparalleled buzz, but the fight itself actually surpased expectations. So fans watching for the spectacle ended up saying "Holy shit. This sport is amazing." And trust me, the buzz, the anticipation, the fight itself, none of it happens if not for Ali having a foe that was just like him in terms of being a former Olympic Gold medalist, undefeated, seemingly unbeatable, and holding a legit claim for the belt. Jimmy Ellis doesn't do that.
Yes, I think I have read it somewhere before though I don't know where, anyway I didn't come up with it myself. I just think it suits Joe perfectly
