Joe Frazier Legendary American boxer Date of Birth: 12.01.1944 Country: USA

Biography of Joe Frazier

Joseph William 'Joe' Frazier, also known as Smokin' Joe, was born in 1944 in Laurel Bay, Beaufort, South Carolina. He was one of ten children of Rubin and Dolly Frazier, who did their best to take care of their children. Joe's father was always there for him. In the 1950s, the Frazier family acquired a black and white television, and neighbors and relatives from all over the county would come to their house to watch boxing matches. Joe, who had always been interested in boxing, would try to imitate the fighters on the screen. One day, a relative noticed this and said something like, "Look, our Joe will be a champion! He'll be the next Joe Louis!" Hearing this, the flattered boy firmly believed that becoming a champion was now necessary for him. Later, Joe made a punching bag out of rags, corn cobs, bricks, and Spanish moss that grew everywhere in the area, and began training. In a later interview, Frazier revealed that he trained almost every day for 6 or 7 years, practicing his punches for an hour at a time, wrapping his hands with his father's old tie or his mother's stockings. In 1959, 15-year-old Joe, who had just been fired from the farm where he worked, found himself on his own. Without much thought, he went to his brother Tommy in New York, where he earned a living doing whatever he could, even if it wasn't always honest. He later moved in with relatives in Philadelphia, and it was there that he had the opportunity to train in a gym. In the early 1960s, Joe had already won his first amateur championships, including the Middle Atlantic Golden Gloves in 1962, 1963, and 1964. His first loss came in 1964 to Buster Mathis in the pre-Olympic trials. However, Frazier still made it to the Olympics in Tokyo that year, as Mathis was injured. In Tokyo, in 1964, Joe Frazier won the Olympic gold medal in the heavyweight division, leaving no chance for his opponents. Interestingly, the German fighter Hans Huber put up the best fight, but Frazier was still awarded the victory on points. Strikingly, this medal was the only gold medal for the United States in boxing that year. After his victory at the Olympics, Joe's trainer, Yancey 'Yank' Durham, attracted several businessmen who were willing to invest in Frazier's professional career. Thus, on August 16, 1965, Joe stepped into the professional ring for the first time. His first opponent was Woody Goss, whom Frazier knocked out in the first round. The young boxer's professional career got off to a good start, and his first notable opponent was Dick Wipperman in 1966, whom he also knocked out in the fifth round. This fight, which was Joe's sixth professional fight, was followed by another five fights, each of which also ended in a knockout. Joe faced serious opposition from Argentine fighter Oscar Bonavena in September 1966. Bonavena knocked Frazier down in the second round, but Joe was on his feet by the count of 'five'. After that, Bonavena intensified his pressure, but Frazier held on and, moreover, ultimately won by a split decision. This was followed by victories over Eddie Machen, George Chuvalo, and again over Buster Mathis, who had defeated Joe before the Olympics. By the end of 1967, Frazier had a record of 19 wins in 19 fights. His next opponent was Jerry Quarry, and their fight in September 1969 was named 'Fight of the Year'. In February 1970, Frazier earned the right to fight for the WBA world title against Jimmy Ellis. The result was a knockout of Ellis in the fifth round. Frazier defended his title, as well as the WBC title, in a fight against the legendary Bob Foster, whom he knocked out in the second round. It was inevitable and obvious that Frazier would eventually fight Muhammad Ali. Naturally, the excitement surrounding this event was unimaginable. The fight took place in Madison Square Garden in New York City, and tickets for the match were sold out a month in advance. On March 8, 1971, after an exhausting 15-round match that was later named the 'Fight of the Century', Joe Frazier won by unanimous decision. Frazier went on to defend his titles, including a fight against the undefeated Joe Bugner. On October 1, 1975, Frazier and Ali had another match, which many believed would be a brutal fight. After 14 rounds, Ali won by technical knockout. This fight became the greatest in boxing history, setting a record for the number of punches thrown, which was only surpassed 20 years later. Frazier also lost his next fight against George Foreman. Thus, Joe Frazier's remarkable string of victories came to an end. Despite this, Frazier is considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers and one of the best punchers in boxing history, known for his powerful left hook. He was the first to take a title from Muhammad Ali. It is noteworthy that Joe suffered from cataracts in both eyes. Shortly before his death, Frazier was diagnosed with advanced-stage liver cancer. Sadly, the prognosis was not hopeful, and he had no chance of survival. Joe Frazier, the legend of American boxing, passed away on November 7, 2011, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.