History of Joe Frazier Boxing Career
Joe Frazier is a country boy who lived by the old country adage that: "When you go to the big party, you dance with the one who bring." In Frazier's party it was a left hook. But to classify Frazier as merely a "left hooker" would be like saying Marilyn Monroe was a blonde. The son of a South Carolina sharecropper, he became a boxer by accident. He first went to a gym to work himself into shape. Shortly after, he began fighting competitively and became one of the best amateur heavyweights in the nation. He didn't lose until he ran into Buster Mathis, who demolished him in the 1964 Olympic trials. But, Mathis suffered an hand injury and Frazier replaced him at the Summer Games in Tokyo and came home with a gold medal. Frazier turned pro under the guidance of Yank Durham in 1965 and ran off 11 straight wins until he ran into tough guy, Oscar Bonavena in September 1966. The Argentine dropped Frazier twice in one round, but "Smokin" Joe came off the deck -- showing the Madison Square Garden crowd the heart and character that would mark his career -- to win a 10-round unanimous decision.After Bonavena, Frazier knocked out contenders Doug Jones (KO 5), George Chuvalo (TKO 4) and closed out the '67 campaign with a 19-0 career record. With Muhammad Ali's exile from the sport, the heavyweight division was in disarray. While the WBA held an elimination tournament, Frazier was matched with his nemesis from his amateur days, Buster Mathis, for the New York State world title on March 4, 1968 at the Garden. This time Mathis was not able to dance his way to victory over three rounds. A relentless Frazier wore down the bigger, heavier man, and stopped in the 11th round. From 1968-70, Frazier made six defenses, including a fifth-round TKO of WBA champ Jimmy Ellis in a unification fight. But in the summer of 1970, former champ Ali was granted a license to fight and the demand quickly grew for a showdown between the former undefeated champ and the reigning king. In fall of 1970, Ali knocked out top contenders Jerry Quarry and Bonavena, setting the stage for the most anticipated heavyweight title fight since the Louis-Conn rematch of 1946. Each fighter was paid the then-unheard of purse of $2.5 million. The build up to the fight was unparalleled in boxing history; transcending the sport -- and the sporting world. On March 8, 1971, before a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden, the two waged one of the greatest heayweight battles ever. In the 15th round, Frazier landed perhaps the most famous left hook in history, catching Ali on the jaw and dropping the former champ for a four-count. At the end of 15 grueling rounds, Frazier got the nod from all three judges and left the ring as the undisputed champ.
Joe Frazier, fought with never-ending stamina and became stronger as the fight progressed. He cut off the ring and forced his opponents to fight his fight at his pace and possessed a left hook that was without equal in the heavy
Joe Frazier is a country boy who lived by the old country adage that: "When you go to the big party, you dance with the one who bring." In Frazier's party it was a left hook. But to classify Frazier as merely a "left hooker" would be like saying Marilyn Monroe was a blonde. The son of a South Carolina sharecropper, he became a boxer by accident. He first went to a gym to work himself into shape. Shortly after, he began fighting competitively and became one of the best amateur heavyweights in the nation. He didn't lose until he ran into Buster Mathis, who demolished him in the 1964 Olympic trials. But, Mathis suffered an hand injury and Frazier replaced him at the Summer Games in Tokyo and came home with a gold medal. Frazier turned pro under the guidance of Yank Durham in 1965 and ran off 11 straight wins until he ran into tough guy, Oscar Bonavena in September 1966. The Argentine dropped Frazier twice in one round, but "Smokin" Joe came off the deck -- showing the Madison Square Garden crowd the heart and character that would mark his career -- to win a 10-round unanimous decision.After Bonavena, Frazier knocked out contenders Doug Jones (KO 5), George Chuvalo (TKO 4) and closed out the '67 campaign with a 19-0 career record. With Muhammad Ali's exile from the sport, the heavyweight division was in disarray. While the WBA held an elimination tournament, Frazier was matched with his nemesis from his amateur days, Buster Mathis, for the New York State world title on March 4, 1968 at the Garden. This time Mathis was not able to dance his way to victory over three rounds. A relentless Frazier wore down the bigger, heavier man, and stopped in the 11th round. From 1968-70, Frazier made six defenses, including a fifth-round TKO of WBA champ Jimmy Ellis in a unification fight. But in the summer of 1970, former champ Ali was granted a license to fight and the demand quickly grew for a showdown between the former undefeated champ and the reigning king. In fall of 1970, Ali knocked out top contenders Jerry Quarry and Bonavena, setting the stage for the most anticipated heavyweight title fight since the Louis-Conn rematch of 1946. Each fighter was paid the then-unheard of purse of $2.5 million. The build up to the fight was unparalleled in boxing history; transcending the sport -- and the sporting world. On March 8, 1971, before a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden, the two waged one of the greatest heayweight battles ever. In the 15th round, Frazier landed perhaps the most famous left hook in history, catching Ali on the jaw and dropping the former champ for a four-count. At the end of 15 grueling rounds, Frazier got the nod from all three judges and left the ring as the undisputed champ.
Joe Frazier, fought with never-ending stamina and became stronger as the fight progressed. He cut off the ring and forced his opponents to fight his fight at his pace and possessed a left hook that was without equal in the heavy
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