The world of sports has lost an all-time great. Former heavyweight champion Smokin' Joe Frazier has passed away from liver cancer at the age of 67. The Hall of Famer was only recently diagnosed with the disease and spent his final days in hospice care in Philadelphia.
A sad day for fight fans everywhere. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the Frazier family.
Joe Frazier, Ex-Heavyweight Champ, Dies at 67 - by Richard Goldstein, New York Times
A Champion Who Won Inside the Ring and Out - by Dave Anderson, New York Times
Comments
A golden nugget from the truly golden age of heavyweights. There was never such depth before or since in the premiere devision. So many fighters who would have been greats in another era and their careers overlapped and intertwined. Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, Liston, Norton, Quarry, Ellis, Shavers, Bonavena the list goes on and on. To reach the pinacle at that time was amazing, to only lose to two opponents incredible. There were matches that shoud have been made eg Foreman v Holmes @ Frazier v Norton, but all in all a tremendous era.
R.I.P. Joe Frazier Heavyweight Champion of the World.