Boxing great died a month after being diagnosed with liver cancer
Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, who earned boxing immortality after his three epic fights with Muhammad Ali, died on Monday at age 67.
Frazier, who won the Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medal for the United States in 1964 and held the world heavyweight boxing crown from 1970 to 1973, died in Philadelphia a month after being diagnosed with liver cancer.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Frazier, 67, was the first man to defeat the legendary Ali, taking the heavyweight title with a unanimous 15-round decision over Ali in 1971 at Madison Square Garden in what was dubbed the "Fight of the Century".
Ali won a unanimous 12-round decision in a 1974 rematch and famously completed the trilogy with a victory in 1975 at the "Thrilla in Manila" by stopping Frazier after 14 rounds in their epic slugfest in the Philippines.
A year later "Smokin' Joe" lost for the fourth and final time in his career when George Foreman knocked him down twice before the fight was stopped in fifth round.
Frazier's illness was first reported by the New York Post, citing an unidentified source. Frazier won the heavyweight title in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round of their fight at Madison Square Garden. He defended the title four times before running into the bigger and stronger Foreman in their first fight in 1973.
Frazier began his career with 29 consecutive wins before suffering that first loss and his heavyweight title when he was knocked down six times in two rounds by Foreman in 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica.
He retired following the second Foreman fight in 1976 but returned for one more bout in 1981 at age 37.
In recent years, Frazier had turned to singing, forming a back-up group called the Knockouts.
FACT BOX:
* Born Jan. 12, 1944, in Beaufort, South Carolina.
* Won the Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medal for the United States in 1964 in Tokyo.
* Won the world heavyweight title in 1970 after knocking out champion Jimmy Ellis.
* Hands Muhammad Ali the first defeat of his pro career on March 8, 1971, winning a 15-round bout at New York’s Madison Square Garden billed as “The Fight of the Century”.
* Lost his title in 1973 to hard-hitting George Foreman.
* Frazier lost second fight with Ali, again at Madison Square Garden, in a 12-round decision on Jan. 28, 1974.
* In one of the most famous sporting events of the 20th century, Frazier lost to Ali in a brutal encounter in the Philippines known as “The Thrilla in Manila” on a technical knockout when trainer Eddie Futch would not allow Frazier to fight the 15th round.
* Inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
* Frazier retired in 1976 before staging an unsuccessful return in 1981.
* Career record of 32-4-1 with 27 knockouts.
Former heavyweight champion Frazier dies at 67
Boxing great died a month after being diagnosed with liver cancer
Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, who earned boxing immortality after his three epic fights with Muhammad Ali, died on Monday at age 67.
Frazier, who won the Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medal for the United States in 1964 and held the world heavyweight boxing crown from 1970 to 1973, died in Philadelphia a month after being diagnosed with liver cancer.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Frazier, 67, was the first man to defeat the legendary Ali, taking the heavyweight title with a unanimous 15-round decision over Ali in 1971 at Madison Square Garden in what was dubbed the "Fight of the Century".
Ali won a unanimous 12-round decision in a 1974 rematch and famously completed the trilogy with a victory in 1975 at the "Thrilla in Manila" by stopping Frazier after 14 rounds in their epic slugfest in the Philippines.
A year later "Smokin' Joe" lost for the fourth and final time in his career when George Foreman knocked him down twice before the fight was stopped in fifth round.
Frazier's illness was first reported by the New York Post, citing an unidentified source. Frazier won the heavyweight title in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round of their fight at Madison Square Garden. He defended the title four times before running into the bigger and stronger Foreman in their first fight in 1973.
Frazier began his career with 29 consecutive wins before suffering that first loss and his heavyweight title when he was knocked down six times in two rounds by Foreman in 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica.
He retired following the second Foreman fight in 1976 but returned for one more bout in 1981 at age 37.
In recent years, Frazier had turned to singing, forming a back-up group called the Knockouts.
FACT BOX:
* Born Jan. 12, 1944, in Beaufort, South Carolina.
* Won the Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medal for the United States in 1964 in Tokyo.
* Won the world heavyweight title in 1970 after knocking out champion Jimmy Ellis.
* Hands Muhammad Ali the first defeat of his pro career on March 8, 1971, winning a 15-round bout at New York’s Madison Square Garden billed as “The Fight of the Century”.
* Lost his title in 1973 to hard-hitting George Foreman.
* Frazier lost second fight with Ali, again at Madison Square Garden, in a 12-round decision on Jan. 28, 1974.
* In one of the most famous sporting events of the 20th century, Frazier lost to Ali in a brutal encounter in the Philippines known as “The Thrilla in Manila” on a technical knockout when trainer Eddie Futch would not allow Frazier to fight the 15th round.
* Inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
* Frazier retired in 1976 before staging an unsuccessful return in 1981.
* Career record of 32-4-1 with 27 knockouts.
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