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Quick Facts
- NAME: Joe Frazier
- OCCUPATION: Boxer
- BIRTH DATE: January 12, 1944
- DEATH DATE: November 07, 2011
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Beaufort, South Carolina
- PLACE OF DEATH: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Full Name: Billy Joe Frazier
- Nickname: Smokin' Joe
Best Known For
Joe Frazier was the world heavyweight boxing champion from February 1970 until January 1973 and fought in the famous "Thrilla in Manila" in 1975.
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The Rocky Saga: Going the Distance - Earnie Shavers & Joe Frazier (BioChannel Special) (2:41)
The Rocky Saga: Going the Distance - Earnie Shavers & Joe Frazier
Frank Stallone recalls when Sly Stallone got into the ring with boxer legends Earnie Shavers and Joe Frazier.
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Play NowJoe Frazier. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 11:12, May 21, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/joe-frazier-9301620.
Joe Frazier. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/joe-frazier-9301620 [Accessed 21 May 2013].
"Joe Frazier." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 21 2013, 11:12 http://www.biography.com/people/joe-frazier-9301620.
"Joe Frazier," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/joe-frazier-9301620 [accessed May 21, 2013].
"Joe Frazier," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/joe-frazier-9301620 (accessed May 21, 2013).
Joe Frazier [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 21] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/joe-frazier-9301620.
Joe Frazier, http://www.biography.com/people/joe-frazier-9301620 (last visited May 21, 2013).
Joe Frazier. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/joe-frazier-9301620. Accessed May 21, 2013.
Frazier took the fight with a unanimous decision, delivering Ali his first professional defeat.
The victory catapulted Frazier to full-fledged stardom and riches. He purchased a 368-acre farm, not far from where he'd grown up, and became the first African-American since Reconstruction to speak in front of the South Carolina Legislature.
In 1974, Frazier, who'd lost his title the year before to George Foreman,
stepped into the ring against Ali again. This time it was Ali who came out victorious. Their final battle came in 1975 in the Philippines. Dubbed the Thrilla in Manila, it's considered the sport's greatest fight by some boxing historians. The match lasted 14 bruising rounds before Frazier, battling eyesight issues, was prevented from coming out for the final round by his trainer, Eddie Futch.
It was the "closest thing to dyin' I know of," Ali later said of the fight.
Final Years
In 1976, at the age of 32, Frazier retired. He briefly returned to the ring in 1981, but quickly retired again, and for good, after just one fight.
His post-boxing years saw him manage the career of his oldest son, Marvis, a heavyweight. His daughter, Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, also took up boxing, and eventually fought Ali's daughter, Laila Ali, in a fight called Ali-Frazier IV. Ali came out victorious.
In all, Frazier had 11 children.
In September 2011 Frazier was diagnosed with liver cancer. The disease quickly spread, and he soon was in hospice care. He died at his home in Philadelphia on November 7, 2011.
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The Ed Sullivan Show Guests
View groupOriginally called Toast of the Town, The Ed Sullivan Show ran from 1948-1971 on CBS and was an American staple in the 50s and 60s. The American variety show featured the Who's Who of celebritydom over the decades, including Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Tony Bennett, Carol Channing, Lucille Ball, The Jackson 5, and The Doors.
The Ed Sullivan Show Guests 215 people in this group
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- In this group:
- Muhammad Ali
- Joe Frazier
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier 2 people in this group
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Olympic Boxers
View groupBoxing was first introduced as an Olympic event at the 1904 Summer Olympics. Since then, the Games have introduced us to future boxing legends. In 1960, boxer Muhammad Ali won a spot on the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, returning home that year with a gold medal. At the 1976 Olympics, Sugar Ray Leonard won the gold medal in light-waterweight boxing, with the heavyweight title awarded to Leon Spinks. These men join the group of fighters, from George Foreman to Floyd Mayweather, who have made history in their run for Olympic Gold. Biography looks at some of the hardest hitters in Olympic boxing history.
Olympic Boxers 10 people in this group
