Don Dunphy (July 5, 1908 – July 22, 1998) was a United States television and radio sports announcer specializing in boxing broadcasts. Dunphy was noted for his fast paced delivery and enthusiasm for the sport. It is estimated that he did "blow-by-blow" action for over 2,000 fights. The Friday Night Fights were broadcast every Friday evening from (radio and television (1939–1981) 9 P.M. to 10:45 P.M on ABC.

In 1984, Dunphy was part of the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame’s inaugural class which included sportscasting legends Red Barber, Ted Husing, Graham McNamee and Bill Stern. He was also a member of the organization's Board of Directors. Dunphy was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1988 and had a memorable cameo appearance in the 1971 Woody Allen movie Bananas. He also called all of the fights in the 1980 United Artists film Raging Bull, which was directed by Martin Scorsese. In 1982, he won the Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcasting Journalism in boxing.^[1] He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

His son, Don Dunphy, Jr., was an executive producer of Eyewitness News on WABC-TV in New York City in its early years, and later became vice president of news services at ABC.

References[link]

1. ^ International Boxing Hall of Fame / BWAA Awards

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Don Dunphy at the National Radio Hall of Fame
• Dunphy, Don - 1984 Hall of Fame Inductee
• Don Dunphy at Find a Grave

George Foreman
Foreman in 2009
Statistics
Real name	George Edward Foreman
Nickname(s)	Big George The Heywood Giant[1]
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Reach	82 in (208 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1949-01-10) January 10, 1949 (age 63) Marshall, Texas, United States
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	81
Wins	76
Wins by KO	68
Losses	5
Draws	0
No contests	0
Medal record Men's boxing Competitor for the  United States Gold 1968 Mexico City Heavyweight

George Edward Foreman (nicknamed "Big George"^[2]) (born January 10, 1949) is a retired American professional boxer, former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur.

A gold medalist at the 1968 Olympics, Foreman won the World Heavyweight title with a second round knockout of then-undefeated Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica in 1973. He made two successful title defenses before losing to Muhammad Ali in "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974. He fought on but was unable to secure another title shot and retired following a loss to Jimmy Young in 1977 and became an ordained Christian minister. Ten years later Foreman announced a comeback, and in November 1994, at age 45, he regained the Heavyweight Championship by knocking out Michael Moorer. He remains the oldest Heavyweight Champion in history. He retired in 1997 at the age of 48, with a final record of 76–5, including 68 knockouts.

Foreman has been inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) currently rates Foreman as the eighth greatest heavyweight of all-time.^[3] In 2002, he was named one of the 25 greatest fighters of the past eighty years by The Ring magazine.^[4] The Ring also ranked him as the 9th greatest puncher of all-time.^[5] He was a ringside analyst for HBO's boxing coverage for twelve years, leaving in 2004.^[6] Outside of boxing, he is a successful entrepreneur and is known for his promotion of the George Foreman Grill, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide.^[7] In 1999 he sold the naming rights to the grill for $138 million.^[8]

Early life[link]

George Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas. He grew up in the Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas, with six siblings.^[9] Although reared by J.D. Foreman, whom his mother had married when George was a small child, his biological father was Leroy Moorehead. Foreman was interested in football and idolized Jim Brown, but gave it up for boxing. He won a gold medal in the boxing/heavyweight division at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. By his own admission in his autobiography, George was a troubled youth.

Professional career[link]

Foreman had an amateur record of 22–4, losing twice to Clay Hodges (also defeated by Max Briggs in his first ever fight). Foreman turned professional in 1969 with a three-round knockout of Donald Walheim in New York. He had a total of 13 fights that year, winning all of them (11 by knockout).

In 1970, Foreman continued his march toward the undisputed heavyweight title, winning all 12 of his bouts (11 by knockout). Among the opponents he defeated were Gregorio Peralta, whom he decisioned at Madison Square Garden although Peralta gave a very good account of himself and showed George was vulnerable to fast counter punching mixed with an assertive boxing style. But the boxing world shuddered when George Chuvalo was defeated by technical knockout (TKO) in three rounds. After this impressive win, Foreman defeated Charlie Polite in four rounds and Boone Kirkman in three.

In 1971, Foreman won seven more fights, winning all of them by knockout, including a rematch with Peralta, whom he defeated by knockout in the tenth and final round in Oakland, California, and a win over Leroy Caldwell, who was knocked out in the second round. After amassing a record of 32–0 (29 KO), Foreman was ranked as the number one challenger by the WBA and WBC.

The Sunshine Showdown vs. Joe Frazier[link]

In 1972, still undefeated, and with an impressive knockout record, Foreman was set to challenge undefeated and Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier. Despite boycotting a title elimination caused by the vacancy resulting from the championship being stripped from Muhammad Ali, Frazier had won the title from Jimmy Ellis and defended his title four times since, including a 15-round unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Ali in 1971 after Ali had beaten Oscar Bonavena and Jerry Quarry. Despite Foreman's superior size and reach, he was not expected to beat Frazier^[10] and was a 3:1 underdog going into the fight.

The Sunshine Showdown took place on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica, with Foreman dominating the fight to win the championship by technical knockout. In HBO Boxing's first broadcast, the call made by Howard Cosell became one of the most memorable in all of sports: "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!" Before the fight Frazier was 29–0 (25 KO) and Foreman was 37–0 (34 KO). Frazier was knocked down six times by Foreman within two rounds, with the three knockdowns rule being waived for this bout. After the second knockdown, Frazier's balance and mobility were impaired to the extent that he was unable to evade Foreman's combinations. Frazier managed to get to his feet for all six knockdowns, but referee Arthur Mercante eventually called an end to the one-sided bout.

Foreman was sometimes characterized by the media as an aloof and antisocial champion.^[11] According to them, he always seemed to wear a sneer and was not often available to the press. Foreman would later attribute his demeanor during this time as an emulation of Sonny Liston, for whom he had been an occasional sparring partner.

Nevertheless, Foreman went on to defend his title successfully twice during his initial reign as champion. His first defense, in Tokyo, pitted him against Puerto Rican Heavyweight Champion José Roman. Roman was not regarded as a top contender and it took Foreman only 2 minutes to end the fight, one of the fastest knockouts in a Heavyweight Championship bout.

Title defense versus Ken Norton[link]

Foreman's next defense was against a much tougher opponent. In 1974, in Caracas, Venezuela, he faced the highly regarded hall-of-famer Ken Norton who was 30–2, a boxer notorious for his awkward crossed-arm boxing style with crab-like defense plus heavy punch (a style Foreman would emulate in his second comeback), who had broken the jaw of Muhammad Ali while defeating Ali on points a year earlier. Norton had a good chin, never in trouble as such against Ali in two matches. He'd nearly won the second. Although nerves were known to make his determination suspect at times against really heavy hitters. But in an astonishing display of controlled aggression and punching power, Foreman picked his moment after staying out of range of a long offense and decked Ken with more or less his first real big punch he threw near the end of the first round. Norton rose on wobbly legs but clearly wasn't recovered for round two whereby he was down three times and stopped. "Ken was awesome when he got going. I didn't want him to get into the fight," George said when interviewed years later.

George had cruised past two of the top names in the rankings. The stunning win made Foreman an impressive 40–0 with 37 knockouts.

Rumble in the Jungle[link]

This article appears to contradict the article The Rumble in the Jungle. Please see discussion on the linked talk page. Please do not remove this message until the contradictions are resolved. (April 2010)

Foreman's next title defense, against Muhammad Ali, was historic. During the summer of 1974, Foreman traveled to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to defend his title against Ali. The bout was promoted as "The Rumble in the Jungle."

During training in Zaire, Foreman suffered a cut above his eye, forcing postponement of the match for a month. The injury affected Foreman's training regimen, as it meant he couldn't spar in the build-up to the fight and risk the cut being re-opened. He later commented: "That was the best thing that happened to Ali when we were in Africa—the fact that I had to get ready for the fight without being able to box."^[12] Foreman would later also claim he was drugged by his trainer prior to the bout.^[13] Ali used this time to tour Zaire, endearing himself to the public while taunting Foreman at every opportunity. Foreman was favored, having knocked out both Joe Frazier and Ken Norton within two rounds.

When Foreman and Ali finally met in the ring, Ali began more aggressively than expected, outscoring Foreman with superior punching speed. However, he quickly realized that this approach required him to move much more than Foreman and would cause him to tire. In the second round, Ali retreated to the ropes, shielding his head and hitting Foreman in the face at every opportunity. Foreman dug vicious body punches into Ali's sides; however, Foreman was unable to land many big punches to Ali's head. The ring ropes, being much looser than usual (Foreman would later charge that Angelo Dundee had loosened them), allowed Ali to lean back and away from Foreman's wild swings and then grab Foreman behind the head, forcing Foreman to expend much extra energy untangling himself. Ali also constantly pushed down on Foreman's neck, but was never warned about doing so. To this day, it is unclear whether Ali's pre-fight talk of using speed and movement against Foreman had been just a diversionary tactic, or whether his use of what became known as the "Rope-a-dope" tactic was an improvisation necessitated by Foreman's constant pressure.

In either case, Ali was able to occasionally counter off the ropes with blows to the face and was able to penetrate Foreman's defense. Ali continued to take heavy punishment to the body, and occasionally a hard jolt to the head. Ali would later say he was "out on his feet" twice during the bout. Eventually, Foreman began to tire and his punches became increasingly wild, losing power in the process. An increasingly confident Ali taunted Foreman throughout the bout. Late in the eighth round, Foreman was left off balance by a haymaker and Ali sprang off the ropes with a flurry to Foreman's head, punctuated by a hard right cross that landed flush on Foreman's jaw putting Foreman down for the first time in his career. He managed to regain his feet by the count of 8 but the fight was nonetheless waved off by the referee.^{[citation needed]}. It was Foreman's first defeat, and Muhammad Ali remains the only boxer ever to defeat him by knockout.

Foreman would later reflect that "it just wasn't my night." Though he sought one, he was unable to secure a rematch with Ali. It has been suggested in some quarters that Ali was ducking Foreman, as he had rematches Joe Frazier and Ken Norton and also fought low ranked opponents such as Chuck Wepner, Richard Dunn and Jean Pierre Coopman.^[14] Ali, on the other hand, would never commit to a rematch, preferring to talk about retirement or make fights with lowly ranked fighters like Richard Dunn or Alfredo Evaneglista.

First comeback[link]

Foreman remained inactive during 1975. In 1976, he announced a comeback and stated his intention of securing a rematch with Ali. His first opponent was to be Ron Lyle, who had been defeated by Muhammad Ali in 1975, via 11-th round TKO. At the end of the first round, Lyle landed a hard left that sent Foreman staggering across the ring. In the second round, Foreman pounded Lyle against the ropes and might have scored a KO, but due to a timekeeping error the bell rang with a minute still remaining in the round and Lyle survived. In the third, Foreman pressed forward, with Lyle waiting to counter off the ropes. In the fourth, a brutal slugfest erupted. A cluster of power punches from Lyle sent Foreman to the canvas. When Foreman got up, Lyle staggered him again, but just as Foreman seemed finished he retaliated with a hard right to the side of the head, knocking down Lyle. Lyle beat the count, then landed another brutal combination, knocking Foreman down for the second time. Again, Foreman beat the count. Foreman said later that he had never been hit so hard in a fight and remembered looking down at the canvas and seeing blood. In the fifth round, both fighters continued to ignore defense and traded their hardest punches looking crude. Each man staggered the other and each seemed almost out on his feet. Then, as if finally tired, Lyle stopped punching and Foreman delivered a dozen unanswered blows until Lyle collapsed. Lyle remained on the canvas and was counted out giving Foreman the KO victory. The fight was named by The Ring as "The Fight Of The Year."

For his next bout, Foreman chose to face Joe Frazier in a rematch. Because of the one-sided Foreman victory in their first fight, and the fact that Frazier had taken a tremendous amount of punishment from Ali in Manila a year earlier, few expected him to win. Frazier at this point was 32–3 and Foreman was 41–1. Surprisingly, the 2nd Foreman-Frazier fight was fairly competitive for its duration, as Frazier used quick head movements to make Foreman miss with his hardest punches. Frazier's health was deteriorating at this point and was wearing a contact lens for his vision which was knocked loose during the bout. After being unable to mount a significant offense, however, Frazier was eventually floored twice by Foreman in the fifth round and the fight was stopped. Next, Foreman knocked out Scott Ledoux in three and Dino Dennis in four to finish the year.

Retirement and rebirth[link]

1977 would prove to be a life changing year for Foreman. After knocking out Pedro Agosto in four rounds at Pensacola, Florida, Foreman flew to Puerto Rico a day before the fight without giving himself time to acclimatise. His opponent was the skilled boxer Jimmy Young, who had beaten Ron Lyle and lost a very controversial decision to Muhammad Ali the previous year. Foreman fought cautiously early on, allowing Young to settle into the fight. Young constantly complained about Foreman pushing him, for which Foreman eventually had a point deducted by the referee, although Young was never warned for his persistent holding. Foreman badly hurt Young in round 7 but was unable to land a finishing blow. Foreman tired during the second half of the fight and even suffered a flash knockdown in round 12 en route to losing a decision.

Foreman became ill in his dressing room after the fight. He was suffering from exhaustion and heatstroke and believed he had a near death experience. He claimed he found himself in a hellish, frightening place of nothingness and despair. He began to plead with God to help him. He explained that he sensed God asking him to change his life and ways. After this experience, Foreman became a born-again Christian, dedicating his life for the next decade to God. Although he did not formally retire from boxing, Foreman stopped fighting, became an ordained minister of a church^[15] in Houston, Texas, and devoted himself to his family and his congregation. He also opened a youth center^[16] that bears his name. Foreman continues to share his conversion experience on Christian television broadcasts such as The 700 Club and the Trinity Broadcasting Network and would later joke that Young had knocked the devil out of him.

Second comeback[link]

In 1987, after 10 years away from the ring, Foreman surprised the boxing world by announcing a comeback at the age of 38. In his autobiography, he stated that his primary motive was to raise money to fund the youth center he had created. His stated ambition was to fight Mike Tyson.^[17] For his first fight, he went to Sacramento, California, where he beat journeyman Steve Zouski by a knockout in four rounds. Foreman weighed 267 lb (121 kg) for the fight and looked badly out of shape. Although many thought his decision to return to the ring was a mistake, Foreman countered that he had returned to prove that age was not a barrier to people achieving their goals (as he would say later, he wanted to show that age 40 is not a "death sentence"). He won four more bouts that year, gradually slimming down and improving his fitness. In 1988, he won nine times. Perhaps his most notable win during this period was a seventh round knockout of former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi.

Having always been a deliberate fighter, Foreman had not lost much mobility in the ring since his first "retirement," although he found it harder to keep his balance after throwing big punches and could no longer throw rapid combinations. He was still capable of landing heavy, single blows, however. Ironically, the late-rounds fatigue that had plagued him in the ring as a young man now seemed to be gone, and he could comfortably compete for 12 rounds. Foreman attributed this to his new, relaxed fighting style (he has spoken of how, earlier in his career, his lack of stamina came from an enormous amount of nervous tension).

By 1989, while continuing his comeback, Foreman had sold his name and face for the advertising of various products, selling everything from grills to mufflers on TV. For this purpose his public persona was reinvented and the formerly aloof, ominous Foreman had been replaced by a smiling, friendly George. He and Ali had become friends, and he followed in Ali's footsteps by making himself a celebrity outside the boundaries of boxing.

Foreman continued his string of victories, winning five more fights, the most impressive being a three-round win over Bert Cooper, who would go on to contest the Undisputed Heavyweight title against Evander Holyfield.

In 1990, Foreman met former title challenger Gerry Cooney in Atlantic City. Cooney was coming off a long period of inactivity, but was well regarded for his punching power. Cooney wobbled Foreman in the first round, but Foreman landed several powerful punches in the second round. Cooney was knocked down twice and Foreman had scored a devastating KO. Foreman went on to win four more fights that year.

Then, in 1991, Foreman was given the opportunity to challenge Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield, who was in tremendous shape at 208 pounds, for the world title in a Pay Per View boxing event. Very few boxing experts gave the 42-year-old Foreman a chance of winning. Foreman, who weighed in at 257 pounds, began the contest by marching forward, absorbing several of Holyfield's best combinations and occasionally landing a powerful swing of his own. Holyfield proved too tough and agile to knock down and was well ahead on points throughout the fight, but Foreman surprised many by lasting the full 12 rounds, losing his challenge on points. Round 7, in which Foreman knocked Holyfield off balance before being staggered by a powerful combination, was Ring Magazine's "Round of the Year."

A year later, Foreman fought journeyman Alex Stewart, who had previously been stopped in the first round by Mike Tyson. Foreman knocked down Stewart twice in the second round, but expended a lot of energy in doing so. He subsequently tired, and Stewart rebounded. By the end of the 10th and final round, Foreman's face was bloodied and swollen, but the judges awarded him a majority decision win.

In 1993, Foreman received another title shot, although this was for the vacant WBO Championship, which most fans at the time saw as a second-tier version of the "real" Heavyweight title, then being contested between Holyfield and Riddick Bowe. Foreman's opponent was Tommy Morrison, a young prospect known for his punching power. To the frustration of Foreman and the disappointment of the booing crowd, Morrison retreated throughout the fight, refusing to trade toe-to-toe,and sometimes even turned his back on Foreman. The strategy paid off, however, as he outboxed Foreman from long range. Foreman was competitive throughout the match, but after 12 rounds, Morrison won a unanimous decision. Though it seemed unlikely at the time, one more chance at the legitimate heavyweight crown was just around the corner for Foreman.

Regaining the Title[link]

In 1994, Foreman once again sought to challenge for the world championship after Michael Moorer had beaten Holyfield for the IBF and WBA titles.

Having lost his last fight against Morrison, Foreman was unranked and in no position to demand another title shot. However, his relatively high profile made a title defense against Foreman, who was 19 years older than Moorer, a lucrative prospect at seemingly little risk for champion Moorer.

Foreman's title challenge against Moorer took place on November 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Foreman wearing the same red trunks he had worn in his title loss to Ali 20 years earlier. This time, however, Foreman was a substantial underdog. For nine rounds, Moorer easily outboxed him, hitting and moving away, while Foreman chugged forward, seemingly unable to "pull the trigger" on his punches. Entering the tenth round, Foreman was trailing on all scorecards. However, Foreman launched a comeback in the tenth round and hit Moorer with a number of punches. Then a short right hand caught Moorer on the tip of his chin, gashing open his bottom lip and he collapsed to the canvas. He lay flat on his back as the referee counted him out.

In an instant, Foreman had regained the title he had lost to Muhammad Ali two decades before. He went back to his corner and knelt in prayer as the arena erupted in cheers. With this historic victory, Foreman broke three records: he became, at age 45, the oldest fighter ever to win the World Heavyweight Championship; and, 20 years after losing his title for the first time, he broke the record for the fighter with the longest interval between his first and second world championships. The age spread of 19 years between the champion and challenger was also the largest of any heavweight boxing championship fight.

Shortly after the Moorer fight, Foreman began talking about a potential superfight against Mike Tyson (the youngest ever heavyweight champ). The WBA organization, however, demanded he fight their No. 1 challenger, who at the time was the competent but aging Tony Tucker. For reasons not clearly known, Foreman refused to fight Tucker and allowed the WBA to strip him of that belt. He then went on to fight mid-level prospect Axel Schulz of Germany in defense of his remaining IBF title. Schulz was a major underdog. Schulz jabbed strongly from long range and grew increasingly confident as the fight progressed. Foreman finished the fight with a swelling over one eye, but was awarded a controversial majority decision (two judges scored for Foreman, one called it even). The IBF ordered an immediate rematch to be held in Germany, but Foreman refused the terms and found himself stripped of his remaining title. However, Foreman continued to be recognized as the Lineal Heavyweight Champion.

In 1996, Foreman returned to Tokyo, scoring an easy win over the unrated Crawford Grimsley by a 12-round decision. In 1997, he faced contender Lou Savarese, winning a close decision in a grueling, competitive encounter. Then, yet another opportunity came Foreman's way as the WBC decided to match him against Shannon Briggs in a 1997 "eliminator bout" for the right to face WBC champion Lennox Lewis. After 12 rounds, in which Foreman consistently rocked Briggs with power punches, almost everyone at ringside saw Foreman as the clear winner.^[18] Once again there was a controversial decision—but this time it went in favor of Foreman's opponent, with Briggs awarded a points win. Foreman had fought for the last time, at the age of 48.

Second retirement[link]

Foreman was gracious and philosophical in his loss to Briggs, but announced his "final" retirement shortly afterward. However, he did plan a return bout against Larry Holmes in 1999, scheduled to take place at the Houston Astrodome on pay per view. The fight was to be billed as "The Birthday Bash" due to both fighters' upcoming birthdays. Foreman was set to make $10 million and Holmes was to make $4 million, but negotiations fell through and the fight was cancelled. With a continuing affinity for the sport, Foreman became a respected boxing analyst for HBO.

Foreman said he had no plans to resume his career as a boxer, but then announced in February 2004 that he was training for one more comeback fight to demonstrate that the age of 55, like 40, is not a "death sentence." The bout, against an unspecified opponent (rumored to be the now late Trevor Berbick), never materialized (it was widely thought that Foreman's wife had been a major factor in the change of plans). Having severed his relationship with HBO to pursue other opportunities, George Foreman and the sport of boxing finally went their separate ways.

Family[link]

Foreman speaking in Houston, Texas in September 2009

Foreman has 11 children, and each of his five sons is named George: George Jr., George III, George IV, George V and George VI. His four younger sons are distinguished from one another by the nicknames "Monk," "Big Wheel," "Red" and "Little Joey." Also of issue in his marriage are two daughters named Natalia and Leola. He also has three daughters from a separate relationship: Michi, Freeda and Georgetta. He also adopted a daughter, Isabella Brandie Lilja (Foreman), in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Entrepreneurship[link]

When Foreman came back from retirement he argued that his success was due to his healthy eating, which made him a perfect fit for Russell Hobbs Inc., who were looking for a spokesperson for their fat-reducing grill.

The George Foreman Grill has resulted in sales of over 100 million units since it was first launched, a feat that was achieved in a little over 15 years. Although Foreman has never confirmed exactly how much he has earned from the endorsement, what is known is that Salton Inc paid him $137 million in 1999 in order to buy out the right to use his name. Previous to that he was being paid about 40% of the profits on each grill sold (earning him $4.5 million a month in payouts at its peak) so it is estimated he has made a total of over $200 million from the endorsement, a sum that is substantially more than he earned as a boxer.^[19]

[edit] Amateur accomplishments^[20]

• Won his first amateur fight on January 26, 1967 by a first-round knockout in the Parks Diamond Belt Tournament.
• Won the San Francisco Examiner's Golden Gloves Tournament in the Junior Division in February 1967.
• February 1967: Knocked out Thomas Cook to win the Las Vegas Golden Gloves in the Senior Division.
• February 1968: Knocked out L.C. Brown to win the San Francisco Examiner's Senior Title in San Francisco.
• March 1968: Won the National AAU Heavyweight title in Toledo, Ohio vs. Henry Crump of Philadelphia, PA in the final.
• July 1968: Sparred 5 rounds on two different occasions with former World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston.
• September 21, 1968: Won his second decision over Otis Evans to make the U.S. boxing team for the Mexico City Olympic Games.
• Foreman had a 16-4 amateur boxing record going into the Olympics. He knocked out Russia's Ionas Chepulis to win the Olympic Games Heavyweight Gold Medal. He was trained for the Olympic Games by Robert (Pappy) Gault.
• Amateur Record: 22-4^[21]

Professional boxing record[link]

76 Wins (68 knockouts, 8 decisions), 5 Losses (1 knockout, 4 decisions), 0 Draws[22]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	76–5	Shannon Briggs	MD	12	22/11/1997	Taj Majal Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Lost Lineal Heavyweight title.
Win	76–4	Lou Savarese	SD	12	26/04/1997	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Retained Lineal Heavyweight title.
Win	75–4	Crawford Grimsley	UD	12	03/11/1996	Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan	Retained Lineal Heavyweight title.
Win	74–4	Axel Schulz	MD	12	22/04/1995	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained Lineal, & IBF Heavyweight titles.
Win	73–4	Michael Moorer	KO	10 (12)	05/11/1994	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Won Lineal, WBA, & IBF Heavyweight titles.
Loss	72–4	Tommy Morrison	UD	12	07/06/1993	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	For vacant WBO Heavyweight title.
Win	72–3	Pierre Coetzer	TKO	8 (10)	16/01/1993	Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, United States
Win	71–3	Alex Stewart	MD	10	11/04/1992	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	70–3	Jimmy Ellis	TKO	3 (10)	07/12/1991	Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, United States
Loss	69–3	Evander Holyfield	UD	12	19/04/1991	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	For Lineal, WBC, WBA, & IBF Heavyweight titles.
Win	69–2	Terry Anderson	KO	1 (10)	25/09/1990	New London Arena, Millwall, London, England, United Kingdom
Win	68–2	Ken Lakusta	KO	3 (10)	31/07/1990	New London Arena, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Win	67–2	Adilson Rodrigues	KO	2 (10)	16/06/1990	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	66–2	Mike Jameson	TKO	4 (10)	17/04/1990	Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, United States
Win	65–2	Gerry Cooney	TKO	2 (10)	15/01/1990	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	64–2	Everett Martin	UD	10	20/07/1989	Convention Center, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Win	63–2	Bert Cooper	RTD	2 (10)	01/06/1989	Pride Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win	62–2	J. B. Williamson	TKO	5 (10)	30/04/1989	Moody Center, Galveston, Texas, United States
Win	61–2	Manoel De Almeida	TKO	3 (10)	16/02/1989	Atlantis Theater, Orlando, Florida, United States
Win	60–2	Mark Young	TKO	7 (10)	26/01/1989	War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, New York, United States
Win	59–2	David Jaco	TKO	1 (10)	28/12/1988	Casa Royal Hotel, Bakersfield, California, United States
Win	58–2	Tony Fulilangi	TKO	2 (10)	27/10/1988	Civic Center, Marshall, Texas, United States
Win	57–2	Bobby Hitz	TKO	1 (10)	10/09/1988	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States
Win	56–2	Ladislao Mijangos	TKO	2 (10)	25/08/1988	Lee Civic Center, Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Win	55–2	Carlos Hernandez	TKO	4 (10)	26/06/1988	Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	54–2	Frank Lux	TKO	3 (10)	21/05/1988	Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Win	53–2	Dwight Muhammad Qawi	TKO	7 (10)	19/03/1988	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	52–2	Guido Trane	TKO	5 (10)	05/02/1988	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	51–2	Tom Trimm	KO	1 (10)	23/01/1988	Sheraton Twin Towers, Orlando, Florida, United States
Win	50–2	Rocky Sekorski	TKO	3 (10)	18/12/1987	Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	49–2	Tim Anderson	TKO	4 (10)	21/11/1987	Sports Complex, Orlando, Florida, United States
Win	48–2	Bobby Crabtree	TKO	6 (10)	15/09/1987	Springfield, Missouri, United States
Win	47–2	Charles Hostetter	KO	3 (10)	09/07/1987	Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California, United States
Win	46–2	Steve Zouski	TKO	4 (10)	09/03/1987	Arco Arena, Sacramento, California, United States
Loss	45–2	Jimmy Young	UD	12	17/03/1977	Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico	1977 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	45–1	Pedro Agosto	TKO	4 (10)	22/01/1977	Civic Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, United States
Win	44–1	John Dino Denis	TKO	4 (10)	15/10/1976	Sportatorium, Hollywood, Florida, United States
Win	43–1	Scott LeDoux	TKO	3 (10)	14/08/1976	Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, New York, United States
Win	42–1	Joe Frazier	TKO	5 (12)	15/06/1976	Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, United States	Retained NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	41–1	Ron Lyle	KO	5 (12)	24/01/1976	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Won vacant NABF Heavyweight title. 1976 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Loss	40–1	Muhammad Ali	KO	8 (15)	30/10/1974	Stade du 20 Mai, Kinshasa, Zaire	Lost The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles. 1974 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	40–0	Ken Norton	TKO	2 (15)	26/03/1974	El Poliedro, Caracas, Venezuela	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	39–0	Jose Roman	KO	1 (15)	01/09/1973	Nihon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	38–0	Joe Frazier	TKO	2 (15)	22/01/1973	National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica	Won The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles. 1973 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	37–0	Terry Sorrell	KO	2 (10)	10/10/1972	Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Win	36–0	Miguel Angel Paez	KO	2 (10)	11/05/1972	Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California, United States	Won Pan American Heavyweight title.
Win	35–0	Ted Gullick	KO	2 (10)	10/04/1972	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	34–0	Clarence Boone	KO	2 (10)	07/03/1972	Beaumont, Texas, United States
Win	33–0	Joe Murphy Goodwin	KO	2 (10)	29/02/1972	Austin, Texas, United States
Win	32–0	Luis Faustino Pires	TKO	5 (10)	29/10/1971	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	31–0	Ollie Wilson	KO	2 (10)	07/10/1971	Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas, United States
Win	30–0	Leroy Caldwell	KO	2 (10)	21/09/1971	Beaumont, Texas, United States
Win	29–0	Vic Scott	KO	1 (10)	14/09/1971	El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, United States
Win	28–0	Gregorio Peralta	TKO	10 (15)	10/05/1971	Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California, United States	Won vacant NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	27–0	Stamford Harris	KO	2 (10)	03/04/1971	Playboy Club Hotel, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, United States
Win	26–0	Charlie Boston	KO	1 (10)	08/02/1971	Auditorium, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Win	25–0	Mel Turnbow	TKO	1 (10)	18/12/1970	Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, Washington, United States
Win	24–0	Boone Kirkman	TKO	2 (10)	18/11/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	23–0	Lou Bailey	TKO	3 (10)	03/11/1970	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Win	22–0	George Chuvalo	TKO	3 (10)	04/08/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	21–0	Roger Russell	KO	1 (10)	20/07/1970	Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	20–0	George Johnson	TKO	7 (10)	16/05/1970	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	19–0	Aaron Eastling	TKO	4 (10)	29/04/1970	Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Win	18–0	James J. Woody	TKO	3 (10)	17/04/1970	Felt Forum, New York, New York, United States
Win	17–0	Rufus Brassell	TKO	1 (10)	31/03/1970	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	16–0	Gregorio Peralta	UD	10	16/02/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	15–0	Jack O'Halloran	KO	5 (10)	26/01/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	14–0	Charley Polite	KO	4 (10)	06/01/1970	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	13–0	Gary Hobo Wiler	TKO	1 (10)	18/12/1969	Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington, United States
Win	12–0	Levi Forte	UD	10	16/12/1969	Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win	11–0	Bob Hazelton	TKO	1 (6)	06/12/1969	International Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	10–0	Max Martinez	KO	2 (10)	18/11/1969	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	9–0	Leo Peterson	KO	4 (8)	05/11/1969	Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	8–0	Roberto Davila	UD	8	31/10/1969	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	7–0	Vernon Clay	TKO	2 (6)	07/10/1969	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	6–0	Roy Wallace	KO	2 (6)	23/09/1969	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	5–0	Johnny Carroll	KO	1 (8)	18/09/1969	Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington, United States
Win	4–0	Chuck Wepner	TKO	3 (10)	18/08/1969	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	3–0	Sylvester Dullaire	TKO	1 (6)	14/07/1969	Rosecroft Raceway, Oxon Hill, Maryland, United States
Win	2–0	Fred Askew	KO	1 (6)	01/07/1969	Houston, Texas, United States
Win	1–0	Don Waldheim	TKO	3 (6)	23/06/1969	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Foreman's professional debut.

See also[link]

• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of WBC world champions
• Notable boxing families
• George Foreman Grill

References[link]

External links[link]

	Book: George Foreman
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Official website
• Professional boxing record for George Foreman from BoxRec
• George Foreman - IBHOF Biography
• George Foreman's Amateur Boxing Record
• Official Site of the George Foreman Grill
• StartupStudio - Interview with George Foreman about his entrepreneurial success
• George Foreman at the Internet Movie Database
• George Foreman at TV.com
• George Foreman at TVLand.com
• George Foreman Quotes

Joe Frazier
Frazier in 2010
Statistics
Real name	Joseph William Frazier
Nickname(s)	Smokin' Joe
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	5 ft 11 1⁄2 in (1.82 m)
Reach	73 in (185 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1944-01-12)January 12, 1944 Beaufort, South Carolina, United States
Died	November 7, 2011(2011-11-07) (aged 67)[1] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	37
Wins	32
Wins by KO	27
Losses	4
Draws	1
No contests	0
Medal record Men’s Boxing Olympic Games Competitor for  United States Gold 1964 Tokyo Heavyweight

Joseph William "Joe" Frazier (January 12, 1944 – November 7, 2011), also known as Smokin' Joe, was an American professional boxer and Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981.

Frazier emerged as the top contender in the late 1960s, defeating opponents that included Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena, Buster Mathis, Eddie Machen, Doug Jones, George Chuvalo and Jimmy Ellis en route to becoming Undisputed Heavyweight Champion in 1970, and followed up by defeating Muhammad Ali on points in the highly-anticipated "Fight of the Century" in 1971. Two years later Frazier lost his title when he was knocked out by George Foreman. He fought on, beating Joe Bugner, losing a rematch to Ali and beating Quarry and Ellis again.

Frazier's last world title challenge came in 1975, but he was beaten by Ali in their brutal rubbermatch. He retired in 1976 following a second loss to Foreman. He made a comeback in 1981, fighting just once, before retiring for good. The International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) rates Frazier among the ten greatest heavyweights of all time.^[2] He was an inductee of both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Frazier's style was often compared to that of Henry Armstrong and occasionally Rocky Marciano. He was dependent on bobbing, weaving, grunting, and snorting as he grimaced with all out aggression wearing down his opponents with relentless pressure. His best known punch was a powerful left hook, which accounted for most of his knockouts.

After retiring, Frazier made cameo appearances in several Hollywood movies, and two episodes of The Simpsons. His son Marvis became a boxer — trained by Frazier himself — although was unable to recreate his father's success. Frazier continued to train fighters in his gym in Philadelphia. His later years saw the continuation of his bitter rivalry with Ali, in which the two periodically exchanged insults, interspersed with brief reconciliations.

Frazier was diagnosed with liver cancer in late September 2011 and admitted to hospice care.^[3] He died November 7, 2011.^[4]

Early life[link]

Joe Frazier was the 12th child born to Rubin and Dolly Frazier in Beaufort, South Carolina. He was raised in a rural community of Beaufort called Laurel Bay.^[5][6] Frazier said he was always close to his father, who carried him when he was a toddler "over the 10 acres of farmland" that the Fraziers owned, "to the still where he made his bootleg corn liquor, and into town on Saturdays to buy the necessities that a family of 10 needed." The young Frazier was affectionately called "Billy Boy."^[5]

Rubin had his left hand and part of his forearm amputated a year before Frazier was born. While Rubin and Dolly were in the car a friend named Arthur Smith, who was drunk at the time and was fond of meeting women, passed by and made a move for Dolly and was rebuffed. When Frazier's parents drove away Smith fired several bullets, hitting Dolly once in the foot and Rubin several times in the arm, which was hanging outside the car. Arthur Smith went to prison for the shooting, but did not stay long. As Joe's mother put it, "If you were a good workman, the white man took you out of jail and kept you busy on the farm."^[7]

His parents owned the 10 acre farm which they worked with "two mules, Buck and Jenny." Frazier said the land was what country folk called "white dirt, which is another way of saying it isn't worth a damn." The Frazier family couldn't grow peas or corn on it, they were only able to grow cotton and watermelon.^[7]

In the early '50s, Frazier's father got a black and white television. His father, his mother, her brothers and other people from the neighborhood would come to watch boxing matches on it. Frazier's mother sold drinks for a quarter as they watched fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Willie Pep and Rocky Graziano. One night Frazier walked onto the porch of his house when his Uncle Israel noticed Frazier's stocky build. "That boy there...that boy is gonna be another Joe Louis" he remarked. The words made an impression on Joe. At school, his classmates would give him a sandwich or a quarter to walk with them at final bell so that bullies would not mess with them. Joe remarked, "Any 'scamboogah' (a disrespectful, low-down and foul person) who got in my face would soon regret it: Billy Boy could kick anybody's ass." The next day after Joe was labeled the next Joe Louis, he got an old burlap sack and filled it with rags, corncobs, a brick in the middle and Spanish moss that grew on trees all over Beaufort County. He then tied a rope to it and hung the makeshift heavybag from an oak tree in the backyard where the mules were kept. "For the next 6, 7 years, damn near every day I'd hit that heavybag for an hour at a time. I'd wrap my hands with a necktie of my Daddy's, or a stocking of my Momma's or sister's, and get to it" Joe remarked.^[8]

It was not long after Joe started working out that his left arm was seriously damaged because of the Fraziers' ornery 300 pound hog. The hog was very nasty from time to time, but sometimes Joe could not resist teasing it. One day Joe poked the hog with a stick and ran away, but someone had left the gate to the pigpen open and the hog ran through the gate, chasing Joe. In his hurry, Joe fell and hit his left arm on a brick. The arm was torn badly, but as the Frazier family was unable to pay for a doctor, the arm had to heal on its own. The arm eventually did heal, but Joe was never able to keep it fully straight again. It was crooked and lacking a full range of motion. But as it existed, it was as though it was cocked for the left hook — permanently cocked.^[9]

By the time Joe was 15 years old, he was working on a farm for a family named Bellamy. They were both white men, Mac who was the younger of the two and more easy going, and Jim who was a little rougher and somewhat backward. One day a little black boy of about 12 years old, damaged one of the Bellamy's tractors without meaning to. Jim Bellamy became so enraged he took off his belt and whipped the boy with his belt right there in the field. Joe saw the event and went back to the packing house on the farm and told his black friends what he had seen. It wasn't long before Jim Bellamy saw Joe and asked him why he told what he had witnessed. Joe then told Bellamy he didn't know what he was talking about, but Bellamy didn't believe Joe and threatened Joe to get off the farm before he took off his belt again. Joe told him he better keep his pants up because he wasn't going to use his belt on him. Jim then analyzed Joe for a bit and eventually said "Go on, get the hell outta here." Joe knew from that moment it was time for him to leave Beaufort; he could only see hard times and low-rent for himself. Even his Momma could see it. She told Joe "Son, if you can't get along with the white folks, then leave home because I don't want anything to happen to you."^[10]

The train fare from Beaufort to the cities up North was costly, and the closest bus-stop was in Charleston, 96 miles (154 km) away. Luckily by 1958, the bus (The Dog, as called by locals in Beaufort) had finally made Beaufort a stop on its South Carolina route. Joe had a brother, Tommy, in New York. He was told he could stay with Tommy and his family. Joe had to save up a bit before he could make the bus trip to New York and still have some money in his pocket, and so first he went to work at the local Coca-Cola plant. Joe remarked that the white guy would drive the truck and he would do the real work, stacking and unloading the crates. Joe stayed with Coca-Cola until the government began building houses for the marines stationed at Parris Island; at which time he was hired on a work crew.

Nine months eventually passed since he got the boot from the Bellamy farm. One day, with no fanfare, no tearful goodbyes, Joe packed quickly and got the first bus heading northward. "I climbed on the Dog's back and rode through the night" Joe remarked. "It was 1959, I was 15 years old and I was on my own."^[11]

Amateur career[link]

During Frazier's amateur career, he won Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championships in 1962, 1963 and 1964. His only loss in three years as an amateur was to Buster Mathis.^[12] Mathis would prove to be Joe's biggest obstacle to making the 1964 U.S. Olympic Boxing team. They met in the final of the U.S. Olympic Trial at the New York World's Fair in the summer of 1964. Their fight was scheduled for three rounds and they fought with 10 oz gloves and with headgear, even though the boxers who made it to Tokyo would wear no headgear and would wear 8 oz gloves. Joe was eager to get back at Mathis for his only amateur loss and KO'd two opponents to get to the finals. But once again, when the dust settled, the judges had called it for Mathis, undeservedly Joe thought. "All that fat boy had done was run like a thief- hit me with a peck and backpedal like crazy." Joe would remark.^[12]

Mathis had worn his trunks very high, so that when Joe hit Mathis with legitimate body shots the referee took a dim view of them. In the second round, the referee had gone so far as to penalize Joe two points for hitting below the belt. "In a three-round bout a man can't afford a points deduction like that," Joe would say. Joe then returned to Philadelphia feeling as low as he'd ever been and was even thinking of giving up boxing. Duke Dugent and his trainer Yank Durham were able to talk Joe out of his doldrums and even suggested Joe make the trip to Tokyo as an alternate, in case something happened to Mathis. Joe agreed and while there, he was a workhorse, sparring with any of the Olympic boxers who wanted some action. "Middleweight, light heavyweight, it didn't matter to me, I got in there and boxed all comers" Joe would say. In contrast, Mathis was slacking off. In the morning, when the Olympic team would do their roadwork, Mathis would run a mile, then start walking saying "Go ahead, big Joe. I'll catch up."^[13]

1964 Olympics[link]

In 1964 heavyweight representative Buster Mathis qualified but was injured so Frazier was sent as a replacement. At the Heavyweight boxing event, Frazier knocked out George Oywello of Uganda in the first round, then knocked out Athol McQueen of Australia 40 seconds into the third round. He was then into the semi-final, as the only American boxer left, facing the 6 foot 4, 230 lb Russian Vadim Yemelyanov.^[14]

"My left hook was a heat seeking missile, careening off his face and body time and again. Twice in the second round I knocked him to the canvas. But as I pounded away, I felt a jolt of pain shoot through my left arm. Oh damn, the thumb." Joe would say. Joe knew immediately the thumb of his left hand was damaged, though he wasn't sure as to the extent. "In the midst of the fight, with your adrenaline pumping, it's hard to gauge such things. My mind was on more important matters. Like how I was going to deal with Yemelyanov for the rest of the fight." The match ended when The Russian handlers threw in the towel, at 1:49 in the second round, the referee raised Joe's injured hand in victory.

Now that Joe was into the final, he didn't mention his broken thumb to anyone. He went back to his room and soaked his thumb in hot water and Epsom salts. "Pain or not, Joe Frazier of Beaufort, South Carolina, was going for gold." Joe proclaimed. Joe would fight a 30-year-old German mechanic named Hans Huber, who failed to make it on the German Olympic wrestling team. By now Joe was used to fighting bigger guys, but he was not used to doing it with a damaged left hand. When the opening bell sounded on fight night, Joe came out and started winging punches, he threw his right hand more than usual that night. Every so often he'd used his left hook, but nothing landed with the kind of impact he managed in previous bouts. Under Olympic rules, 5 judges judge a bout, and that night three voted for Joe.^[15]

Professional career[link]

After Frazier won the USA's only 1964 Olympic boxing gold medal, his trainer Yancey "Yank" Durham helped put together Cloverlay, a group of local businessmen (including a young Larry Merchant) who invested in Frazier's professional career and allowed him to train full-time. Durham was Frazier's chief trainer and manager until Durham's death in August 1973.

Frazier turned professional in 1965, defeating Woody Goss by a technical knockout in the first round. He won three more fights that year, all by knockout, none going past the third round.

Joe's second contest was of interest in that he was decked in round 1 by Mike Bruce. Frazier took an "8" count by referee Bob Polis but rallied for a TKO over Bruce in round 3.^[16]

In 1966, as Frazier's career was taking off, Durham contacted Los Angeles trainer Eddie Futch. The two men had never met, but Durham had heard of Futch through the latter's reputation as one of the most respected trainers in boxing. Frazier was sent to Los Angeles to train, before Futch agreed to join Durham as an assistant trainer. With Futch's assistance, Durham arranged three fights in Los Angeles against Al Jones, veteran contender Eddie Machen and George "Scrapiron" Johnson. Frazier knocked out Jones and Machen, but surprisingly went 10 rounds with journeyman Johnson to win a unanimous decision. Johnson had apparently bet all his purse that he'd survive to the final bell, noted Ring magazine, and somehow he achieved it. But Johnson was known in the trade as 'impossibly durable.'

After the Johnson match, Futch became a full-fledged member of the Frazier camp as an assistant trainer and strategist, who advised Durham on matchmaking. It was Futch who suggested that Frazier boycott the 1967 WBA Heavyweight Elimination Tournament to find a successor to Muhammad Ali after the Heavyweight Champion was stripped of his title for refusing to be inducted into the military, although Frazier was the top-ranked contender at the time.

Futch proved invaluable to Frazier as an assistant trainer, helping modify his style. Under his tutelage, Frazier adopted the bob-and-weave defensive style, making him more difficult for taller opponents to punch, while giving Frazier more power with his own punches. While Futch remained based in Los Angeles, where he worked as a supervisor with the U.S. Postal Service, he was flown to Philadelphia to work with Frazier during the final preparations for all of his fights.

After Durham died of a stroke on August 30, 1973, Futch was asked to succeed him as Frazier's head trainer and manager—at the same time he was training heavyweight contender Ken Norton. Norton lost a rematch against Ali less than two weeks after Durham's death. At that point, Norton's managers, Robert Biron and Aaron Rivkind, demanded that Futch choose between training Frazier and Norton, with Futch choosing Frazier.

Mid to late 1960s[link]

Now in his second year, in September 1966 and somewhat green, Frazier won a close decision over rugged contender Oscar Bonavena, despite Bonavena flooring him twice in the second round. A third knockdown in that round would have ended the fight under the three knockdown rule. Frazier rallied and won a decision after 12 rounds. The Machen win followed this contest.

In 1967 Frazier stormed ahead winning all six of his fights, including a sixth-round knockout of Doug Jones and a brutal fourth round (TKO) of Canadian George Chuvalo. No boxer had ever stopped Chuvalo before, but Frazier, despite the stoppage, was unable to floor Chuvalo, who would never be dropped in his career.

By February 1967 Joe had scored 14 wins and his star was beginning to rise. This culminated with his first appearance on the cover of Ring Magazine. In this month he met Ali, who hadn't yet been stripped of his title. Ali said Joe would never stand a chance of "whipping" him, not even in his wildest dreams. Later that year, Muhammad Ali was stripped of his world heavyweight title due to his refusal to be inducted into the military during the Vietnam War.

To fill the vacancy, the New York State Athletic Commission held a bout between Frazier and Buster Mathis, with the winner to be recognized as "World Champion" by the state of New York. Although the fight was not recognized as a World Championship bout by some, Frazier won by a knockout in the 11th round and staked a claim to the Heavyweight Championship. He then defended his claim by beating hard hitting prospect Manuel Ramos of Mexico in two rounds.

He closed 1968 by again beating Oscar Bonavena via a 15-round decision in a hard-fought rematch. Bonavena fought somewhat defensively, allowing himself to be often bulled to the ropes, which let Frazier build a wide points margin. Ring magazine showed Bonavena afterwards with a gruesomely bruised face. It had been a punishing match.

1969 saw Frazier defend his NYSAC title in Texas, beating Dave Zyglewicz, who'd only lost once in 29 fights, by a first-round knockout. Then he beat Jerry Quarry in a 7th round stoppage. The competitive, exciting match with Quarry was named 1969 Ring Magazine fight of the year. Frazier showed he could do a lot more than just slug. He'd used his newly honed defensive skills to slip, bob and weave a barrage of Quarry punches despite Quarry's reputation as an excellent counter punching heavyweight.

Wins World Championship – Ellis[link]

On February 16, 1970, Frazier faced WBA Champion Jimmy Ellis at Madison Square Garden. Ellis had outpointed Jerry Quarry in the final bout of the WBA elimination tournament for Ali's vacated belt. Frazier had himself declined to participate with the WBA tournament to protest their decision to strip Ali. Ellis also held a win over Oscar Bonavena. Beforehand, Ali had announced his retirement and relinquished the Heavyweight title, allowing Ellis and Frazier to fight for the undisputed title. Frazier won by a TKO when Ellis' trainer Angelo Dundee would not let him come out for the 5th round following two 4th round knockdowns (the first knockdowns of Ellis' career). His decisive win over Ellis was a frightening display of power and tenacity.

In his first title defense, Frazier traveled to Detroit to fight World Light Heavyweight Champion Bob Foster, who would go on to set a record for the number of title defenses in the light-heavyweight division. Frazier (26–0) retained his title by twice flooring the hard punching Foster in the second round. The second knock down came on a devastating left hook and Foster could not beat the count. Then came what was hyped as the "Fight Of The Century," his first fight with Muhammad Ali, who had launched a comeback in 1970 after a three year suspension from boxing. This would be the first meeting of two undefeated heavyweight champions (and last until Mike Tyson faced Michael Spinks in 1988), since Ali (31–0) had not lost his title in the ring, but rather been stripped because of his refusal to be inducted in the Armed Forces, some considered him to be the true champion. This fight was to crown the one, true heavyweight champion.

Fight of the Century[link]

On March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden, Frazier and Ali met in the first of their three bouts which was widely called the "Fight of the Century" in pre-bout publicity and the press feeding frenzy.^[17] With a worldwide television audience and an in-house audience that included luminaries such as Frank Sinatra (as a photographer for Life magazine to get a ringside seat), comedian Woody Allen, singer Diana Ross and actors Dustin Hoffman and Burt Lancaster (who served as "color commentator" with fight announcer Don Dunphy), the two undefeated heavyweights met in the kind of media-frenzied atmosphere not seen since Joe Louis' youth.

Several factors came together for Frazier in this fight. He was 27 years old and at his lifetime peak boxing-wise, physically and mentally, while Ali, 29, was coming back from a three-year absence but had kept in training, taking on Frazier three months after a bruising battle with Oscar Bonavena, whom Ali had defeated by a TKO in 15. Joe did his 'homework' training with famed coach Eddie Futch, who had developed a strategy based on Ali's tendency to throw the right-hand uppercut from a straight standing position after dropping the hand in preparation to throw it with force. Futch instructed Frazier to watch Ali's right hand and, at the moment Ali dropped it, to throw a left hook at the spot where they knew Ali's face would be a second later. Frazier's major staggering of Ali in the 11th round and his knock-down of Ali in the 15th were both executed precisely in this way.

In a brutally competitive contest, Frazier lost a number of early rounds but took Ali's combinations without backing down. As Ali started to slow in the middle rounds, Frazier came on strong, landing hard shots to the body as well as the powerful left hooks to the head.

Consequently, Frazier won a clear, 15-round, unanimous decision. Ali was taken to the hospital immediately after the fight to have his badly swollen jaw x-rayed and Frazier spent time in the hospital during the ensuing month, the exertions of the fight having been exacerbated by his existing health problems, such as hypertension and a kidney infection. Some time later he fought a 3-round exhibition against Cleveland Williams.

In 1972, Frazier successfully defended the title twice, beating Terry Daniels and Ron Stander, both by knockout, in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively. It's worth noting Daniels had drawn with Jerry Quarry and Stander had KO'd Earnie Shavers.

Loses title to George Foreman[link]

Ultimately, Frazier lost his undefeated record of 29–0 and his world championship, at the hands of the unbeaten George Foreman on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica. Despite Frazier being the overall favorite, Foreman towered 4" over the shorter, more compact champion and soon dominated the brief bout as Frazier came in too open. Two minutes into the first round, Frazier was knocked down. After being knocked down a sixth time referee Arthur Mercante, Sr. stopped the contest. It was the first two knockdowns that were decisive.

Frazier won his next fight, a 12-round tough decision and floored Joe Bugner in London to begin his quest to regain the title. Many felt it was Bugner's best career effort.

Mid 1970s[link]

Frazier's second fight against Ali took place on January 28, 1974, in New York City. In contrast to their previous meeting, the bout was a non-title fight, with Ali winning a clear 12-round unanimous decision.

Five months later, Frazier again battled Jerry Quarry in Madison Square Garden, with a wicked left hook to the ribs by Frazier ending the fight in the fifth round.

In March 1975, Frazier again fought Jimmy Ellis, the man from whom he had originally taken the WBA title, in Melbourne, Australia, knocking him out again in nine rounds. The win again established him as the number one heavyweight challenger for the title that was now held by Ali, following an eighth-round knockout of George Foreman in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" in October 1974.

Thrilla In Manila[link]

Ali and Frazier met for the third and final time in Quezon City (a district within the metropolitan area of Manila), the Philippines, on October 1, 1975: the "Thrilla in Manila." Ali took every opportunity to mock Frazier, again calling him '"The Gorilla," and generally trying to irritate him.

The fight was far more action-filled than the previous encounter, and was a punishing display on both sides under oppressively hot conditions. During the course of the fight, Ali said to Frazier, "They said you were through, Joe." Frazier's terse reply quickly followed: "They lied, pretty boy." After 14 grueling rounds, Eddie Futch stopped the fight after Frazier was determined to finish the fight despite both eyes being swollen shut. Ali won the battle, but said afterward that it was the closest he ever felt to death.^{[citation needed]}

Foreman again[link]

In 1976, Frazier (32–3) personally wished to retry against George Foreman. With a shaved head for a new image Frazier fought well enough, somewhat more restrained than usual, avoiding walking onto the big shots which he had done in their first match. However, Foreman awaited his moment and then lobbed in one tremendous left hook that lifted Frazier off his feet. After a second knock down it was stopped in the fifth. Joe retired.

Frazier made a cameo appearance in the movie Rocky later in 1976 and dedicated himself to training local boxers in Philadelphia, where he grew up, including some of his own children. He helped train Duane Bobick a while.

Music career[link]

During the late 1970s, Frazier created a soul-funk group called "Joe Frazier and the Knockouts," being mentioned in Billboard and recording a number of singles. Joe toured widely all over the USA and Europe including Ireland where among other places he performed in Donegal and Athy Co Kildare with his band the Knockouts

1980s comeback and coaching career[link]

In 1981, Frazier attempted a comeback. He drew over 10 rounds with hulking Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings in Chicago, Illinois. It was a bruising battle with mixed reviews. He then retired for good.

After that, Frazier involved himself in various endeavors. Among his sons who turned to boxing as a career, he helped train Marvis Frazier, a challenger for Larry Holmes's world heavyweight title and trained his daughter, Jackie Frazier-Lyde, whose most notable fight to date was a close points loss against Laila Ali, the daughter of his rival.

Frazier's overall record was 32 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw, with 27 wins by knockout. He won 73 percent of his fights by knockout, compared to 60 percent for Ali and 84 percent for Foreman. He was a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.

In 1986, Frazier appeared as the "corner man" for Mr. T against Roddy Piper at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum as part of WrestleMania 2. In 1989, Frazier joined Ali, Foreman, Norton and Holmes for the tribute special Champions Forever.

Media appearances[link]

Frazier appeared as himself in an episode of The Simpsons ("Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?") in 1992, in which he was supposed to have been beaten up by Barney Gumble in Moe's Tavern. Frazier's son objected and Frazier was instead shown beating up Gumble and putting him in a trash can. Frazier appeared in another episode of The Simpsons ("Homer's Paternity Coot") in 2006. He appeared on-screen in the 8th series of The Celebrity Apprentice (USA) television show as a guest-attendee at the Silent Auction event held for the season finale (won by Joan Rivers). Frazier appeared as himself in the Academy Award winning 1976 movie, Rocky. Since the debut of the Fight Night series of games, Frazier appeared in Fight Night 2004, Fight Night Round 2, Fight Night Round 3, Fight Night Round 4 and Fight Night Champion, games made by EA Sports.

Autobiography[link]

Frazier released his autobiography in March 1996, entitled Smokin' Joe: The Autobiography of a Heavyweight Champion of the World, Smokin' Joe Frazier. Frazier promoted the book shortly before its release with a memorable appearance on The Howard Stern Show on January 26, 1996.^[18]

Financial issues and legal battles[link]

According to an article from The New York Times, "over the years, Frazier has lost a fortune through a combination of his own generosity and naïveté, his carousing, failed business opportunities, and a deep hatred for his former chief boxing rival, Muhammad Ali. The other headliners from his fighting days — Ali, George Foreman, and Larry Holmes — are millionaires." Asked about his situation, Frazier became playfully defensive, but would not reveal his financial status. "Are you asking me how much money I have?" he said. "I got plenty of money. I got a stack of $100 bills rolled up over there in the back of the room." Frazier blamed himself, partly, for not effectively promoting his own image.

His daughter Jackie Frazier-Lyde is a lawyer and worked on her father’s behalf in pursuit of money which they claimed he was owed in a Pennsylvania land deal. In 1973, Frazier purchased 140 acres in Bucks County, Pennsylvania for $843,000. Five years later, a developer agreed to buy the farmland for $1.8 million. Frazier received annual payments from a trust that bought the land with money he had earned in the ring. When the trust went bankrupt, the payments ceased.

Frazier sued his business partners, claiming that his signature was forged on documents and that he had no knowledge of the sale. In the ensuing years, the land was subdivided and turned into a residential community. The property is now worth an estimated $100 million.^[19]

Relationship with Muhammad Ali[link]

While Ali's characteristic taunts of his opponent began typically enough, after regaining his title, his taunts eventually turned personal. Joe was painted by Ali as the white man's hope and as an "Uncle Tom," interjecting a racial element into an already contentious and controversial series of great bouts. Bryant Gumble joined the pro-Ali, anti-Frazier bandwagon by writing a major magazine article that asked "Is Joe Frazier a white champion with black skin?", and many younger boxing fans who had no issues with Frazier sided with Ali in their feud because of their admiration for Ali's anti-war and anti-racism views (Frazier rarely spoke publicly about social or political issues).

Frazier petitioned U.S. President Richard Nixon to have Ali's right to box reinstated, setting up the whole series of matches. (Frazier had boycotted the 1967 WBA heavyweight elimination tournament to find a successor to Muhammad Ali, after the champion had been stripped of the title.)

After years of remaining bitter, Frazier told Sports Illustrated in May 2009 that he no longer held hard feelings for Ali.^[20]

Ali was among those who attended the private funeral services for Frazier in Philadelphia on November 14, 2011. The Rev. Jesse Jackson gave remarks during the service and at one point asked those in attendance to stand and "show your love." It was reported that Ali stood with the audience and clapped "vigorously."^[21]

Joe Frazier's Gym in Philadelphia

Frazier was awarded the Order of the Palmetto in Beaufort in 2010.^[22]

The New York Daily News editor-in-chief Kevin Convey (on the right) presented Frazier with the Daily News Front Page Award in 2011.

Later years[link]

Frazier lived in Philadelphia where he owned and managed a boxing gym. Frazier put the gym up for sale in mid 2009. He was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. He and his nemesis, Muhammad Ali, alternated over the years between public apologies and public insults.^[23] In 1996, when Ali lit the Olympic flame in Atlanta, Frazier told a reporter that he would like to throw Ali into the fire.^[24] Frazier made millions of dollars in the 1970s, but the article cited mismanagement of real-estate holdings as a partial explanation for his economic woes. Frazier stated repeatedly that he no longer had any bitter feelings towards Ali.

Frazier continued to train young fighters, although he needed multiple operations for back injuries sustained in a car accident. He and Ali reportedly attempted a reconciliation in his final years, but in October 2006 Frazier still claimed to have won all three bouts between the two. He declared to a Times reporter, when questioned about his bitterness toward Ali, "I am what I am."

Frazier attempted to revive his music interests in late 2009/2010 notably popular for singing 'Mustang Sally' both Frazier and manager Leslie R. Wolff teamed up with Welsh Rock Solo artist Jayce Lewis to release his repertoire in the U.K, later visiting the Welshman in U.K to a host a string of After dinner Speeches and music developments, it would notably be Frazier's last U.K appearance.^[25][26]

Death[link]

Frazier was diagnosed with liver cancer in late September 2011. Within a few weeks, the cancer had metastasized. By November 2011, he was under hospice care, where he died on November 7.^[1][27][28] Upon hearing of Frazier's death, Muhammad Ali said, "The world has lost a great champion. I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration."^[29][30][31] Frazier's private funeral took place on November 14 at the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia and in addition to friends and family was attended by Muhammad Ali, Don King, Larry Holmes, Magic Johnson, Dennis Rodman, among others. He was later buried at the Ivy Hill Cemetery, a short drive from the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.^[32][33]

In popular culture[link]

• Some of the most memorable moments in the 1976 boxing-themed feature film, Rocky — such as Rocky's carcass-punching scenes and Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as part of his training regimen — are taken from Frazier's real-life exploits, for which he received no credit. Though ironically he makes a cameo appearance promoting the fight between Rocky and Apollo. He challenges the latter to a fight.^[34]
• In March 2007, a Joe Frazier action figure was released as part of a range of toys based on the Rocky film franchise, developed by the American toy manufacturer, Jakks Pacific.^[35][36]
• In the Wu-Tang Clan's first single "Protect Ya Neck," Inspectah Deck name-drops Joe Frazier in his opening rhymes.
• On the remix of DJ Khaled's, "I'm So Hood," Lil Wayne raps, "It Go Down Like Frazier And I Aint Talking Kelsey Grammer." This is a reference to Joe Frazier and not the titular character in the television series Frasier.
• As a result of his physical resemblance to Frazier, West Indian cricketer Sir Vivian Richards was nicknamed "Smokin' Joe" or "Smokey" during his youth when he was an amateur boxer in Antigua.
• In the Punch-Out!! series, the character Mr. Sandman is similar to Frazier.

Professional boxing record[link]

32 Wins (27 knockouts, 5 decisions), 4 Losses (3 knockouts, 1 decision), 1 Draw[37]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Draw	32-4-1	Floyd Cummings	MD	10	03/10/1981	International Amphitheatre, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Loss	32–4	George Foreman	TKO	5 (12)	15/06/1976	Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, United States	For NABF Heavyweight title. Frazier was knocked down twice in the 5th round.
Loss	32–3	Muhammad Ali	RTD	14 (15)	01/10/1975	Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines	Fight known as The Thrilla in Manila. For The Ring, WBC & WBA Heavyweight titles. 1975 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine. Weigh-in was 5 days in advance of bout.
Win	32–2	Jimmy Ellis	TKO	9 (12)	02/03/1975	St Kilda Junction Oval, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia	Fight stopped on advise of Ellis' corner.
Win	31–2	Jerry Quarry	TKO	5 (10)	17/06/1974	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Loss	30–2	Muhammad Ali	UD	12	28/01/1974	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	For NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	30–1	Joe Bugner	PTS	12	02/07/1973	Earls Court Arena, Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom	Bugner down in the 10th round.
Loss	29–1	George Foreman	TKO	2 (15)	22/01/1973	National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica	Lost The Ring, WBC & WBA Heavyweight titles. 1973 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine. Frazier was knocked down three times in the 1st round and three times in the 2nd round.
Win	29–0	Ron Stander	TKO	5 (15)	25/05/1972	Civic Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska, United States	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA Heavyweight titles.
Win	28–0	Terry Daniels	TKO	4 (15)	15/01/1972	Rivergate Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA Heavyweight titles.
Win	27–0	Muhammad Ali	UD	15	08/01/1971	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Fight known as The Fight of the Century. Retained WBC & WBA & won The Ring Heavyweight titles. 1971 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine. Ali was knocked down in round 15.
Win	26–0	Bob Foster	KO	2 (15)	18/11/1970	Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, United States	Retained WBC & WBA Heavyweight titles.
Win	25–0	Jimmy Ellis	TKO	5 (15)	16/02/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Won vacant WBC & WBA Heavyweight titles. Retained NYSAC Heavyweight title.
Win	24–0	Jerry Quarry	TKO	7 (15)	23/06/1969	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Retained NYSAC Heavyweight title. In between rounds 7 and 8 the referee stops the fight because of the bad cut to Quarry's eye. 1969 Fight of the Year by Ring Magazine.
Win	23–0	Dave Zyglewicz	KO	1 (15)	22/04/1969	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States	Retained NYSAC Heavyweight title. This bout was also recognized as being for the World Heavyweight title by Texas as well by IL, PA, ME and MA.
Win	22–0	Oscar Bonavena	UD	15	10/12/1968	Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Retained NYSAC Heavyweight title. This bout was also recognized as being for the World Heavyweight title by Texas as well by IL, PA, ME and MA
Win	21–0	Manuel Ramos	TKO	2 (15)	24/06/1968	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Retained NYSAC Heavyweight title. Ramos down twice in the 2nd. Also recognized as being for the World Heavyweight title fight by IL, PA, ME and MA
Win	20–0	Buster Mathis	TKO	11 (15)	04/03/1968	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Won vacant NYSAC heavyweight title. Recognized as World Heavyweight title fight also in IL, PA, ME and MA
Win	19–0	Marion Connor	TKO	3 (10)	18/12/1967	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, United States	Bout was stopped after Connor rose from a knockdown.
Win	18–0	Tony Doyle	TKO	2 (10)	17/10/1967	Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	First main event held at the brand new Spectrum.
Win	17–0	George Chuvalo	TKO	4 (10)	19/07/1967	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	16–0	George Johnson	UD	10	04/05/1967	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	15–0	Jefferson Davis	TKO	5 (10)	11/04/1967	Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win	14–0	Doug Jones	KO	6 (10)	21/02/1967	Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Gate: $46,432, according to wire reports, was the largest gate in the 47 year history of the Arena.
Win	13–0	Eddie Machen	TKO	10 (10)	21/11/1966	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	12–0	Oscar Bonavena	MD	10	21/09/1966	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Frazier was knocked down twice in the 2nd round. On October 6, 1966, Bonavena is stripped of the Argentinian Heavyweight title.
Win	11–0	Billy Daniels	RTD	6 (10)	25/07/1966	Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Daniels did not come out for the 7th round. He was knocked down once in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th rounds.
Win	10–0	Memphis Al Jones	KO	1 (10)	26/03/1966	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	9–0	Chuck Leslie	KO	3 (10)	19/05/1966	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	8–0	Don Smith	KO	3 (10)	28/04/1966	Convention Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States	Smith went down in the 1st round from a left hook, and then went down for the count in the 3rd from another left hook.
Win	7–0	Charley Polite	TKO	2 (10)	04/04/1966	Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	6–0	Dick Wipperman	TKO	5 (8)	04/03/1966	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	5–0	Mel Turnbow	KO	1 (8)	17/01/1966	Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Turnbow was knocked out by a left hook.
Win	4–0	Abe Davis	KO	1 (8)	11/11/1965	Hotel Philadelphia Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	3–0	Ray Staples	TKO	2 (6)	28/09/1965	Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	2–0	Mike Bruce	TKO	3 (6)	20/09/1965	Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Frazier had an "8" count in 1st round.
Win	1–0	Woody Goss	TKO	1 (6)	16/08/1965	Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Goss down once. The referee stops the bout due to excess holding from Goss following the knockdown.