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. He was an inductee of both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
Plot
Biography of fight promoter Don King follows his rise from a street goon convicted of strong arm tactics to a minor music promoter to pulling off his first major fight with Muhammed Ali for a charity. Ving Rhames' characterization gives a fully three dimensional person with warts and all, but still makes it understandable how he became the affluent promoter he has become.
Keywords: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, africa, african-american, based-on-book, based-on-novel, boxer, boxing, boxing-promoter
Don King: If you didn't have Don King, you'd have to invent him.
Don King: I don't see you making a movie about Bob Arum.
[in a restroom]::George Foreman: Aren't you gonna wash your hands?::Don King: I wash my hands *before* I touch my dick.
Don King: Black people don't get no credit for nothing. All we've got is one word. That word is motherfucker.
Don King: I had a moment of religious epiphanosity.
Don King: It's entertainment, baby! You love my black ass! 'Cause I'm exciting!
[about Mike Tyson biting off Evander Holyfield's ear]::Don King: Y'all probably blame me for that. If it were Bob Aram, you'd say, 'There was nothing he could do.' But you blame me, black devil motherfucker. Let me tell you something: Tyson will be heavyweight champ again. And this time, you'll pay twice as much to see it. Why? Because y'all part of the same hypocrisy.
Don King: Y'know who's a motherfucker? The devil's a motherfucker.
[last lines]::Don King: Let me write it down for you. Muhammad Ali is a multimillionaire. Larry Holmes a multimillionaire. Mike Tyson he sleeps on a bed of money. HBO I made you motherfuckers a fortune. Oh I could go on and on. You love my black ass! You know why? Because I'm exciting. You ain't making no movie on Bob Arun, are you? It's entertainment, baby! That's all! Heroes and villains, angels and devils, shit if you didn't have Don King you would have to invent them. And for all of you out there saying this and that, remember this: many fighters step into the ring, but only one is still king.