RIP Smokin Joe

[BAL]

Former Heavyweight champion Joe Frazier has passed away. Smokin Joe's name always brings a link to Muhammad Ali. I remember as a kid I was a big Cassius Clay fan because I like the excitement that he brought to the sport. Ali was undefeated in 1971 when they met for the first time and I was 13. At that time there wasn't ESPN and all of the immediate new infomation that we have now. The fight must have been late in night in New York, and it wasn't on TV or even broadcast on the radio. I remember laying in my room listening to the news on a small battery powered transistor radio waiting for information of the results.
The batteries were about wore out and I couldn't get a channel clearly, so I had to constantly move the radio around to try to get a signal. When the news broke that Joe Frazier had beaten the invincible Ali, I couldn't believe it. I remember feeling devasted. It's funny how sports can do that to a person. It was the talk of school, work, everywhere at the time. It made the following two rematches even more dramatic.

Joe Frazier was a champion with the heart of a lion. Thanks for the memories Champ, RIP Smokin Joe.

[JD Spydo]

Well BAL I wasn't a fan of ALI :D I was rooting for Joe Frazier all the way in that Madison Square Garden Fight of 1971 :cool:

I was 16 at the time and we had the fight televised here in Kansas City MO at the old Municipal Auditorium on what they called then as "Closed Circuit TV". I begged my dad to take me but the tickets were very expensive for that time period. It was really one of the earliest "pay per view" fights ever in the history of the sport.

I was up late that night listening to Hendrix, Deep Purple and many other of my great albums at the time while I was anticipating the announced outcome of the fight. Switching to the radio every 15 minutes or so to see if a decision had been declared. Finally just after midnight Kansas City time a very excited sports reporter here on radio station KCMO was estatic when he announced Joe Frazier was indeed the winner of what was billed as the "FIGHT OF THE CENTURY" :cool:

When I got to school early the next morning I was spreading the news to my fellow classmates and even a few of my enemies even shook my hand when I gave them the news that Smokin Joe had slayed the giant Muhammad Ali in a 15 round fight of the titans :cool:

There will always be never ending debate as to who was the greatest fighter ever>> and it really doesn't matter much to me who was. But Joe Frazier and George Foreman both will hold special places in my heart. Because that era was truly the best era of heavyweights ever.

I truly believe that the Good Lord is now talking to Joe about his fabulous career as they walk the streets of heaven together. Joe Frazier was truly a class individual, a great father and family man and an incredible athlete and a great American. May GOD rest his soul and my prayers and well wishes to his family. RIP Joe Frazier

[BAL]

JD, We might have been listening to the same radio station. I can't remember if it was
710 WHB or maybe 810 KCMO. 710 was a music station then and 810 was one of the
main news stations. My Dad was a Joe Louis \ Rocky Marciano fan and didn't like Ali,
that was probably why I liked him. I always had to be different.
No matter who you rooted for, those times were a part of our history and bring many
memories to young guys like us.

[Mojo51]

I'm not old enough to have been alive for some of these fights. I have seen many television shows about these two great fighters. It was very sad to see yesterday about Smoking Joe. I have great respect for him as a fighter and as a person.

[rosconey]

guy was at his peak when the sport was-

great fighter-loved watching him

also came across as a class act when ali was classless

[BAL]

Joe was a class guy for sure and I totally understand why people feel
certain ways about Ali. I tired of his rants as well, but most was show.
He promoted himself to where you either loved or hated him. One way
or the other, you had to watch. It brought boxing back into the front
pages.
I hate the me-me attitude of athletes these days and in many ways it
started with Ali. On the other side, the man had boxing skills, unparalleled
by most.
It is unfortunate that anytime Joe Frazier's name is mentioned, Ali's comes
into play. But then again, their battles against each other were epic and made
them both who they are and how we remember them.

[2edgesword]

Smokin Joe was a freight train. The contrast in styles between Frazier and Ali made for some great fights.

[GotDogs]

Some of my best memories, spending time with Dad who is / was a Huge fight fan. Dad took me to see Ali / Quarry on closed circuit, at one point Quarry looked as though he was winning ( Gotta love the rope-a-dope ) the place got was insane ( chairs, bottles and fists ) we got the **** outta Dodge. Ali won. Those were the Glory days of boxing, never to be replicated. God Bless Smok'in Joes Family. RIP Champ !!! Thanks for the GREAT Memories.

[JD Spydo]

JD, We might have been listening to the same radio station. I can't remember if it was
710 WHB or maybe 810 KCMO. 710 was a music station then and 810 was one of the
main news stations. My Dad was a Joe Louis \ Rocky Marciano fan and didn't like Ali,
that was probably why I liked him. I always had to be different.
No matter who you rooted for, those times were a part of our history and bring many
memories to young guys like us.

Hey I'm glad you brought that up BAL because unless you are from Missouri as we are then most people don't realize that we had and still have 2 of the greatest radio stations in the USA>> And both KCMO and WHB are still on the air.

Oddly enough about 10 years ago the 2 stations traded frequencies. KCMO now has the 710 slot that WHB used to have and WHB now has KCMO's previous 810 slot.

Both stations were really super for giving up to the minute news bulletins. Well into the midnight hours KCMO was usually doing news most of the night at that time. It eventually became one of the greatest talk radio stations in the country. It's the station I listen to "Coast TO Coast AM" on every night.

WHB which again is now 810 on the dial is now one of the very best Sports stations on the air in the entire USA.

I do distinctly remember getting the news on KCMO because WHB mostly played top 40 music at that time of the night.

The event to me is almost as memorable as the JFK assassination or the space shuttle Challenger blowing up for much different reasons obviously.

I remember 2 of my dear High School friends at the time were both avid Ali fans and we had a couple of side 2 dollar bets ( which was a big bet for a school kid at the time :D ) riding on the fight which I won of course :D

I didn't like Ali personally at the time for many different reasons mainly because my family is a big military family and for other reasons as well. But I will always respect him as a tremendous athlete which he was and I've totally forgiven him of all his shortcomings of the past and wish him well. But I truly believe that Joe Frazier was truly a far more classy individual than Ali was at the time.

I also agree that was probably the best era of heavyweight fighters ever.

Joe also did a lot to help a lot of other young fighters coming up through the ranks and he also did a lot to help his family and community. Again Joe Frazier was a GREAT AMERICAN!!

[skatenut]

I remember getting up for some of his fights very early in the morning at truly ungodly hours. And many guys in the company were very bleary eyed next morning, like me.

RIP, Joe!

[Blerv]

RIP Joe. One of America's greatest underdog stories. :)

[Water Bug]

Best wishes to Joe Fraizer on his new adventure, and best wishes to his family and friends!

Ali was very good. Frazier, however, was the MAN!

Yeah, they just don't make athletes like they did in Joe's days.