Former Heavyweight Champion of the World, Smokin' Joe Frazier, has died...

[POJO_Risin]

According to ESPN, Joe Frazier, only 67 years old, has liver cancer, only diagnosed a little over a month ago. Today, he's in hospice care, and will die shortly.

Wow...

Just wow...nothing good about that at all...

[Romeo Delight]

That's really sad.

I miss boxing, for all its flaws.

I have tried to watch MMA but there is something about it that makes me think it isn't quite a sport.

I know I am in the minority, but I won't ever be a big fan of grown men grappling dressed in a glorified speedo, blood spurting all over the mat from a head butt or elbow to the head.

[binnie]

Sad news indeed.

I hope Joe's pain eases soon, for better or for worse.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

If you haven't already, watch the HBO special on the trilogy of fights vs. Ali....

So much respect for him for putting up with all those "Uncle Tom" comments Ali made back then, never said a word....

[sadaist]

That's really sad.

I miss boxing, for all its flaws.

I have tried to watch MMA but there is something about it that makes me think it isn't quite a sport.

I know I am in the minority, but I won't ever be a big fan of grown men grappling dressed in a glorified speedo, blood spurting all over the mat from a head butt or elbow to the head.

No, you are not in the minority. The fans of MMA to me seem like wrestling fans who now can say the sport they watch is real. I can't watch any of it or get behind any fighter. For fucks sake they have "the match of the decade" every other weekend it seems.

I miss the sweet science. I haven't watched since Holyfield started losing (the last CHAMP I really got behind). Then the belts went all over the place & it became a god awful mess. I miss having 'The Champ'. A guy we can follow & pull for and respect.

For some reason I have a bad feeling some crap fish wrap newsrag if Joe dies will have the headline "Down Goes Frazier!". Just sad news indeed. I heard he was just signing autographs at a show in September. This shit hit him fast & hard. But that's kinda the story of his life. Much respect for the man and his talent. Thoughts to him, his family, friends, and fans.

Come on Joe...you can beat this. We'll give you a standing 8 count and we'll count a bit slower than usual. You've earned it man.

[SunisinuS]

Say it ain't so Joe.

[TFM_Dale]

That just sucks, a true legend of the ring and sports period. I'm pulling for you Joe.

[POJO_Risin]

That's really what it is Dale...larger than life athletes that actually put on classics...

Not the quotation mark classics that ESPN hypes (Tim Tebow anyone???)

They were athletes that fought because it was the only way they could pay the bills...and Frazier was THE blue-collar fighter of the era...a man's man...

ironic when you think about it....

Ali has had Parkinson's for years...and will outlive Frazier...

mirrors their fights in a way...with Frazier winning fight one...but losing the final two bouts...

Without Ali...Frazier dominates the heavys for years...he wins the WBA and WBC titles in 1970 against Jimmy Ellis...before getting destroyed by George Foreman in 1973...after four defenses, including Ali's first loss...hell...WITH Ali, he dominated...

but lost four of his last seven fights...to Foreman and Ali...both twice...imagine that...only losing to two fighters...twice.

[redblkwht]

Agreed poj, but Id rather be joe maybe going soon, but still can communicate..
yolanda used to bring Ali in the store a few times by boss would help them at times
shes a 10.5d mens, Ali was a solid 12. he would sit there and flip magazing pages
and tear them out like a toddler..its just awful. It was cool & all to be around his
presence, but to not take the meds like michael j fox is crazy..IMO
but this is smokin's thread he was the mike tyson of that era, and didnt duck anyone.
great fighter, in the ALI movie with will smith, in real life he really was a class act.

[Hardrock69]

Man....this is fucking sad. I mean, we all gotta go sometime, but Joe was a fucking badass. A GREAT at what he did.

No fun.

[DlocRoth]

One of the greats, no doubt.

[twonabomber]

I have tried to watch MMA but there is something about it that makes me think it isn't quite a sport.

I know I am in the minority, but I won't ever be a big fan of grown men grappling dressed in a glorified speedo, blood spurting all over the mat from a head butt or elbow to the head.

add me to the minority. i don't watch MMA, don't like it.

we used to go watch the big fights on Monday nights on closed circuit (you young fuckers go look that up ) at a local bar...then, when they were all on Saturdays, get all the big PPV fights at someone's house...and now, we can't be bothered.

[POJO_Risin]

add me to the minority. i don't watch MMA, don't like it.

we used to go watch the big fights on Monday nights on closed circuit (you young fuckers go look that up ) at a local bar...then, when they were all on Saturdays, get all the big PPV fights at someone's house...and now, we can't be bothered.

I don't think the people that don't watch the MMA are the minority...they are the majority...

but now ESPN promotes those fights as though everyone gives a shit...

I don't watch MMA either...I've NEVER watched a complete fight...gotten a pay per view...or paid much attention to it...

...but I do watch bully beat down...

[TFM_Dale]

I love me some MMA but I miss boxing actually mattering. It is to bad they can't set up boxing to have one champion per weight class with mandatory defenses against top contenders and don't get me started about bull shit stoppages and decisions that even a blind man knows are bullshit. Until they fix those things many people will continue to just not care about boxing anymore. It is a shame to, some of the biggest legends in sports were boxers.

[Green Manalishi]

Sad news for certain . Ali himself admitted more than once that Smokin' Joe was the toughest man

that he ever fought . He said that no one has ever hit him harder . The matches that they fought ,

especially the first one IMO , were just epic . When Ali , Frazier , Foreman , or Norton fought

eachother , they were not just another boxing match , they were events . So much so that they

were some of the first Pay Per View sporting events that technology allowed .

Go in peace , Joe .