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      Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer

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      soxfan
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      Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Nov 05, 2011 10:56:32 pm
      One of my all-time favorites is deathly ill.  :'( :'( :'(

      PHILADELPHIA -- Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier has liver cancer and is under hospice care.

      The 67-year-old boxer was diagnosed four or five weeks ago, Frazier's personal and business manager said Saturday. Leslie Wolff told The Associated Press that doctors have not yet told Frazier how long he has to live.

      "We have medical experts looking into the all the options that are out there," Wolff said. "There are very few. But that doesn't mean we're going to stop looking."

      Wolff, who has been Frazier's manager for seven years, said the boxer had been in out and out of the hospital since early October and receiving hospice treatment the last week.

      "We appreciate every prayer we can get," Wolff said. "I've got everybody praying for him. We"ll just keep our fingers crossed and hope for a miracle."

      Frazier's illness was first reported by the New York Post, citing an unidentified. source.

      Frazier was the first man to beat Muhammad Ali, knocking him down and taking a decision in the so-called Fight of the Century in 1971. He would go on to lose two more fights to Ali, including the epic "Thrilla in Manila" bout.

      Frazier was bitter for many years about the way Ali treated him then. More recently, he said he had forgiven Ali for repeatedly taunting him.

      "Smokin' Joe" was a small yet ferocious fighter who smothered his opponents with punches, including a devastating left hook he used to end many of his fights early.

      It was the left hook that dropped Ali in the 15th round of their "Fight of the Century" at Madison Square Garden in 1971 to seal a win in a bout in which each fighter earned an unheard of $2.5 million.

      While that fight is celebrated in boxing lore, Ali and Frazier put on an even better show in their third fight, held in a sweltering arena in Manila as part of Ali's world tour of fights in 1975. Nearly blinded by Ali's punches, Frazier still wanted to go out for the 15th round, but was held back by trainer Eddie Futch.

      Frazier won the heavyweight title in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round of their fight at Madison Square Garden. He defended it successfully four times before George Foreman knocked him down six times in the first two rounds to take the title from him in 1973. Frazier would never be heavyweight champion again.

      In recent years, Frazier had been doing regular autograph appearances, including one in Las Vegas the weekend of a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight in September.

      http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/7193707/joe-frazier-former-heavyweight-champ-seriously-ill-cancer
      stuey
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #1: Nov 06, 2011 09:29:37 am
      One of the all time greats the image of Smokin' Joe with his head down and fists unmercifully cutting down all before him, was a daunting sight. Nothing stopped his incessant attacks, even when he was dropped by Ali he was punching all the way to the canvas, Mike Tyson is the nearest I've seen to Joe Frazier with his cut 'em down left hooks .

      Terrible news and it is to be hoped Joe can get through this with as little suffering as possible.
      racerx34
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #2: Nov 06, 2011 10:34:21 am
      I hope they keep him as comfortable as possible through it.
      YANK_LFC_FAN
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #3: Nov 06, 2011 05:26:12 pm
      I always felt bad for Frazier.  He easily could of been the Greatest Ever if he didnt fight at the same time as Ali.  I dont think Ali was specifically better than Frazier. Frazier won the first fight, the second fight went to the judges and Ali was a narrow victor and the last fight Frazier quit only a few seconds after Ali told his Mgr to throw in the towel, but the ref talked to Fraziers mgr first and thus the fight went to Ali. Just crazy luck...

      bigvYNWA
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #4: Nov 08, 2011 04:10:01 am
      Apparently he has passed away tonight :(

      RIP
      stuey
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #5: Nov 08, 2011 08:04:50 am
      Unfortunately Dave he did.
      He had been receiving care in a Philadelphia hospice after the diagnosis several weeks ago.
      He was the first man to beat Muhammed Ali in 1971 and held the world heavywieght title outright between 1970 and 1973.

       RIP Joe Frazier.
      racerx34
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #6: Nov 08, 2011 08:43:30 am
      RIP Joe. Cancer takes even the mighty.
      SM
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #7: Nov 08, 2011 09:25:53 am
      Sad news.

      A true boxing heavyweight and champion.

      RIP Smoking Joe....
      LFCbronx
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #8: Nov 09, 2011 02:53:51 am
      zz19a
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #9: Nov 09, 2011 02:55:59 am
      Sad, sad news.

      RIP Joe. Ce la vie.
      Dadorious
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #10: Nov 09, 2011 03:32:17 am
      RIP Joe!
      BKLFC
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #11: Nov 09, 2011 08:25:54 am
      RIP Smoking Joe frazier
      soxfan
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #12: Nov 09, 2011 07:31:44 pm
      They were so much more talented than today's heavyweights it is ridiculous. What a fight!

      RIP Smokin' Joe.  :'(
      waltonl4
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #13: Nov 10, 2011 05:06:32 pm
      Wonderful memories  of Ali and Frazier fights, they were great friends but you would never have known it.True Legend of Sport and a very nice man by all accounts.
      stuey
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      Re: Boxing great Smokin' Joe Frazier - liver cancer
      Reply #14: Nov 10, 2011 05:20:46 pm
      Wonderful memories  of Ali and Frazier fights, they were great friends but you would never have known it.True Legend of Sport and a very nice man by all accounts.
      They did eventually become friends mate but I'm sure at the outset Ali looked down on Joe and scorned him as a white man's plaything, that spurred Joe on to take him down to size but as you say they did become great friends with the hostilities behind them.
      It's no shame being beaten by the greatest heavyweight ever and Smokin Joe did put him on his arse on the way to beating him once.
      Genuine man and one helluva boxer.

        Once again RIP Joe Frazier.

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