S.C.'S Joe Frazier Fought the Lancaster Newswedneeday,September 24, L986page 11C 'The Greatest Fight' South Carolina's Story the Making of a Stal;^I||||K
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S.C.'s Joe Frazier Fought The Lancaster NewsWedneeday,September 24, l986Page 11C 'The Greatest Fight' South Carolina's Story The making of a stal;^i||||k BY LOUISE PETTUS AND RON CHEPESIUK Many still consider it the greatest . WINTHROP COLLEGE prize fight of ail time. Until March 1971 it certainly was the most publicized. Illinois, Massachusetts and Maine. The bout took place in Madison Joe Frazier could not be denied. Square Garden before nearly 21,000 After defending his title four times screaming fans. It featured two and being named Fighter of the undefeated gladiators — the Year in 1969 by the Boxing Writer's amazing Muhammad Ali and South Association, Smokin' Joe fought Carolinian "Smokin"' Joe Frazier. At age 14 Frazier dropped out of Jimmy Ellis for the W.B.A. crown in When it was over, Frazier had school and headed to Philadelphia, February 1970, winning by a outpointed Ali in a grueling 15-round where he found a job cutting meat in technical knockout in the 5th round contest to become the world's un a slaughterhouse. Frazier had a This set the stage for perhaps the disputed heavyweight boxing weight problem, so he tried to keep greatest boxing rivalry in history. A champion. fit by working out in a Philadelphia federal court ruled that the The world's heavyweight Athletic League gym. Yancy(Yank) revocation of Ali's boxing license championship had been vacant since Durham, a well-known boxing was "arbitrary and unreasonable" 1967 when Ali, champion since 1964, manager, saw Frazier's potential as and he returned to the ring, winning was stripped of his title for refusing a boxer and became his trainer. two fights and thus setting the stage to be inducted into the armed forces. for "The Fight of the Century" in Frazier had a successful amateur Madison Square Garden. But boxing fans refused to career, winning 35 of 37 bouts. In The fight was beamed to :UU recognize Frazier as champion and 1964 he won the gold medal at the million viewers and total receipts considered him a pretender to the Olympic Games, despite suffering a were estimated at $2.5 million. Both throne until he met Ali in the ring. broken hand. fighters received $2.5 million, with When Frazier won "the greatest Frazier getting to keep half of his After a stellar Olympic per purse after taxes and expenses. fight of all time," it marked the formance, Frazier turned culmination of his rise from poverty Frazier and Ali went on to engage professional under the guidance of in two more bouts, including what in rural South Carolina to the highest Durham, who matched him against echelons of professional sport. many have called the greatest relatively easy opponents until he boxing match of all time — "The was ready to face stiffer com Joe Frazier was born Jan. 17,1944, Thrilla in Manila" — won by All petition. in Beaufort, the second youngest of when Frazier gave up the fight in the 13 children. His parents owned a 14th round. small hog and vegetable farm. When the New York State Athletic Joe Frazier eventually retired Association and World Boxing from boxing, but staged an abortive Joe's father lost his left arm in an Association took away All's title in comeback at age 39 when he fought accident and young Joe became his 1967, a tournament was held to "Jumbo" Cummings to a lO-round father's "left arm," as he told a determine his successor. Jimmy draw. For a while, he also engaged writer for "Sports Illustrated" in Ellis won the tournament, but in a singing career. 1970. "He'd hold a bolt with his right Frazier refused to participate in it. Today Joe Frazier operates a gym hand and I'd screw it," Frazier said in Philadelphia, where he trains of his father. "By the time I was Instead, in March 1968 Frazier young boxers, including his son, seven, I could drive a tractor, and fought Buster Mathis under the Marvis. Despite success and fame, when I was eight, I was driving an aegis of the New York State Athletic Joe Frazier has not forgotten his automobile. He taught me Association. Frazier knocked roots. He often returns to South everything I knew about life.'' Mathis out in the 5th round and Carolina to visit his mother, who still became champion in New York, lives in Beaufort..