Joe Frazier: A Life
Photos from the life of boxing legend Joe Frazier.
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A Legendary Life\r - Boxing legend, Joe “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier died of liver cancer on Nov. 7. He was 67 years old. Frazier won the heavyweight title in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round of their fight at Madison Square Garden. BET.com takes a look at his life in pictures.\r\rHere, Frazier knocks down German opponent Hans Huber in the Olympic Super Heavyweight Boxing Final at the Korakuen Ice Palace during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.\r(Photo: Keystone/Getty Images)
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“Smokin’ Joe” Frazier Wins With a Broken Hand - After winning the gold medal at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan with a broken hand, Frazier emerged as the top contender in the late 1960s. Throughout his career, he was known for his powerful left-hook and his style of bobbing, weaving and grunting. \rFollowing the public announcement of his diagnosis over the weekend, Frazier's manager told the media that doctors had not told Frazier how long they estimate he will live.\r"He's a true gentleman," manager Leslie Wolff said. "Along with Muhammad Ali, [he is] one of the two most recognizable athletes in the world."\r(Photo: dpa /Landov)
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Fearless Fighter\r - Early on in his career, the son of South Carolina sharecroppers was known for his bravado and fearless attitude.\r\r"Middleweight, light heavyweight, it didn't matter to me, I got in there and boxed all comers" he would say.\rThroughout his career, Frazier would defeat some of the most storied heavyweights of his day, including defeating the likes of Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Jerry Quarry, Buster Mathis and Jimmy Ellis.\r(Photo: American Stock/Getty Images)
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Knockout Career\r - Despite being considered small for a heavyweight, at just 5'11½ and 205 lbs, Frazier solidified his legacy as one of the world's most formidable boxers when he took on legend Muhammad Ali in 1971. Here, Frazier weighs in before his first heavyweight fight against Ali in Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971. \rHe received his diagnosis of liver cancer in late September 2011. His diagnosis and death came as a shock to many who knew and admired him.\r"He was such an inspirational guy. A decent guy. A man of his word," ex-Ali promoter Bob Arum told the Associated Press. "I'm torn up by Joe dying at this relatively young age. I can't say enough about Joe."\r(Photo: Herb Scharfman/Sports Imagery/Getty Images)
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Making of a Champion\r - His 1971 fight against Muhammad Ali was called the “Fight of the Century," during which Frazier defeated the champ in 15 rounds. The fight also set the stage for the famous 1974 rematch called the "Thrilla in Manilla," in which Ali beat Frazier.\r(Photo: B Bennett/Getty Images)
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Everyman's Champ\r - Throughout his life, Frazier was seen as a working class hero, leaving his hometown of Beaufort, South Carolina, at age 18 to work in a Philadelphia slaughterhouse before breaking out as a world-class boxer.\r(Photo: Evening Standard/Getty Images)
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One of the Greatest of All Time\r - Frazier knocked out Jerry Quarry in five rounds during a heavyweight fight in 1974 at Madison Square Garden. The International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) rates Frazier among the ten greatest heavyweights of all time.\r(Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images
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In the Spotlight\r - Frazier's ascent into boxing super-stardom captured the attention of the world. (Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images
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Life Imitates Art\r - Frazier is believed to be the inspiration behind some of the famous training scenes in the movie, Rocky — such as when Sylvester Stallone uses raw beef as a heavybag and when his character runs up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. \r(Photo: Evening Standard/Getty Images)
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Rivals to Reverence - Although they were fierce rivals inside of the ring, Frazier and legend Muhammad Ali formed a close bond after the gloves came off. "The world has lost a great champion," Ali said in a statement. "I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration. My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones."(Photo: Keystone/Getty Images)
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Global Glory - Frazier's physical talents were known worldwide. (Photo: Evening Standard/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Evening Standard/Getty Images
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A Class of Legends \r - Frazier, alongside boxing greats George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. (Photo: Gray Mortimore/ALLSPORT/Getty Images)
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Famous Faces\r - Both Frazier and promoter Don King are two of the most recognizable African-Americans in sports. (Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images
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Box Like the Pros\r - In 2005, Frazier published his personal boxing manifesto entitled Box Like The Pros, where he wrote on topics ranging from the history of the sport to how to take a punch without flinching. (Photo: Bobby Bank/WireImage)
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Mainstay - Long after his career ended, Frazier remained a staple at boxing matches around the world. (Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
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Boundless Influence - Frazier's influence transcended the world of sports. (Photo: KMazur/WireImage)
Photo By Photo: KMazur/WireImage
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Respect\r - After decades of bickering, the two champs, Ali and Frazier, finally developed a relationship of mutual respect. Here, the two shake hands during the 2002 ESPY Awards. (Photo: KMazur/WireImage)
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Philly Icon\r - Frazier's many years living in Philadelphia made him a local legend, as well as a national icon. (Photo: Norman Y. Lono/Getty Images)
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Second Act\r - Frazier hung up his gloves for good in 1991, but the former Heavyweight Champion of the World later opened a boxing gym in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)
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From Champion to Mentor - Frazier poses for a portrait at his boxing gym in 2009. He would sell the facility later that year. (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images
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