Joe Frazier Dead Aged 67 After Short Battle With Liver Cancer
Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champion who went down in history as the first person to ever beat Muhammad Ali, has died Monday night just weeks after being diagnosed with liver cancer. He died aged 67.
The boxer’s family has issued a press release confirming the boxer's death.
Frazier, most famous for bouts with Ali including the “Thrilla in Manila,” received a cancer diagnosis just a few weeks ago.
Ali beat Frazier in their first fight together; the so called “Fight of the Century” in 1971, but went on to lose two rematches.
Frazier will be forever linked with Ali, and had been bitter for many years for being taunted by the boxing legend in the past. Although Ali is widely promoted as the greatest boxer in history, Frazier too will go down in history as a boxing legend. Frazier participated in a total of 41 rounds with Ali over 3 fights, and he gave as good as he got giving some of the most memorable boxing exchanges in history.
Frazier won the heavyweight title in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round at Madison Square Garden. He defended his title 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.
