To commemorate the 50th anniversary for the fight of the century and his win over Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier was memorialized with a bronze statue in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia on Monday.
The 9-foot-tall, 1,600-pound statue designed by Chris Collins captures Smokin’ Joe connecting with his trademark left hook on Ali, much like he did on March 8, 1971 at the Madison Square Garden in New York City during his hellacious slugfest and 15-round unanimous decision win.
It was a leaping left hook from Frazier that sent Ali down in the 15th round that helped seal his deal as the victor.
The statue was erected at a new gym owned by Joe Hand Promotions in Feasterville and the event was attended by Frazier’s two sons and daughter.
Joe Hand Sr. helped bankroll the early part of Frazier’s career as a manager.
The statue was commissioned by Dr. Nicholas DePace for future use in the Philadelphia Museum of Sports, but for now, it will have a home at Hand’s gym. The Hand family has been a go-to resource for boxing and sports fans alike who seek to watch live events and pay-per-views at restaurants and bars.
“I want you to see the statue and I want you to think of Joe Frazier and Ali, not for where they just were, but where they came from,” Frazier Jr. said, per the Associated Press. “They came from work and dedication.
“It just means so much just to see the accolades, the admiration, how much people revere not just Ali but my father. They both have a story. We loved Ali just as much as we love Frazier. At the end of the day, this was the one my father was victorious in.
“He just represents what Philadelphia is all about. Work hard. It’s not all about talking with your mouth. It’s speaking with your action. That’s what it’s about.”
A 30-foot mural of Frazier that was two years in the making was also emblazoned nearby at 1302 W. Allegheny Avenue in North Philadelphia with one of the fighter’s favorite sayings: “There is no right way to do wrong and there is no wrong way to do right.”
“The Mural Arts Department was working for some time now to honor my father,” said Weatta Frazier Collins, CEO of The Legacy Exists Joe Frazier Scholarship Fund, per The Philadelphia Tribune. “I’m grateful for that. And it’s finally happened. We’re so blessed to be able to have the mural there because Joe Frazier did a lot … He was the first underdog in Philadelphia.”
Frazier was heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973 and retired in 1981 with a record of 32 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw. He scored 27 knockouts throughout his 16-year professional career and ended up losing the last two fights of his trilogy with Ali in 1974 and 1975.
A separate statue of Frazier was unveiled at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Live! entertainment area in September 2015 not too far away from the famous Rocky Balboa statue at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Frazier died Nov. 7, 2011 at the age of 67 after a brief battle with liver cancer.
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com