Smokin' Joe

[frasd]

I just finished an autobiography by Joe Frazier. Growing up a big Ali fan, it was interesting to see the other side of the coin of three of his great fights. First time I really saw Joe as an entity upon himself instead of an Ali opponent, although they will be forever tied together. Got to see the perspective of someone who faced Ali and the genuine hurt it caused him and his family with the way he was berated outside of the ring.
However, I found it interesting that he never referenced Ali as Ali in the book. Only as Clay. And he took no attempt to hide his distaste for him to this day. In the closing pages of the book he brings this up. Quote:
"They want me to love him, but i'll open up the graveyard and bury his ass when the Lord chooses to take him. You see what the lord did to him: He shut him down, that ungrateful scamboogah. Clay always mocked me- like I was the dummy. Gettin' hit in the head. Now look at him. He can hardly talk and he's still out there trying to make noise."
Joe almost had me on his side until the last page of the book.

[Master]

Yes it hurts till this day. When Ali was holding the torch at the Olympics in Atlanta, Joe said he wished he fell in. Ali mocked him so much that Joe's children would get bullied at school. He lived that mocking and you cannot tell him to love Ali, just sad that he is that bitter but it would take a strong and forgiving man to not let those taunts get to you.

[Trainer Monkey]

Theyve reconciled
In all honesty they were both wrong
Ali for not understanding how racially charged the atmosphere really was,and saying things that fed in to it.
Joe for letting a missunderstanding stand for 30 years before he'd get over it

[Master]

Have they really forgiven one another. I doubt that. Although I hope it is true.

[Trainer Monkey]

Yeah it was about 2 years ago

[Lance Uppercut]

This video sums up everything you need to know about Joe Frazier:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ5xA67-4b8