Joe Frazier & Eddie Futch
WHAT NEXT for RAMBO, A PURPLE HEART?
Miami, FL– My question is what is Rocky Balboa, a fictional character played by Sylvester Stallone, getting inducted last week into the International Boxing Hall of Fame? Don’t get me wrong I love Rocky, and yes I agree his movie helped boxing, but what’s next, Rambo getting an Army medal. Also inducted were Julio Cesar Chavez, Kostza Tsyzu, Mike Tyson, trainer Ignacio Nacho Beristain, referee Joe Cortez. All those men deserve to be in the upstate NY shrine.
ROCKY GOT IT’S AWARD WITH THE OSCAR Rocky belongs in Hollywood, where the flick garnered an Academy Award. But what make’s matter even worse was this fictional character and being given a statue in Philadelphia instead of the fighter who really represented a Philly as a fighter, 1964 Olympic Gold medalist and former World heavyweight champion “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier.
JOE FORGOTTEN IN PHILLY WHILE ROCKY IS NOT?
Smoking Joe relentlessness, his heart and never quit attitude became the symbol of a Philadelphia fighter, a man whose statue is on the step of a Philadelphia museum, not Rocky. Joe trained in north Philly when he shook up the world and beat Muhammad Ali. The Joe Frazier Gym was once a Mecca of boxing now its almost abandoned in a city with rich boxing history. HOPKINS HONORED IN FRONT OF HOLLYWOOD SYMBOL Bernard Hopkins after making history in becoming the oldest to win a title in any weight class, 46, Philly recently honored him in front of the Rocky statue. Hey, Rocky Balboa never laced them up, never threw a real punch or won a title. So if there ought to be a statue representing a Philly fighter it should be “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier.
JOE HAD VISION PROBLEMS FOR A LONG TIME
A man who fought almost blind out of one eye threw the second half of his career. We all remember The “Thrilla’ in Manila” where both Frazier and Ali fought to near death in that hot arena in the Philippines. In that fight we got to see the heart of both fighters, an encounter fights Ali said it was the closes thing ever he had experienced to dying, and we also saw what a good corner does to protect their fighter no matter what when Eddie Futch stopped him from coming out for round 14.
HOW ABOUT WINNING “FIGHT OF THE CENTURY?” Even the first fight between the men, the fight Frazier won, this was aN almost true to life Rocky movie, yet still Philadelphia won’t give Joe any props.
“Mad Manny” Cabellero