Joe Frazier Battling Liver Cancer, Has 'Short Time To Live,' According To Report

Source: SB Nation

Boxing legend Joe Frazier has liver cancer and may not have long to live, according to multiple reports.

"He's in serious shape, we're looking for a miracle,'' a source close to Frazier told the New York Post. "They're only giving him a short time to live. We need to have as many people as possible praying for Joe right now.''

Leslie Wolff, Frazier's longtime manager, confirmed the report, telling the Associated Press that the 67-year-old former champion was diagnosed four or five weeks ago and is currently receiving hospice care.

Frazier, who won gold at the 1964 Olympics, became the undisputed heavyweight champion in 1970 after defeating Jimmy Ellis. He became the first man to defeat Muhammad Ali in the "Fight of the Century" in 1971, but lost his title when George Foreman gave him his first professional loss in 1973. . .

Read more: http://www.sbnation.com/2011/11/5/2540455/joe-frazier-liver-cancer-seriously-ill

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Posted because this is about someone very well known to most of us is about to leave us. It's not about sports - anymore.

I got to watch him (on TV) a little when I was growing up. Sad to see this happen, a relatively young guy.

I'm sure I'm older than you, and was a huge Ali fan. Still one of my all-time heroes.

But nothing against Joe. He was a battler, and I respect and appreciate him. He's not going to make it, apparently, but I for one will remember him fondly.

He has a famous gym here and also lives here and I think many in the city are pretty shocked/numb right now. Sending all my thoughts and prayers for Joe to pull through. :hug:

but I always respected Joe Frazier. He couldn't compete with Ali's mouth, but he made up for that in the ring. It was the golden age of boxing, IMHO and Joe was most certainly part of that. Godspeed Joe Frazier.

Ali is still one of my all-time heroes, but Smokin' Joe was ultimately a class act.

Nicklaus-Palmer?

Magic-Bird?

Evert-Navritilova?

Plenty of others to consider, but I think you have to put Ali-Frazier at the top.

I watched a documentary on Frazier, and his son played Joe's voice mail because he thought it was cool. In his voice mail, Joe brags "I did that (parkinsons) to Ali". Yeah, real classy.

I hope others won't judge me, as well, based on what I have at times said. Taking the totality of his life, it was well lived.

Ali said some nasty things, too, back at him. What does that matter now?

and so did Joe. Neither apologized. To call one or the other classy is out of line. Both were great fighters, nothing more.

Ali was far more than a "great fighter." He lost the best 3 1/2 years of his career standing up to the powers that be who wanted to send him to Vietnam.

He was and is an icon and inspiration. I completely disagree with your premise.

and would be rewarded by having his blackness questioned as part of Ali's self promotion before their third fight. There is no excusing that.

he won 50% of his fights before he even stepped in the ring. He psyched people out- he did it to Frazier, he did it to everyone.

You can't look at any aspect of those three fights and say that. You could say he has irrational feelings toward Ali. You could also say Ali's own behavior explains a lot of that.

the only thing I object to is calling either one of them classy. They were great fighters, but both lacked class. And note- I said it worked for Ali about 50% of the time. It didn't work for Frazier, but he did work on Foreman (and a lot of lesser knowns)

He thought Ali was certifiably insane.

Terrell refused to call Ali by his name- he insisted on calling him Clay. For 15 round Ali took Terrell to the point of knock out before backing off. The entire time he was asking- "What's my name". I saw film of the fight, it was brutal.

:cry:

By chance, I met Joe Frazier and even shook his hand back in 1971 when he was visiting a record wholesaler (e.g., music distributor) in Washington, DC. He was promoting his new record, "If You Go, Stay Gone," and was performing at one of the clubs in DC that night. I still recall the meeting. I was only 21 at the time but I was left impressed with how nice he was. Too bad no one had a camera that day. Given his physical stature, its hard to believe that his health has failed him.

All you need to know about Frazier is in those middle rounds when he gave Ali the fight of his life after getting his face kicked in for the first five rounds. After the fight, his trainer said Joe fought the best he could but so did Ali, and "my guy is 5-10 and Ali is 6-4." Those guys brought out the best and worst in each other. It was insane. You'll never see another fighter like Joe; it was not about the fame or the money for Joe; it was personal.

He may have won that battle, but he paid a huge price. He was never the same fighter he was before the Frazier fights.

Ali, Frazier, Foreman; I remember Jimmy Ellis. These guys fought some amazing, monumental battles. Mythical stuff. I'm sorry to hear Smokin' Joe's going to hit the canvas.

But I'm glad I was around to see it all.

You can listen to a bit of "If You Go Stay Gone," or get the MP3, here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=Joe+Frazier+If+You+Go+Stay+Gone&x=16&y=23

I bought it and listened to it. Better than I expected, with a great band.

You take care.

...and I would add Kenny Norton to that list. Has there ever been a top five heavy weights like that? I don't know about past history, but certainly not since then. The Golden Age of Heavy Weight boxing, and I'm glad I was around to see it, too.

''Life doesn't run away from nobody. Life runs at people.'' ~Joe Frazier