Sports betting fans will remember him as the first person to ever beat Mohammed Ali. It may come as a surprise to know that Jo and Ali were good friends. Joe Frazier actually lobbied Nixon to issue a pardon (when Ali was banned from fighting for not going to Vietnam) and lent Ali cash. But when they were to fight in 1971 (The Fight of the Century), Mohammed Ali turned quite nasty, with distinct racial slurs (in addition to the normal taunts).

My best bet is that Ali was truly afraid of Joe Frazier and tried everything to put Joe off his game. But that only strengthened Joe’s resolve, which saw him beat Ali in The Fight of the Century. Ali was immediately taken to the hospital after that fight, suffering with a broken jaw and probably a few more internal injuries.

The two fighters did have two more famous fights - Rumble in the Jungle and Thrilla in Manila. Ali won both fights, but was pushed to the absolute limit, especially in Manila. Joe was literally blind in the last few rounds and as a result the fight was stopped. Ali admitted that he was close to death at the end.

What I remember most is Joe being asked whether he would have continued, and risked losing his sight permanently (bearing in mind, he only had one good eye). To which he replied, yes it would have been worth it, and stated his deep regret for the fact that he was not allowed to finish the fight.

Joe’s deep hatred for Ali continued for most of his life, with Joe taking great satisfaction in believing that he contributed to Ali’s condition (Parkinson’s Syndrome). In 2009, Joe’s resentment appeared to wane and I suspect that helped him live a bit longer. God rest his soul....