Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
This is so sad.  Legendary boxer Smokin’ Joe Frazier is in the final fight of his life.
Frazier, who gave the boxing world the “Thrilla in Manila,†and many other classic memories, is deathly ill with advanced liver cancer.
“He’s in serious shape, we’re looking for a miracle,” a source close to the former heavyweight champ 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.”
A fierce and smothering fighter with a devastating left hook, Frazier, 67, is considered one of the great gentlemen of the sport outside of the ring.
His captivating bouts with Muhammad Ali put boxing in the spotlight for a new generation of fans as the sport truly became The Main Event. The “Thrilla in Manila,†the third fight of their epic encounters, was one of the greatest fights of them all.
Both boxers were near exhaustion when Frazier’s trainer, Eddie Futch, ended the fight in Ali’s favor after 14 punishing rounds.
Ali entered the ring thinking he was fighting a washed up Frazier, and insulted Frazier often leading up to the fight, calling him a “gorilla.” Deeply hurt by the comments, Frazier came at Ali with a vengeance. At one point Ali, gaining new respect for Frazier, whispered in his ear, “Joe, they told me you was all washed up.”
His response to Ali was classic, “They told you wrong, pretty boy.”
Throughout those middle rounds, Frazier continued to come at Ali with vicious body blows. After the fight, Ali, who now suffers from Parkinson’s disease, admitted, “It was the closest I’ve come to death.”
Frazier retired shortly after that battle and became an ambassador for the sport. He also started a singing career, billed as Joe Frazier and the Knockouts.
“Joe is one of the sweetest guys you could ever meet,” a friend said. “Sometimes we’d be driving down the highway and see a car broken down and we would have to go out and help somebody. That’s Joe Frazier.”
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