Joe Frazier Tribute: Smokin' Joe Talks About First Foreman Fight on Dick Cavett Show (Video)

by Scott Christ on Nov 8, 2011 9:23 AM EST in Boxing Video

Here's a clip from the February 21, 1973, edition of The Dick Cavett Show. This was one month after Joe Frazier was stunned by George Foreman in Kingston, Jamaica, stopped at 2:26 of the second round after being floored five times.

Oh, and Bill Cosby's there, back when he was funny.

On Foreman: "He didn't switch styles. He just came out and worked. Big, strong fella, and I know one thing. You ask me how well did he fight, I don't know. But I can tell you one thing: He punched good."

On rumors that his manager didn't want him to fight Foreman: "I don't know. Managers and trainers, they're always against something that you get involved in. But sometimes you take a chance at it. As long as I've been fighting, I always had a tendency of pushing my managers a little faster. ... I go pretty fast in the game. I wanted the fight, because I didn't want the reputation of trying to duck anybody. I'm a fighting champion, and I wanted to fight George, and I lost the fight fair and square."

On whether it's embarrassing after a loss: "Not to me. I kinda put myself together for a day like this. ... I prepare myself by being kind and being nice to everybody. I treat everybody like I like to be treated. I wasn't the type of guy to carry a whole flock around with me. ... The next day I went out, and I went to my gym, and they had 'Welcome Home, Champ.' ... I'm not gonna hide from it because I got whupped. I got whupped once. I got whupped a lot of times from my mama."

The definition of a gracious loser in this interview.

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Great stuff again………..the awesome 70’s; Cosby smoking his cigar, Jack Benny with his pipe and Smokin Joe with that 70’s style coat.

Also, an interesting contrast with the earlier video posted (from Dec 1978). Here, you still sense the hatred Joe had for “Clay”.

by DPlainview on Nov 8, 2011 10:15 AM EST reply actions

I can’t remember which book of Ali’s it was but i thought he gave an excellent analogy when asked who punched harder, Frazier or Foreman.
He said something like:

“Getting hit by Foreman was like getting hit by a truck at 40mph.
Getting hit by Frazier was like getting hit by a Cadillac at 100mph.”

by Matt Mosley on Nov 8, 2011 10:49 AM EST reply actions

JOE FRAZIER TRIBUTE

BHOP is right, its time for the powers that be in Philly to step up and honor Smokin Joe with a statue. Joe did alot for the youth of the city and was always proud of his home town. Joe was the essence of an old school Philly fighter.

by JZZY on Nov 8, 2011 11:44 AM EST reply actions

that would be great

by The Art Of War on Nov 8, 2011 11:49 AM EST up reply actions

If you only saw the most recent interviews of Frazier (or Ali) you wouldn't get it

For people that have only seen Frazier in documentaries and footage of him living in his gym recently, you might not get how gregarious, intelligent, and clever he was.

It’s a typical comment, perhaps, to poorly compare these golden age giants against our contemporaries, but come on…

Frazier’s poise and humor in an interview boxes circles around Mayweather and Pacquiao’s late night side shows.

by Sean Mills on Nov 8, 2011 1:34 PM EST reply actions

This reminds me that there really was a time when, while no fighter wants to lose, fighters accepted the possibility, dealt with the reality when it happened, and didn’t avoid it because it was more important to fight the next deserving guy who had earned the shot.

Actually, the part from " … didn’t avoid … " probably pertains more to promoter now than fighters. At least, I hope so, but maybe not.

by DrRck on Nov 8, 2011 5:12 PM EST reply actions

So many people can learn from the way Joe Lived his life

What a man

by Sweet science on Nov 8, 2011 5:42 PM EST reply actions

Well said

I had only read the quotes before but have just now watched the clip.
Joe’s about as cool as it gets. And he’s not even trying.
Just a geniune man with no bullsh*t to him whatsoever.
A lot of people from our generation (who mentioned Floyd? :) could learn a thing or ten about how to act like a man just from watching this clip.
I know i keep saying it, but what a great, great human being, on top of him being a great boxer.
I have learned more about him from these articles Scott has posted than i ever knew.
i always knew he was humble and modest but always thought he was really quiet.
When you hear him talk here and in other clips you can see that he was an intelligent, articulate man with a very classy personality.
I’m even more impressed than i was before.

by Matt Mosley on Nov 8, 2011 5:59 PM EST up reply actions

(who mentioned Floyd? :

One D. Haye springs to mind too

by Sweet science on Nov 8, 2011 6:41 PM EST up reply actions

Faaaaaw Shaaaaaaaw :)

by Matt Mosley on Nov 8, 2011 6:46 PM EST up reply actions

Speaking of Haye

Some great quotes over at the Ring from loads of big names. Here’s a beauty from Bernard Hopkins:

“Let me ask you this – Would you rather walk down a dark alley with a heavyweight like David Haye with a blister on his toe or would you rather walk down that alley with Smokin’ Joe and his left hook?”

Lol :)

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/170047-frazier-mourned-by-ali-arum-buffer-foreman-lampley-leonard-others?start=2

by Matt Mosley on Nov 8, 2011 7:19 PM EST up reply actions