Adam Smith says Joe Frazier's fights with Muhammad Ali formed the greatest boxing trilogy ever.
'Smokin' Joe up there with the best of all time'
Joe Frazier's fights with Muhammad Ali will go down as the greatest boxing trilogy of all time.
That's the view of Sky Sports boxing commentator Adam Smith, who was speaking on the morning it was confirmed that the that former world heavyweight champion Frazier had died at the age of 67.
Smokin' Joe worked his way through the ranks to emerge as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in the early 1970's and became the first professional to beat Ali in the 'Fight of the Century' in 1971.
And Smith believes that performance ensured his place near the top of the list of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history.
"Joe Frazier was an all-time great, let's get this straight, one of the terrific heavyweights," he told
Sky Sports News HD.
"You go back to Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and that wonderful era in the 1960's and 1970's with Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay who became Ali, Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton. Then you've obviously got George Foreman and Smokin' Joe Frazier who were very much part of it.
"Frazier, of course, will always be remembered for winning the fight and beating Ali for the first time on March 8, 1971 at Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately we weren't there, it was the year I was born, but it was apparently an incredible night.
"People like Frank Sinatra were taking photos for Life Magazine and Burt Lancaster was doing the colour commentary. President Nixon and everyone was there; it was quite a special night.
"That was his night."
Admiration
Ali led the tributes to Frazier on Tuesday, describing his former foe as "a great champion", insisting he will always remember him with respect and admiration.
The two fought a rematch in 1974, which Ali won, and they met again in 1975's epic 'Thrilla in Manila' in 1975, which was ended by Frazier's trainer at the end of the 14th round.
Ali later admitted the fight was "the closest to dying he had ever been" and was on the verge of throwing in the towel himself.
"It was the greatest trilogy of all time," Smith explained.
"In recent times we've had Barrera-Morales and Gatti-Ward, but they're not a patch on those two. They just don't make them like this anymore.
"Frazier was a small heavyweight, around about 14.5 to 15 stone and he was a great throwback. He had a fantastic left hook and at the Thriller in Manilla they battered each other to a standstill.
"Those were 15-round fight days and at the end of the 14th round both went back to their corners and Eddie Futch said: 'Sit down son, nobody will ever forget what you did today.'
"Ali later said he's glad Frazier did sit down because he wasn't getting up either. It was one of those iconic moments in sport, certainly for heavyweight boxing.
"The 1960's and 1970's was the golden era and that's when this trilogy was. We've had some good ones in recent times, but nothing, I don't think, compares to Ali-Frazier.
"We still watch in awe at what they went through."
Respect
Smith said that a bitterness existed between the two ring legends for many years, but that a mutual respect later developed between two men whose legends will always be intertwined.
"They were different personalities," Smith added.
"Ali was charismatic and Frazier was the blue-collar fighter from the fields of South Carolina. I think Ali captured the imagination and the hearts of people and Frazier, for some reason, didn't quite do that.
"Frazier believed he was better than Ali. He won the first fight when he was at his peak, he lost the second fight and the third fight was so near when he was pulled out at the end of the 14th round of the Thriller in Manila.
"Their relationship did sour, they didn't speak for many years, but towards the end they have patched up and they had enormous respect for each other.
"In more recent times they found peace and the respect shone through."
