Joe Frazier who died on Monday after a brief battle with cancer is one of the unsung heroes in the history of boxing.

In popularity he was nowhere near Muhammad Ali, with whom he fought three epic bouts but in boxing terms Frazier was the famous man’s equal.

Frazier fought 37 times in the heavyweight category as a professional, winning 32 (27 knockout), losing four and drawing one. He lost twice to Ali and twice to George Foreman. But the numbers don’t define his career, as his bouts with Ali, which are now ensconced in boxing lore, do. It is difficult to look at Frazier’s career in isolation.

What distinguished Frazier from other heavyweight champions was not his fearsome punching ability but his large heart. He took punches like a man. And, he oozed positive energy. He kept coming back even when he was at the receiving end of some savage punishment.

Frazier was never counted out. He won an Olympic gold — in 1964 — with a broken thumb.

Foreman was so brutal against Frazier in their first fight in 1973 that lesser men would have run away from the ring. The referee stepped in to, probably, save the latter’s life. Despite being knocked down six times, Frazier, somehow, staggered up to his feet each time, ready to face the fury of Foreman.
Frazier was blessed with a sledgehammer left hook.

He could bring down a building with one of his offerings. The left hook that flattened Ali in the first of the trilogy in 1971 is legendary. Ali didn’t know what hit him because the blow was so quick and powerful. It was the defining moment of his first professional loss.

Ali brought the scores level with a 12-round unanimous decision three years later. The Thrilla in Manila in 1975 would cement the reputation of both men.

Heavyweight boxing hasn’t seen anything like the toe-to-toe punching Ali and Frazier dished out in that memorable bout. It was difficult to tell who suffered more in the gladiatorial fight.

Frazier’s chief corner man, Eddie Futch, threw in the towel before the 15th round, even though the boxer wanted to continue. “It is all over. Nobody will ever forget what you did today,” Futch reportedly told Frazier. It was a contest neither fighter deserved to lose.

Angelo Dundee, Ali’s trainer, later said he was also on the verge of giving up. Ali confessed that he had never been closer to death. “Frazier gave up just before I did,” he added. “Frazier is the greatest heavyweight, after me.”

Why did Frazier not get his due despite his splendid achievements? Ali’s caustic remarks against him did play a part. Ali, like he did with all his opponents, humiliated Frazier repeatedly. He called him ‘Uncle Tom’, ‘gorilla’ and ‘dumb.’ Frazier, himself a black, was embittered by Ali’s verbal volleys.

Ali always tried to create an impression that his opponents were lesser mortals and stooges in the hands of white people. He largely succeeded in his efforts because he was articulate and charismatic. His refusal to fight in the Vietnam War had made him a hero across the world.

He became a martyr in the eyes of many after he lost his boxing licence for three and half years in the prime of his career. The product of counter culture in the swinging sixties monopolised public attention. Frazier was not Ali’s equal outside the ring.

Frazier carried the scars of Ali’s taunts for a long time. In a shocking comment in 1995, he said “the Parkinson’s disease had made Ali damaged goods.” So deep was his resentment.

Ali wouldn’t have imagined that his gimmicks before fights would evoke such bitter reactions. He paid a moving tribute to Frazier. “The world has lost a great champion. I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration,” the three-time world champion said.

There is no doubt that Ali would have meant his words.