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This past Sunday (if ESPN Classic is to be believed) was Joe Frazier's birthday. Yes, that Joe Frazier. Happy Birthday, Joe. They say he had the scariest left hook ever. If Ali-Frazier III is any guide, I'd have to agree, and so would "The Greatest." Speaking of that fight, have you ever seen it? (All of you who think boxing's barbarity should be outlawed can surf elsewhere now.) The last time ESPN Classic aired it (that I knew of, anyway) I watched it maybe 12 times over the next couple months. Someone from the modern day commenting on it between rounds made the astute observation that two aging legends declining at the same rate can make for a great fight; some say it was the best boxing match ever. (Not in the down-to-the-wire, "Who'll win?" sense; Ali won in 14, and it was trending his way for a few rounds prior.) But you saw shadows, glimpses of what each guy could do back in his younger days, and it's astounding to me that these two men were still the two best heavyweights on Earth that day in 1975, though both in their mid-30s. Ali would remain champion until 1978, losing the title to Leon Spinks, then regaining it later that year, before ill-fated fights in 1980-81. As it ended up, Ali lost 5 times before retirement, but his fans only count 2 or 3; Once he outpointed Spinks in their second fight, they say, he should've walked away. I sure don't want to see that Larry Holmes fight or the other (was it Berbick?) that showed a too-slow Ali getting mauled. For my part, I just like to remember those fast hands, the fastest I ever saw on a heavyweight, I think. Watch Ali in the 1960s to understand.
Ali won 2 of the 3 bouts with Frazier, but indeed, folks are right to wonder if Ali would have such a place in our cultural imagination had he lost twice to Joe. [Note: I was going off my memory in this post; look dates and records up for yourself to double-check.]

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