Joe was the first person ever to beat Ali.
Frazier and Ali were both unbeaten when they signed to meet at Madison Square Garden, New York, on March 8, 1971.It was labelled the 'Fight of the Century' — like dozens of others before — yet this one lived up to its billing.
Nobody was disappointed. Ali and Frazier provided a classic with Frazier clinching victory by sending Ali crashing to the canvas in the 15th and last round.
He became the first to beat The Greatest and Ali was rendered speechless. He was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured jaw which turned out to be only heavily bruised.
After his triumph over Ali, Frazier made two successful defences before the freight train ran into the buffers in the shape of George Foreman.
Though Ali won the rematch with Frazier in a 12-round non-title bout in 1974, everything paled into insignificance compared to their final showdown, the 'Thrilla in Manila'.
Frazier by that time had been the subject of an Ali hate campaign which he had waged against him for years.
He constantly referred to Frazier as an ugly gorilla and remarked "if Joe had a cologne named after him it wouldn't smell good".
Joe shrugged off those remarks but what made his blood really boil was Ali constantly calling him an Uncle Tom — the worst insult one black man could inflict on another, particularly in the US at the time.
When they squared up to each other in Manila they were both well past their best.
They simply couldn't get out of the way of each other's punches so they spent 14 rounds smashing their fists into each others faces.
After the fight Marvis, Frazier's eldest son who was then 14, was sobbing before the after-fight Press conference began. Ali ignoring the world's Press, went across, put his arm around Marvis' shoulder and told him: "Stop crying — your father is a great man."
Ten years ago Ali made a fulsome public apology to Joe. He admitted: "I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have said. I called him names I shouldn't have called him. I apologise for that. I'm sorry it was all meant to promote the fights." Unfortunately it was too little too late and Frazier remained extremely bitter.
Ali knew how great Joe was and that it takes great opponents to make great Champions...
Joe Frazier was both...
