Joe Frazier has slammed the credentials of former rival and legendary heavyweight Muhammad Ali, who is often considered to be the greatest of all time.
Frazier and Ali shared the ring on three occasions, clashing for the first time in March of 1971 as ‘Smokin’ Joe handed his rival the first defeat of his professional career.
Their rematch came several years later and after yet another competitive match-up, Ali got his revenge over Frazier in their non-title bout, defeating his countryman via unanimous decision in New York City.
Their trilogy showdown, which is perhaps best known as the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ took place in October of 1975. Ali put on an outstanding display to stop Frazier in the penultimate round of their third battle, retaining the undisputed heavyweight championship in the process.
Despite their memorable rivalry, Frazier once revealed that he actually believes Joe Louis is the greatest heavyweight of all time, as he admits he ranks Ali ‘somewhere below himself’.
“Joe Louis is the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. Rocky Marciano is second only to Louis. Where do I rate Ali? Somewhere below me. I beat him, and if I could beat him, no doubt Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano could have beaten him.”
Louis, known as ‘The Brown Bomber’, took the sport by storm during the 1930s where he reigned as the world heavyweight champion between 1937 and 1949.
He made a record-breaking 25 consecutive defences of his world heavyweight championship during his reign, and is best remembered for his iconic clashes with Max Schmeling in 1936 and 1938.
