Joe Frazier’s greatest night in the ring? By far, the distinction goes to the Philly legend’s epic win over archrival Muhammad Ali in the March 1971 “Fight of the Century.” And Joe had plenty of other special nights, including his KO wins over Jimmy Ellis, Buster Mathis, and Bob Foster, and also his stoppage win over George Chuvalo.
But when it comes to the most thrilling slugfest “Smokin’ Joe” ever engaged in, it could well be that his June 1969 win over the agonisingly tough and proud Jerry Quarry deserves the unofficial award. This fight – that won The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year trophy that year – is stunningly brutal and crammed full of action.
Frazier, approaching his prime, his tools having been sharpened by the great Yank Durham, was 25 years old, and he was perfect at 23-0. Joe was also the NYSAC heavyweight champion, with him still some months away from being recognised by all as THE man at heavyweight. Quarry was a year younger, and he was an already somewhat battle-hardened 31-2-4.
The two rumbled inside a packed Madison Square Garden, and what a rumble it was. Watch this savage encounter right NOW via YouTube if you haven’t yet seen it, but here’s an effort at doing the fight justice in written form.
Quarry, who had good, often underrated counter punching skills, didn’t look to see how he could fire back after making Frazier miss with a shot, not off the bat, anyway. No, instead, in a surprising move that even unsettled Joe a touch, Quarry marched right to Frazier and began to trade blows with him. In hindsight, these were borderline suicidal tactics, but Quarry had an enormous heart and he felt he’d be able to take Joe’s heart in a heated battle. And Quarry had some success. Just not enough of it.
Quarry had fast hands, and he appeared to many to win the opening two sessions. But as we all know today, Frazier was always something of a slow starter, and by rounds three and four it was a case of Joe smoking. Quarry slowed down, and Frazier made it his fight. Frazier, tank-like and seeming to enjoy the fight (a young George Foreman boxed his pro debut on the undercard, and he would remark often in later years how Joe would make a face during the Quarry fight, as though he really was enjoying getting hit; Foreman then knew Joe had no discernable weaknesses as a fighter) was indeed loving the zest of combat.
Frazier would not let Quarry breathe, and now Jerry was simply trying to keep Joe off him. Frazier was getting stronger as the fight went on, with the opposite being witnessed from Quarry. Then, in round-seven, Quarry was bleeding badly from a cut to his right eye, with the eye also swelling up, impeding his vision. The swelling had actually started to bother Quarry in the fourth round, and the writing was on the wall, even if Jerry couldn’t see it too clearly.
Frazier was ready to come out to administer some more hurt in round-eight, but the ringside doctor, upon examining Quarry’s badly injured eye, stopped the fight. Quarry, ever the warrior, was fuming, wanting to go on.
Looking back all these years later, this fight really is one that, though it does enjoy continued fan attention from perhaps older boxing fans, deserves to be far more celebrated than it is. The opening round gives the classic Hagler-Hearns round-one a run for its money.
At the time of the stoppage, Frazier was ahead on all cards, at 6-1, 5-1-1, and 6-1 in rounds. “I stopped it to prevent a slaughter,” the ringside doctor said after the fight.
Frazier and Quarry would fight again, this in June of 1974, at the same location. This time, former heavyweight champ Frazier scored a stoppage in in the fifth round. The legendary Joe Louis, Frazier’s idol, was the referee.
