Boxing mourned former undisputed heavyweight champ Joe Frazier this year, while the Klitschko brothers completed their domination of the division to hold all the major belts.
Frazier died in Philadelphia last month after a brief battle with liver cancer. He was 67.
“Smokin’ Joe” captured two major heavyweight titles in his career and famously beat Muhammad Ali in New York in 1971 in a bout dubbed “The Fight of the Century.”
He was a huge part of the heyday of boxing’s heavyweight division in the 1970s and finished his stellar career with 32 wins (27 knockouts), four losses and one draw. All four losses came at the hands of just two other legendary fighters from that era: Ali and George Foreman.
Tributes to Frazier came from across the weight categories, with multiple world champion Manny Pacquiao acknowledging the loss of a “great champion and ambassador.”
“The world has lost a great champion,” Ali said. “I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration.”
Ali’s and Frazier’s trilogy of fights had the world transfixed.
Frazier, the quiet former farmhand from South Carolina, was the first man to silence Ali at Madison Square Garden in 1971.
His unanimous 15-round victory was watched by an estimated global TV audience of 300 million, with Frazier’s classic left hook flooring Ali in the last round.
Ali took his revenge at the Garden in 1974, with their third meeting coming the following year in the “Thrilla in Manila.”
It was in this epic, brutal slugfest in crippling conditions that Frazier cemented his place as one of the greatest champions the ring has ever known, his trainer Eddie Futch having to step in to halt the show after the 14th round.
Despite being barely able to stay on his feet, Frazier begged to come out for the 15th round.
Ali described the experience as “the closest thing to dying that I know of.”
This may have been the last time they raised their gloves in anger at each other, but their sparring continued out of the ring for years after. Frazier, bitter at articulate Ali’s personal taunts, was unable to shed the scars of being called “Uncle Tom” and “gorilla,” once suggesting that his old nemesis’ struggles with Parkinson’s were God’s way of punishing him for his behavior out of the ring.
However, in 2009 Frazier told Sports Illustrated that he had forgiven his old rival.
Brothers Vitali, the WBC champion, and Wladimir Klitschko now dominate the heavyweight division.
Wladimir finally silenced David Haye’s taunts to relieve the brash Briton of his WBA belt to add to his collection of IBF, WBO and IBO crowns.
The eagerly anticipated clash in July was marked by Haye’s pre-fight taunts threatening to expose Klitschko as a “fraud” and to dismantle the “Ukrainian robot” he maligned in the build-up to the unification bout.
Haye’s promises proved to be empty and, hampered by a broken toe, he failed to get behind Klitschko’s impressive defense and the Ukrainian won the fight unanimously.
As promised, Haye celebrated his 31st birthday in October by retiring, but he is in talks with Vitali to climb back in the ring.
“If a fight comes against Haye, I will knock him out,” promised Vitali, who first faces Britain’s Dereck Chisora in Munich on Feb. 18. “Then there will be no questions left. David is the best in the world: not as a boxer, but as a loudmouth.”
Pacquiao defended his WBO welterweight belt twice this year, but went the distance on both occasions. He saw off Shane Mosley with a unanimous decision in May, then defended his title for the third time since stepping up in weight with a majority decision against Juan Manuel Marquez last month.
Generally, it was a bad 12 months for British fighters.
Carl Froch was beaten when Andre Ward won the final of the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament on Saturday with a unanimous decision in Atlantic City that left the Briton “devastated.” As a future opponent, Ward could now face Welshman Nathan Cleverly, the WBO light heavyweight title-holder, and Britain’s sole surviving world champion.
Amir Khan lost both his WBA and IBF light welterweight titles early this month in a controversial narrow points defeat to Lamont Peterson in Washington.
Khan crucially had two points deducted by referee Joseph Cooper for pushing, and he insists the decision was unfair and is hoping his appeal will lead to the result being overturned. Khan wants a rematch in Las Vegas next year.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely