Smokin’ Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier

Journalist Kram (Like Any Normal Day) delivers a sympathetic account of a boxing great fated to be overshadowed by Muhammad Ali. Born to rural poverty in South Carolina in 1944, Frazier displayed prodigious strength from childhood and quickly gained a reputation as a fearsome brawler. Yet it was not until he moved to Philadelphia in 1962 that he started boxing seriously, winning Olympic gold in Tokyo two years later. Undersize but a devastating puncher, Frazier became heavyweight champion in 1970 when he beat Jimmy Ellis. Then, in 1971, Frazier defeated Ali in what was billed as the Fight of the Century. They would battle two more times (Ali won the second and the final, “Thrilla in Manila”), and Frazier would spend the rest of his life losing the popularity battle to the loquacious legend. Kram’s fluid account balances Frazier’s remarkable generosity (giving cash to homeless people, pulling over for stranded motorists) with his chronic infidelity and explosive rage. Kram vividly describes Frazier’s South Carolina upbringing and moonshiner father, and includes well-told though familiar stories of his rivalry with Ali; however, one wishes for a deeper evaluation of his life, especially his meteoric rise from boxing novice to Olympic hero. Nevertheless, boxing fans will welcome this celebration of a champion. (June)