Philadelphia to honor legendary boxer Joe Frazier Wednesday
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia will honor the legacy of legendary boxer Joe Frazier on Wednesday. City councilmember Kenyatta Johnson will hold a ceremony outside Xfinity Live! at 11th and Pattison Streets in the South Philadelphia sports complex.
The ceremony will be held in front of an 11-foot-tall bronze statue depicting Frazier at the top of his career.
Johnson will present the Frazier family with a Philadelphia City Council citation and also discuss Frazier's life, who made the city his adopted home for more than 50 years.
"This event is an opportunity to recognize Joe Frazier not just for his accomplishments in the world of boxing but his legacy in the city," Johnson said in a news release. "Mr. Frazier was the embodiment of the fighting spirit of all Philadelphians and his legacy is one of hard work, determination, and grit to succeed at all odds. He followed his dreams and achieved his dream to become heavyweight boxing champion of the world."
Frazier was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, on Jan. 12, 1944 and became interested in boxing in the early 1950s.
At 15, Fraizer took a Greyhound bus from Beaufort to New York City in 1959 but settled in Philadelphia. He lived in Philly until his Nov. 7, 2011, death at the age of 67.
Frazier learned to box in 1961 at the 23rd Street Police Athletic League of Philadelphia facility in North Philadelphia.
In 1965, Frazier became a pro boxer and won the heavyweight title on Feb. 16, 1970, defeating then-champion Jimmy Ellis at Madison Square Garden. He was the heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973, and he also won a gold medal in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Fraizer beat Muhammad Ali in what became known as "The Fight of the Century" on March 8, 1971, at the Garden. It was Ali's first professional loss.
He's a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and finished his career with 32 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw -- 27 of his wins came by knockout.
The ceremony will take place from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. It's free and open to the public.
