Joe Frazier Dead At 67: Floyd Mayweather Makes An Offer On Twitter

Boxing legend Smokin’ Joe Frazier passed away late Monday evening shortly after being diagnosed with liver cancer. The world famous heavyweight was 67 years old.

Frazier, a hero in his hometown of Philadelphia, was known for his aggressive, hard-hitting style. Columnist Bill Lyon summarized Frazier’s fighting style like this:

“He was swarming and unrelenting, and he prided himself that he never took a backward step, and he reduced the Sweet Science to this brutal bit of elemental math: ‘I’ll let you hit me five times if you’ll let me hit you just once.’”

Frazier is known by many as the man who dealt the legendary Muhammad Ali his first ever defeat. It happened at the 1971 “Fight of the Century,” where Frazier downed Ali with a big left hook in the 15th round. The two boxing greats continued to give the world great matches with a rematch in 1974 (which Ali won in a decision) and 1975’s classic “Thrilla in Manilla.”

The sports world (and many others) have mourned the death of Frazier since the news was announced late Monday, with boxer Floyd Mayweather making a particularly interesting offer on Twitter:

Smokin’ Joe’s Facebook and Twitter accounts asked that fans post their thoughts and memories, and many of them have been posted on Frazier’s official site.

He obviously meant quite a bit to many people:

When i was a kid i heard a radio interview with smokin joe. my dad was a goldenglove and loved joe. he sat me down so we could hear the whole thing. from that day forth i was a boxing fan. smokin joe made a fan for life with his interview. thanks joe to this day im a fan – Tailyn, from Facebook.

The greatest and most gracious heavyweight champion ever to grace the ring in my humble opinion.When I tell my kids about boxing legends,Joe Frazier comes above everyone.I hope by telling them the truth that I can keep Joe at the forefront of future generations’ thoughts. Godspeed, big man – Paul, from Facebook

Other well-known people took to Twitter to express their condolences for the loss of Frazier:

What are your memories of Smokin’ Joe? Let us know in the comments. And head on over to Famous Dead to express your condolences.