The Strange Case of Heavyweight Marvis “Little Smoke” Frazier, Son of Smokin’ Joe
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Everybody knows the late former World Heavyweight Champion Smokin’ Joe Frazier and his green boxing trunks. Joe, who won the battle of undefeated heavyweight champions when he dropped and decisioned Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden over 15 rounds to retain the title, and who subsequently fought Muhammad Ali twice more, and George Foreman twice, is not the subject of this editorial.
The subject of this editorial is Marvis “Little Smoke” Frazier, not the only boxing Frazier in the clan of boxing Frazier children and relatives. Marvis Frazier is certainly the most unique, strange case of the boxing Frazier brood. The record of Marvis Frazier makes absolutely no sense when you put two and two equals four together. The wins of Marvis are unique, when you interpret them in comparison with his two losses, which appear to have some psychological origins. Marvis, who has written a book on his life story entitled Meet Marvis Frazier: The Son of Smokin’ Joe with co-author Jamie Potter, is today close friends with former World Heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, who represented one of the two losses incurred by Marvis. The other loss was to Iron Mike Tyson.
Marvis, 10-1 as an amateur, 19-2 as a pro, became known overnight, when he and his father Smokin’ Joe Frazier were featured on a Sports Illustrated cover. Marvis won two six round decisions, and won eight 10 round decisions, including five 10 round decision wins in a row. The riddle of Marvis has to do with boxing match up triangles, which often yield oddly different results. Marvis decisioned Bonecrusher Smith over 10 rounds. Smith subsequently stopped Tim Witherspoon in the first round to win the World Boxing Association World Heavyweight title, the same Witherspoon who lost a split decision to Larry Holmes in a title bout which looked like Witherspoon won. Smith won a 12 round decision over Mike Weaver, but lost a 12 round WBA and WBC World Heavyweight title bout decision to Mike Tyson. Marvis also won a 10 round decision over James Tillis, who went the distance losing a 10 round decision to Mike Tyson.
Marvis won a 10 round decision over Phillipp Brown in his last pro bout, when Brown had won eight bouts in a row. Marvis won a 10 round decision with Jose Ribalta, who went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson as well. Marvis won a 10 round decision over Joe Bugner, who went the distance with Muhammad Ali twice, as well as going the distance with his father Smokin’ Joe.
The bottom line is what is called “the fear factor”, whereby certain boxers are afraid of an opponent when they allow themselves to get outpsyched before the bout. Marvis won a 10 round decision over two fighters who went the distance with Tyson. One of them, Smith, stopped Tim Witherspoon in the first round, who went the distance in a world title bout with Larry Holmes. The Marvis Frazier story is the story behind him was not just because different matchups yield different results. Different fighters react differently to the other fighter they are matched against. You have to believe in yourself, and in the absence of that, your attitude can decision the outcome of the bout in advance.
The analogy is Marvis Frazier was afraid of Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson in his own mind internally, so his bouts with them were over before they ever began. Self-confidence is hard to acquire for some athletes, inconsistent with others. You have to have it to succeed. Also, Marvis’ bout with Larry Holmes was not sanctioned for a world title, so what business did Joe have pushing his son into it? Tyson and Holmes were beaten a grand total of 12 times, including Tyson’s stoppage of Holmes. Tyson was stopped in three of his last four bouts. The conclusion is Marvis Frazier was not invincible, but neither were Holmes or Tyson, for that matter. On a good day, any fighter can be beaten. The moral of the story is, usually consistency prevails, but not always. The class adage “be prepared, both physically and mentally” applies in all sports and under all circumstances. Marvis allowed himself to get out psyched, much like Michael Spinks got out psyched by Tyson as well. Mike Tyson lost his final bout, getting stopped by Kevin McBride, a fighter Michael Spinks and Marvis Frazier would have easily beaten.
COMMENTS
English