Learning a little from Smokin' Joe

it is an amazing thought. Best in the world.

Between 1970 and 1973, Smokin' Joe Frazier was the best heavyweight boxer on the planet. Certainly, he should be considered among the best ever.

Last night, at Beaufort's Watefront Park, Gov. Mark Sanford presented the Beaufort, SC native with the Order of the Palmetto, the highest award a South Carolinian can achieve. Past recipients include author (and Beaufortonian) Pat Conroy and singer James Brown.

Not only was Frazier the best in the world, he was the best in the world during an era many consider to be the golden age of heavyweight fighters. And not only was Frazier the best during this era of "the best," he was almost always the little guy in the ring, giving up height, weight and reach to just about all of his opponents. Standing less than 6 feet tall, Frazier frequently climbed into the ring with the likes of Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, who both stood in the 6-3 to 6-4 range. 

Former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, on hand last night for the presentation. towered over Frazier after the ceremony. The two never fought, but were regular sparring partners, and remain close friends to this day.

As we struggle with a difficult real estate market, maybe we can derive inspiration from somebody like Frazier. He grew up as one of ten children of an impoverished Beaufort share cropper in the segregated South. Talk about long odds.

As a boy, Frazier would wrap a mattress around an oak tree, converting the tree into a heavy bag. Talk about resourceful. 

The South was segregated during Frazier's youth, so he headed north to Philadelphia to pursue his dream of becoming a prize fighter.  Talk about doing what you have to do.

A lot of us know that Frazier won a gold medal in the 1964 Olympics, but many don't know that Frazier did not originally qualify for the Olympic Games, only getting his opportunity when qualifier Buster Mathis was injured and could not compete. Talk about making the most of every opportunity.

Even fewer people realize that Frazier fought the gold medal bout with a broken hand. Talk about friggin' unbelievable.

Despite a lifetime of achievement, Frazier will always be most closely associated with his arch rival, Muhammad Ali whom he fought three times in the early 1970s. Before their final, epic and brutal fight in Manila, Frazier said he wanted Muhammad Ali like a "pig wants mud." Talk about determination.

Ali stopped Frazier after the 14th round in Manila. Even with his eyes so battered and swollen that he could no longer see clearly, Frazier still rose from his stool to go out for the 15th and final round. Only his trainers wouldn't let him. "It's all over," is what trainer Eddie Futch is said to have told Frazier before the beginning of the last round, as Joe protested the decision to stop the fight.

Talk about someone we can all admire and learn from.