Joe Frazier Faces Toughest Fight of His Life As He Attempts to Beat Liver Cancer

Boxing legend “Smokin'” Joe Frazier is in the middle of the hardest fight of his life: the fight against cancer.

The former heavyweight champion was diagnosed with liver cancer about four or five weeks ago, according to his personal and business manager, Leslie Wolff, and now the 67-year-old former does not know how long he has to live.

Frazier has been hospitalized several times since the beginning of October and has been under hospice care since last week.

Frazier won his only heavyweight title by defeating Jimmy Ellis with a fifth-round technical knockout on Feb. 16, 1970, and became a household name after handing Muhammad Ali the first loss of his career in the “Fight of the Century” in 1971.

Frazier suffered his first loss and lost his title to George Foreman on Jan. 22, 1973. The “Sunshine Showdown,” as the Frazier-Foreman fight was known as, was over quickly after Frazier was knocked down six times in two rounds.

Frazier never regained the title after that defeat, but he continued to be a part of epic fights. He fought Ali two more times, both Ali wins, including the “Thrilla in Manila” in 1975.

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