January 2002 - July 2006 - The Jerry Quarry Foundation

dodging more deserving opponents. But I don't believe it is the case as a
fighter doesn't have to take a tough fight every time out. Ali examples: Jean
Pierre Coopman in a title defense, Chuck Wepner, in a title defense, Rudi
Lubbers, while making his comeback, Richard Dunn, as a title defense, Jurgin
Blin, during his comeback, Alfredo Evangelista in a title defense, and a host of
others during his first rise to the title. Does because Ali took these fights
mean that he should not be considered the greatest heavyweight of all time? Of
course not! Also, I am sure we could find contenders who deserved a fight with
Ali that Ali didn't fight if we wanted to but again, this doesn't take away from
Ali's greatness.Similarily, Larry Holmes fought people like Evangelista,
in a title defense, Scott Frank in a title defense, and Scott Ledoux, in a title
defense while he didn't fight Gerrie Coetzee, Greg Page, and Michael Dokes,
three deserving fighters. Does this take away from Holmes' legacy as an all
time great? Not at all because sometimes things like politics of the sport can
keep fights from happening or simply, there isn't enough money in a certain
fight and in the case of Frazier, he was practical about the business side of
things and he often went with what would make him more money.Noam, you
can argue that what would make Joe more money, a fight with Ron Lyle or Earnie
Shavers or a fight with Ron Stander? But you keep missing the point that
Shavers and Lyle were essentially fighters from a later era, that they were not
viable contenders that would have made Joe more money until after Joe had faded
from the scene. By 1975 Joe had one more big fight in him so should he
have taken a fight with Ali for the title, his one last chance at the brass
ring, or should he have fought Lyle or Shavers, two prospects with potential? Of
course Joe took the Ali fight!I will use an analogy regarding Lennox
Lewis again. Because Lewis didn't fight current rising prospect Samuel Peter, a
dangerous slugger like Lyle and Shavers, mean Lewis avoided him? Not at all
because even though Peter was an active fighter when Lewis' career was winding
down, Peter was unproven (and still is) at that time and there was no call for
such a fight. Samuel Peter is where Lyle and Shavers were when Frazier's career
was winding down, two fighters with potential but not really on the scene
yet.|
|2/20/05 11:58:50 AM|Kent|La Habra, Ca||kentallenent@aol.com||||10|One more add
on regarding Lyle and Shavers. For the last time I will point out that either
of them would have earned the right to fight Frazier in a title elimination
fight if they had beaten Jerry Quarry in 1973 but because they both lost to
Jerry, they had to work their way back up, which they did by 1975 and later.
Frazier had his one last shot against Ali, which he earned by beating Quarry in
1974.It is getting tiresome pointing out the obvious time and time
again. Maybe Mark S. or Forest can pick up the ball from here on.|
|2/20/05 01:17:05 PM|Zydrunas|Roma||nobodyrootsforGolia.com||||10|Alfredo
Evangelista is in a ristretta elite with Wilt Chamberlain, Mohammad Ali', Pele'
and a few others as one of the greatest men of sport of the last century.|
|2/20/05 05:00:37 PM|Zydrunas|Roma||nobodyrootsforGolia.com||||10|I have just
realized that Alfredo Evangelista was from Uruguay, not from Italy...What a bum
!|
|2/20/05 06:26:18 PM|Noam|same||same||||10|Kent,In 1975 Frazier fought
Ellis for the second time and knocked him out in 9. He'd already beaten Ellis in
1970. Why fight him again ?Lots of guys were available. Ron Lyle for
example. In 1974 Lyle beat Bonavena and then he beat Ellis. In 1975 Lyle fought
Ali and Shavers. Yet Frazier opted to fight Ellis again in 1975 when Ron Lyle
was available. I say Joe opted for Ellis because he didn't have Lyle's
punch.Earnie Shavers was also available before Joe retired the first
time in 1976. While Joe was rehashing fights against Quarry and Ellis whom he'd
already beaten easily, Shavers was available. In 1973 Shavers knocked
out Ellis in one round. Yet once again Frazier chose to fight Ellis instead of a
noted puncher (Shavers) who had previously beaten Ellis. Both Lyle and