January 2002 - July 2006 - The Jerry Quarry Foundation

etter than Joe. |
|2/26/05 10:04:23 PM|Fan|USA||yes||||10| Actually, I wasn't critical of
Ali at all regarding that point. Quite the contrary, I acknowledged that when
one wins so many close fights against formidable opponents, it is simply
impossible to have classic trilogies with each of them - there just is not
enough time in a career to do so. Moreover, the damage anyone
would likely sustain would render such an undertaking futile. Can you imagine
if Ali had taken on three Shavers fights, three Lyle fights, three Foreman
fights, etc.? Between Frazier and Norton, he had six wars which
equaled a lifetime of punishment for many, if not all, of the greats.
Consequently, I believe that there is no question about his heart. He (or his
managers) may have done a bit of ducking, but by and large, he fought everyone.
In my opinion, Ali's lot was just the result of being able to take a punch well
but not having the ability to take adversaries out early. Perhaps it's
semantics, but I do not believe that he was sufficiently dominant to be dubbed
"The Greatest". And as I have admitted, I am uncertain who is deserving of that
title...certainly not Joe. Here's a thought - maybe no one is. I
assure you that if there is a boxer whom I supported unequivocally, it was not
Smokin' Joe, but Jerry Quarry. That's why I am here. PS I stand
corrected - there were actually $5 seats for at least one Quarry fight at MSG -
the Chuvalo bout. Almost as incredible as the ending, where the photographs
demonstrate that Jerry took so little punishment his hair is still parted as he
goes down, while George looks like he's been through a meat grinder. |
|2/27/05 03:29:04 AM|Massimo |Roma||4||||10|I wonder why, if Frazier had
problems to getting (or to get) himself started ( he lost the first round in
most of his fights, including the Stander fight),didn't he use to fight a
couple of rounds in the gym with his favourite sparring partner just before the
fight.|
|2/27/05 04:36:47 AM|Kent|La Habra, Ca||kentallenent@aol.com||||10|Could it be
possible that it was Norton who was avoiding Frazier in the most likely time
period when such a fight would have happened, 1973? After all, Norton
had already earned his title shot with his win in the first fight with Ali and a
near win verses Ali in the second fight didn't keep him from getting his title
shot verses Foreman. Norton likely would not want to put his title shot in
danger by fighting Frazier. After all, as I stated above, he had already earned
his shot so he waited for it, just as Frazier waited for his shot later, the
next year after beating Quarry. Norton didn't fight Frazier because it wasn't
needed. Also, Norton himself had trouble with punchers, which Frazier
was. Norton had a knockout loss to J.L. Garcia, and his later blow out losses to
Foreman, Shavers, and Cooney. In effect, Norton's managment knew this weakness
all along and they avoided Frazier so Norton could keep his title
shot.In the period before 1973, Norton had not beaten anyone of note,
his biggest win, Henry Clark. That is why his win over Ali in 73 was such a big
deal, it was a huge upset and Norton had been Frazier's sparring partner, the
public wasn't calling for such a fight. You can say that Ali did take just such
a fight with Norton and Frazier didn't but I doubt Ali thought in his wildest
dreams he would lose it.In 1974, Norton was for the most part inactive
after losing to Foreman and in 1975 Frazier took his tune up with Ellis, which
he was entitled to to prepare for Ali.After Oct. 75, Frazier verses
Norton was a moot point as Frazier was finished as a factor after the tough loss
to Ali.|
|2/27/05 02:01:09 PM|Noam|same||same||||10|KentYou are clutching at
straws in trying to defend Frazier. In his book Frazier himself says that he
didn't fight Norton because, in his words, there "was no money in it".
Apparently, there was more money in facing Daniels and Stander. It is
ludicrous to suggest that Norton was ducking Frazier. In 1973 he fought Ali
twice. In 1974 he fought Foreman. In 1975 he fought Quarry. In 1976 he sought