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Boxing loses one of its greatest ever
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PHILADELPHIA — Joe Frazier needed the night of his career to knock down “The Greatest.”
Frazier, a Beaufort, S.C., native, knocked down Muhammad Ali in the 15th round and became the first man to beat him in the Fight of the Century at Madison Square Garden in March 1971, the first in a trilogy of bouts that have gone down as boxing’s most fabled fights.
“That was the greatest thing that ever happened in my life,” Frazier said.
The relentless, undersized heavyweight ruled the division as champion, then spent a lifetime trying to fight his way out of Ali’s shadow.
Frazier, who died Monday night after a brief battle with liver cancer at the age of 67, forever will be associated with Ali. No one in boxing ever would dream of anointing Ali as The Greatest unless he, too, was linked to Smokin’ Joe.
“I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration,” Ali said in a statement. “My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones.”
They fought three times, twice in the heart of New York City and once in the morning in a steamy arena in the Thrilla in Manila, the Philippines. They went 41 rounds together. Neither gave an inch and both gave it their all.
In their last fight in Manila in 1975, they traded punches with a fervor that seemed unimaginable among heavyweights. Frazier gave almost as good as he got for 14 rounds, then had to be held back by trainer Eddie Futch as he tried to go out for the final round, unable to see.
“Closest thing to dying that I know of,” Ali said afterward.
Ali was as merciless with Frazier out of the ring as he was inside it. He called him a gorilla and mocked him as an Uncle Tom.

But he respected him as a fighter, especially after Frazier won a decision to defend his heavyweight title against the then-unbeaten Ali in a fight that was so big Frank Sinatra was shooting pictures at ringside and both fighters earned an astonishing $2.5 million.
Bob Arum, who once promoted Ali, said he was saddened by Frazier’s passing.
“He was such an inspirational guy. A decent guy. A man of his word,” Arum said. “I’m torn up by Joe dying at this relatively young age. I can’t say enough about Joe.”
Frazier’s death was announced in a statement by his family, who asked to be able to grieve privately and said they would announce “our father’s homecoming celebration” as soon as possible.
Frazier was small for a heavyweight, weighing just 205 pounds when he won the title by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round of their 1970 fight at Madison Square Garden. But he fought every minute of every round going forward behind a vicious left hook, and there were few fighters who could withstand his constant pressure.
His reign as heavyweight champion lasted only four fights — including the win over Ali — before he ran into an even more fearsome slugger than himself. George Foreman responded to Frazier’s constant attack by dropping him three times in the first round and three more in the second before their 1973 fight in Jamaica was waved to a close and the world had a new heavyweight champion.
Two fights later, Frazier met Ali in a rematch of their first fight and Ali won a 12-round decision. There had to be a third fight, though, and what a fight it was. With Ali’s heavyweight title at stake, the two met in Manila in a fight that long will be seared in boxing history.
Frazier went after Ali round after round, landing his left hook with regularity as he made Ali backpedal around the ring. But Ali responded with left jabs and right hands that found their mark again and again. Even the intense heat inside the arena couldn’t stop the two as they fought every minute of every round with neither willing to concede the other one second of the round.
“They told me Joe Frazier was through,” Ali told Frazier at one point during the fight.
“They lied,” Frazier said, before hitting Ali with a left hook.
Finally, though, Frazier simply couldn’t see and Futch would not let him go out for the 15th round. Ali won the fight while on his stool, exhausted and contemplating himself whether to go on.
“It was unworldly what we had just seen,” Arum said.

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Video shows skier tumble 1,600 feet down mountainside
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While shooting a ski film in Alaska, pro skier Ian McIntosh took a terrifying tumble down the side of a mountain. - photo by Grant Olsen
ALASKA A new video on YouTube is attracting lots of attention for pro skier Ian McIntosh. In the short clip, McIntosh loses control while skiing along a ridge and plummets more than 1,600 feet down a mountain in the Neacola range of Alaska.

According to a report from NBC News, the accident occurred earlier this year when McIntosh was in Alaska participating in the filming of a ski and snowboard movie called Paradise Waits. The film was produced by action sports media company Teton Gravity Research, and they posted the video to their YouTube channel last Thursday.

Teton Gravity Research gave additional details of the frightening event in a recent blog post. McIntosh was following a route hed prepared for, but lost control after falling into a five-foot trench.

"From there, my slough took over and their was no way to stop, McIntosh is quoted as saying in the article. I pulled my airbag to help prevent against any possible trauma injuries as I tumbled to the bottom.

In the blog post, Teton Gravity Research co-founder Todd Jones describes it as the most terrifying crash I've ever seen.

As he skidded and cartwheeled down the mountain, McIntosh lost one of his skis. When he finally came to a stop, he is heard on the videos audio announcing that hes OK.

A company spokesman Eric Henderson confirmed the outcome to NBC News, saying that McIntosh was able to walk away from the crash.

If youd like to see more footage of McIntosh in action, youre in luck. According to the Teton Gravity Research website, Paradise Waits will premiere in Provo at the Tanner Building Theater Friday. Tickets are $13 at the door and the show starts at 7 p.m.
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