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Smokin’ Joe Frazier statue moved to the base of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

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On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Art Commission voted unanimously to move the statue of heavyweight champion Joe Frazier from outside Stateside Live in South Philadelphia to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art – to the same place where the Rocky statue has stood since 2006.

The three-foot bronze statue, created by artist Stephen Layne and installed in 2015, depicts Frazier landing the left hook that dropped Muhammad Ali in the 15th round of the “Fight of the Century” at Madison Square Garden in 1971.

The decision comes after the commission voted in January to move the Rocky statue to the top of the steps. Rocky will first enter the museum for an exhibition running from April to August, and then be permanently installed at the top – near where it was originally unveiled at the end of “Rocky III.” A replica of the Rocky statue loaned by Sylvester Stallone will be returned to the actor.

The Frazier statue is expected to be in place in spring 2026. The relocation cost is estimated at $150,000. Interpretive panels will be added to educate visitors about Frazier’s life and legacy.

Real Rocky Philadelphia

Frazier moved to Philadelphia from Beaufort, South Carolina at age 15 and began boxing in the Police Athletic League. He won a gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, became the undisputed heavyweight champion and was the first man to defeat Muhammad Ali, winning a unanimous decision in a fight at the Garden in 1971. He finished his professional career 32-4-1 with 27 knockouts.

Frazier’s training habits – running up the Art Museum stairs and punching beef in the meat locker – directly inspired details of the Rocky character. Stallone gave Frazier a cameo in the first Rocky film and was considering him for the role of Clubber Lang in Rocky III before a sparring session convinced Stallone otherwise.

Frazier founded Joe Frazier’s Gym on North Broad Street in 1968 and mentored local youth and amateur boxers there for more than 40 years. He died in Philadelphia in 2011 at the age of 67.

The family’s reaction

Frazier’s daughter and former boxer Jacqueline Frazier-Lyde took part in the vote. “My father taught staircase training at the Art Museum,” she said. “We come from the great tradition of boxing and the sporting tradition of Philadelphia. We are very elated to celebrate reality so that inspiring truth can truly inspire everyday people.”

Frazier’s two granddaughters expressed concerns during the public comment session about why the real champion would be at the bottom of the stairs while the fictional boxer sat at the top. Gabrielle Gibson told the commission: “The story of these stairs is well known to those who know it, and it is not the Rocky Staircase. It is Joe Frazier’s Smokin’ Staircase.”

The commission noted that tourists approaching the museum would first encounter the Frazier statue, and the statue’s larger footprint made the base a more practical location. The monument will be surrounded by reading rails displaying historical information about Frazier, and directions to the Frazier monument will be provided in the Rocky store at the foot of the stairs.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker supported the move. “The placement of the Joe Frazier statue in the Museum of Art reaffirms Philadelphia’s commitment to honoring real-life achievements combined with cultural mythology,” Parker said.

The Rocky statue attracts approximately 4 million tourists to the museum each year. The city hopes that a statue of Frazier in the same busy location will finally give one of boxing’s greatest champions the visibility his legacy deserves.


Sources:

Billy Penn in WHY

Philadelphia

NBC10 Philadelphia

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Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating top-ranked Lennox Lewis

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Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating a prime Lennox Lewis

Britain has produced some great heavyweights in recent years, ending an almost century-long curse and seeing success in the division ever since. Predicting the outcome of the clash between two of the best fighters in the country, Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury, Roy Jones Jr said it would be a “great fight”.

Bob Fitzsimmons became the first British world heavyweight champion in 1897, and he and Jones remain the only two fighters in boxing history to have won both middleweight and heavyweight world titles.

However, Great Britain struggled for success in the division after the Fitzsimmons fight, unable to claim heavyweight supremacy until Lennox Lewis became WBC world champion in 1992. Britain has since crowned its title 11th world heavyweight championFabio Wardley, who follows in the footsteps of Fury and Anthony Joshua.

In an interview with Grosvenor CasinoJones said he would give Lewis an advantage over the “Gypsy King” if they met in their prime.

“Tyson Fury vs. Lennox Lewis? That would be a great fight, but my first thought was Lennox Lewis because of his power. But my second thought was also that Tyson Fury was great at making adjustments. I would go with Lennox Lewis.”

At least one heavyweight world title is expected to remain in a Briton’s hands for some time, with Daniel Dubois scheduled to face another Briton, Fabio Wardley, for the WBO belt next month.

In the meantime, we hope 21-year-old Moses Itauma can continue Britain’s success for many years to come, with the youngster considered by many to be the hottest prospect in boxing.

As for Fury, he is focused on the UK-wide megafight with Joshua – their own ‘Battle of Britain’ after Lennox fought Frank Bruno in 1993.

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Jermell Charlo says Derrick James has changed with fame

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Image: Jermell Charlo says Derrick James changed as success grew

“Derrick James, he started getting a little more players and a little more buzz, and I feel like our communication has changed,” Charlo told Brian Custer.

Charlo said that as James built a larger stable, there was less hands-on time spent with him and more trying to control the gym environment. He claimed that James wanted things done his way, including telling players to remove dogs from the gym during training sessions and changing the atmosphere that helped build their success.

Charlo has been out of the ring since his loss to Saul Alvarez in 2023, and James recently split from Errol Spence Jr. A coach once considered one of the safest hands in the sport is suddenly facing public criticism from two of his biggest names.

“He wanted it his way,” Charlo said. “Coach needs us. Don’t overdo it, coach. Serene down, coach. I was your first champion.”

He also pointed to his camp leading up to the Alvarez fight, saying the support around him wasn’t the same when he needed it most.

“You don’t enter into a world title fight like that,” Charlo said.

Charlo still believes he can regain his spot in the junior middleweight division, and talks about a possible fight with Sebastian Fundora are ongoing later this year. His confidence hasn’t changed, but his patience with ancient alliances has noticeably changed. Sometimes a rift begins when success changes the room.

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Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight: ‘It’s going to sound crazy’

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Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: “This is going to sound mad”

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua look set to face each other later this year in what could be one of the biggest British boxing events of all time.

Another British legend, Naseem Hamed, presented the course of the fight in a surprising way.

Fury had his ring returned within a a decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier this monthshaking off ring rust at the age of 37 and allegedly preparing for a showdown with Joshua that the “Gypsy King” was set to take place this summer.

However, ‘AJ’ instead maintained that he would prefer a warm-up fight first, with the Londoner expected to return to action in July, ahead of a long-awaited meeting with his arch-rival in November.

I’m talking to talkSPORT BoxingHamed was looking forward to this match and suggested that a draw could be on the cards.

“Who do I think will win the fight between AJ and Fury? Well, that is the question and everyone wants to know.

“Years ago, Tyson had this awkward style for me where he could make AJ look stupid, that’s true. Now everything has changed. Tyson seemed to have backed off a little bit.

“But with Tyson Fury you never know, maybe one night he’ll show up and box amazingly and do what he did to Wilder. Those first few rounds [against Makhmudov]I was a little disappointed that he didn’t go from the start.

“This is going to sound crazy to you, but would it be unbelievable if I said it could be a draw?”

It is unclear whether Fury will also fight in the summer or whether he will avoid risking a lucrative romance with Joshua and wait patiently on the sidelines.

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