Uncredited / associated press
A statue commemorating Joe Frazier’s victory over Muhammad Ali on March 8, 1971 was unveiled Monday in Feasterville, Pennsylvania.
According to the Associated Press, Dan Gelston, the statue can be seen in a gym owned by Joe Hand Promotions and is expected to be housed in a sports museum in Pennsylvania.
Ali was a perfect 31-0 tournament when he traveled to Madison Square Garden in New York City to face Frazier. He suffered his first defeat by losing a unanimous decision in what many consider to be one of the biggest fights ever. The two legends crossed twice more, with Ali coming out on top in 1974 and 1975.
While a native of South Carolina, Frazier adopted Philadelphia as his hometown.
““He just represents what Philadelphia is about,” Joe Frazier Jr. said of his father. Work hard. It’s not just about talking to your mouth. It speaks to your actions. That’s what this’s about. ‘
The city honored Frazier with its own statue in 2015, almost four years after his death from liver cancer in 2011.