Muhammad Ali prays for ill Joe Frazier

Updated on: 08 November,2011 09:35 AM IST |
Agencies |

Former heavyweight champ is praying Frazier wins the toughest battle of his life -- cancer

Former heavyweight champ is praying Frazier wins the toughest battle of his lifeu00a0-- cancer

Muhammad Ali

"The news about Joe is hard to believe and even harder to accept," said Ali.u00a0 "Joe is a fighter and a champion and I am praying he is fighting now. "My family and I are keeping Joe and his family in our daily prayers. Joe has a lot of friends pulling for him -- and I'm one of them," added theu00a0 69-year-old former world heavyweight champion.

Legend: Former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier

Frazier was the first man to defeat the legendary Ali, taking the undisputed heavyweight title with a unanimous 15-round decision over Ali in 1971 at Madison Square Garden in what was dubbed the "Fight of the Century".

World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (left) goes down to a left
hook from Joe Frazier in the 15th round in New York in 1971. Frazier
kept the title with an unanimous points win. Pics/Getty Images

Ali won a unanimous
12-round decision in a 1974 rematch and famously completed the trilogy with a victory in 1975 at the "Thrilla in Manila" by stopping Frazier after 14 rounds in their epic slugfest in the Philippines.

"Smokin' Joe" retired shortly after the defeat, finishing 32-4 with one drawn and 27 knockouts. He went on to become a singer in recent years, his back-up group called the Knockouts.

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