[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16993]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JOE FRAZIER

  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 319, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 319) honoring the life and legacy of 
     Joe Frazier.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 319) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 319

       Whereas boxing legend ``Smokin''' Joe Frazier lost a battle 
     with liver cancer on November 7, 2011;
       Whereas, with the passing of Joe Frazier, the State of 
     South Carolina and the United States lost 1 of the greatest 
     heavyweight boxing champions of the modern era;
       Whereas Joe Frazier was born on January 12, 1944, to a 
     farmer in Beaufort, South Carolina;
       Whereas, in Beaufort, South Carolina, Joe Frazier 
     discovered the passion for boxing that would ultimately lead 
     him to greatness;
       Whereas Joe Frazier left his childhood home and began to 
     work in a meat packing company based in Philadelphia, 
     Pennsylvania;
       Whereas Joe Frazier trained in a Philadelphia Police 
     Athletic League gymnasium to prepare for his first amateur 
     fights;
       Whereas, in 1964, Joe Frazier became the only United States 
     athlete to win an Olympic gold medal for boxing during the 
     Summer Olympic Games in Japan, despite breaking a thumb and 
     fighting with a broken hand;
       Whereas, upon becoming a professional boxer in 1965, Joe 
     Frazier was known for having a powerful left hook, which led 
     Frazier to defeat his first 11 opponents;
       Whereas Joe Frazier defeated Jimmy Ellis, the World Boxing 
     Association heavyweight champion, in 1970 and held the 
     heavyweight title until 1973;
       Whereas, on March 8, 1971 in Madison Square Garden, Joe 
     Frazier became the first boxer to defeat Muhammad Ali, 
     throwing a devastating left hook in the 15th round that 
     ultimately led to a victory by decision;
       Whereas, in 1971, Joe Frazier became the first African-
     American man since the Civil War to address the South 
     Carolina State Legislature in Columbia, South Carolina;
       Whereas, in 1975, arch-rivals Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali 
     met in the ``Thrilla in Manilla'' for the third and final 
     fight between the two men, and a battered, bruised, and 
     nearly blind Frazier lost by technical knockout when his 
     trainer pulled him from the fight in the 14th round;
       Whereas, after retiring from boxing, Joe Frazier mentored 
     youth boxers in Philadelphia and encouraged the boxers to 
     lead productive lives and avoid violence;
       Whereas Joe Frazier personified the fighting spirit of the 
     city of Philadelphia;
       Whereas Joe Frazier was inducted into the International 
     Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990;
       Whereas Joe Frazier finished his boxing career with 32 
     wins, of which 27 were knockouts, 4 losses, and 1 draw; and
       Whereas ``Smokin''' Joe Frazier epitomized 1 of the 
     greatest eras in boxing, rising from humble origins on a 
     South Carolina farm to become the heavyweight boxing world 
     champion, and inspiring a generation of Americans: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) mourns the loss of Joe Frazier;
       (2) honors the life and accomplishments of Joe Frazier, an 
     American champion and a world renowned boxing legend; and
       (3) offers the deepest condolences of the Senate to the 
     family of Joe Frazier.

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