Marvis Frazier (born September 12, 1960) is an American former

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...

who fought in the

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

division. The son of

Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. Nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He was known for ...

, he challenged once for the heavyweight title.

Early life

Marvis was born September 12, 1960, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, the son of the then future world heavyweight champion,

. Marvis was at ringside for all of his father's fights after the second Oscar Bonavena bout in December 1968, including the great fights with

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

. Marvis exhibited four rounds with his father in

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, on December 3, 1976, and staged another exhibition in 1977. His sister Jackie Frazier-Lyde was also a professional boxer, as was his brother Joe Frazier, Jr. (a.k.a. Hector Frazier). Marvis lived with his family in a 16-room stone split-level home in Whitemarsh.Being Joe Frazier's son hasn't turned his head
by Gary Ronberg, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', August 8, 1978, 5-C. Marvis was involved in other sports, but finally gave it all up in favor of boxing, "I played football and basketball and I wrestled, and I love them all, especially football. I was a running back. When I was in ninth grade, Duke and Temple talked to me about going there. But I fell so much in love with boxing. I gave up the other sports. Once I get into a sport. I dedicate myself to it. I don't believe in concentrating on more than one thing," Marvis Frazier said on his choice of boxing. He graduated from Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School in suburban PhiladelphiaSecond generation
by Phil Pepe, ''Daily News from New York'', April 9, 1979, p. 278.

Amateur career

Marvis was a highly touted prospect and among the top-ranked amateur heavyweights. He was the 1979 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion and 1980 National AAU Heavyweight Champion. He was coached partly by his father, and in part by Georgie Benton and Val Colbert. "My dad tried not to play too active a role in my career for fear of putting pressure on me," Marvis said.Marvis Frazier Chases Gold
(AP,) ''Albuquerque Journal'', January 28, 1979, E-8. Benton said that Marvis was a model kid. He grew up "like he was poor". According to Benton, "there were no favors. When the grass on the Fraziers' two-and-a-half acre plot needed cutting, Marvis did it. With a hand mower. He goes to choir practice Monday nights, Bible study Wednesday nights and church on Sunday. He doesn't smoke, drink or run around. Not because such strictures are demanded of him, but because that's the way he is boxing or no boxing." His amateur debut came on March 4, 1977, age 16, with a

unanimous decision A unanimous decision (UD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and other sports involving striking and submission in which all three judges agree on which fighte ...

victory over David Bey in Philadelphia. In February 1979, Frazier was ranked #2 U.S. amateur heavyweight by the U.S. Amateur Boxers and Coaches Association, and #1 by the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

. Frazier was a runner-up for the

1979 Pan American Games The 1979 Pan American Games, officially the VIII Pan American Games () and commonly known as San Juan 1979, were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization (PASO), and were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 1 to Jul ...

, where he was expected to meet Teófilo Stevenson for the first time in this competition.Stevenson may have easy time
by Joe Carnicelli (AP,) ''Lowell Sun'', July 2, 1979, p. 26. He was concentrating on the Pan American trials and the Pan Am games, after that, he was aiming for a shot at the Olympics. "That's my goal," he said, but ultimately did not take part in the Pan Am trials on the advice of his father. Joe Frazier thought his 19-year-old son was still too young and inexperienced to meet Stevenson. Marvis didn't show at the 1979 National Sports Festival in

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010 United States Census, 2 ...

, because his father insisted that they send airplane tickets for an accompanying entourage of three people with all expenses paid. Frazier also pulled out of the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

, staged in New York, in October 1979, for the event was largely neglected after Cuba was banned from participation after refusing to team-up with the U.S. to form the "North American team" to compete versus European and other world's athletes. Frazier intended to fly on LOT Polish Airlines Flight 7, where several of his teammates were killed, but his father always avoided flying, and forbade his son to fly as well. Frazier said of this experience: Among his best amateur wins were against future pro contender

Mitch Green Mitch Green (born January 13, 1957) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. He is best known for having gone the distance with Mike Tyson in 1986, who was undefeated at the time. Two years later, in 1988, Green ...

, and future champs Tim Witherspoon, and Bonecrusher Smith. He also decisioned amateur star Jimmy Clark (the #2 ranked amateur heavyweight in the country.) He was KOd by James Broad, a man "I know nothing about," in the 1980 Olympic Trials finals.

Highlights

Philadelphia Golden Gloves,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, March 1977 (amateur debut): *Defeated David Bey by unanimous decision, 5–0 Pennsylvania Golden Gloves, novice division, Palestra,

, March 1977: *1/2: Defeated John Owens by decision *Finals: Defeated Jarrett Smith KO 1 Pennsylvania Golden Gloves, Civic Arena,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, March 1978: *Finals: Defeated Ed Bednarik by majority decision, 4–1 Local match-up, New Jersey, 1978: *Defeated (no data available) RSC 2 Local match-up, Frazier's Gym,

, 1978: *Defeated (no data available) KO 1 Indiana vs. Pennsylvania Golden Glovers match-up, Tyndall Armory,

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, August 1978: *Defeated (no data available) KO 2 Boxing at the Ohio State Fair,

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, August 1978: *Defeated William Hosea by split decision, 2–1 Illinois–Kentucky–Pennsylvania Golden Glovers match-up, Dunlap, Pennsylvania, October 1978: *Defeated Keith Little by decision Philadelphia Golden Gloves,

, February–March 1979: *1/2: Defeated Tim Witherspoon by decision *Finals: Defeated James Smith by decision Eastern Golden Gloves, Liberty Bell Park,

, March 1979: *Finals: Defeated Jimmy Clark by unanimous decision, 5–0 Pennsylvania Golden Gloves, Palestra,

, March 1979: *Finals: Defeated Ed Bednarik KO 1

National Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...

Convention Center A convention center (American and British English spelling differences, American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a Convention (meeting), convention, where individuals and groups ...

, March 1979: *1/16: Defeated Charles Archie KO 1 *1/8: Defeated Bryon Westmoreland by decision *1/4: Defeated Walter Ware by technical walkover *1/2: Defeated William Hosea by decision *Finals: Defeated Philip Brown by decision Frazier vs. Ali teams match-up, Resorts International Hotel Casino,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

, May 1979: *Defeated Tony Tubbs by split decision, 2–1 Frazier vs. Sports For Boys team, Municipal Auditorium,

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, July 1979: *Defeated Robert Lavarry Frazier vs. Clarion team, Tippin Gymnasium, Clarion, Pennsylvania, October 1979: *Defeated Jerome Boyd Florida vs. Pennsylvania Golden Glovers match-up, Coliseum,

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

, November 1979: *Defeated Jeff Foster KO 1 Junior World Championships,

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, December 1979: *1/4: Defeated Daniel Goguen (Canada) KO 2 *1/2: Defeated Alexander Yagubkin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0 *Finals: Defeated Olaf Mayer (Austria) RSC 2 Frazier vs. Ali teams match-up,

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, February 1980: *Lost to Tony Tubbs by decision National Championships,

Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesar ...

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, May 1980: *Finals: Defeated Chris McDonald by decision Olympic Trials,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, June 1980: *1/4: Defeated

by unanimous decision, 5–0 *1/2: Lost to James Broad KO 1 His amateur record was 56 wins and 2 losses. Marvis promised there will be no pro career. "If I can get that Olympic medal, that's it. I'm going to college ( Peirce Junior College in Philadelphia,) and then get in business," he said in 1979. But trainer Georgie Benton saw greater potential, "He's on the road to being a defensive genius. Give me 18 months and I'll have him looking like another Houdini. If you hit him with one hand, you better forget about hitting him with that hand again. You might as well put it in your pocket He can do whatever the situation calls for. He's 18, and he's doing some things the top contenders don't do. Wait until he matures and develops a man's strength," Benton said. Benton, predicted Marvis Frazier will be "the greatest heavyweight since Joe Louis."

Professional career

As a professional, Frazier is best remembered for two first-round knockout losses: a technical knockout from champion

Larry Holmes Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 2002 and was world heavyweight champion from 1978 until 1985. He is often considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. ...

in 1983 and a knockout by rising

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...

in 1986. Pitted against Holmes after just ten professional fights (all victories), Frazier's camp touted his speed and youth as significant advantages over the champion. During the first minute, Frazier taunted Holmes by dropping his hands to his sides and playfully moving his head back and forth. Holmes knocked down Frazier with a right lead two minutes into the fight. Frazier was able to get back up at the count of eight. Frazier, badly hurt, absorbed heavy punches from Holmes, who appealed for the referee to stop the fight. Finally, the referee stopped the fight with just a few seconds left in the first round. Many in the sports press criticized Frazier's father,

, for changing his son's style from that of an out-fighter (which brought Marvis success as an amateur) to an in-fighter, which many thought did not suit Marvis. After his loss to Holmes, Frazier continued to fight and won his next six matches, including victories over future world cruiserweight champion Bernard Benton, heavyweight contenders José Ribalta and James Tillis, and future champion James "Bonecrusher" Smith. With the exception of a first-round knockout in his first fight after losing to Holmes, all of Frazier's fights went the full ten round distance with him winning unanimous or majority decisions in each fight. This set up the fight with the 24–0 Tyson, which was broadcast live from the Glens Falls Civic Center in

Glens Falls, New York Glens Falls is a City (New York), city in Warren County, New York, Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls, New York metropolitan area, Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,83 ...

by ABC. Frazier quickly proved to be outmatched as Tyson landed a huge uppercut then followed with a combination that left Frazier unconscious. Referee Joe Cortez started to count while looking at Frazier, but immediately waved off the fight once he saw that Frazier was not responsive. The 30-second fight is Tyson's quickest knockout of his career. Recalling the fight in later years, Frazier conceded that he had underestimated Tyson. "Tyson was just another guy who was going to be a statistic. Yeah, that's what I thought. I threw a jab and that's all I remember." After Tyson, Frazier did not fight for a title again. After nearly a year away from the ring, Frazier returned to fight twice in two months, winning both of his fights over journeymen fighters. He won his final fight against Phillipp Brown in 1988, retiring with a career record of 19–2.

Retirement and later life

After retiring from boxing, he became an ordained minister and active participant in Prison Fellowship Ministries. Frazier appeared on ''

The Howard Stern Show ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was radio syndication, nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WINS-FM, WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The sho ...

'' with his father to promote

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

's ''

Thrilla in Manila Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III, billed as the ''Thrilla in Manila'', was the third and final professional boxing match between undisputed champion Muhammad Ali, and former champion Joe Frazier, for the heavyweight championship of the world. ...

'' documentary on April 2, 2009. In 2013, Frazier authored an autobiography, ''Meet Marvis Frazier: The Story of the Son of Smokin' Joe'', with co-author Jamie Potter.

Professional boxing record

, - , align="center" colspan=8, 19 Wins (8 knockouts, 11 decisions), 2 Losses (2 knockouts) , - , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Res. , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Record , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Opponent , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Type , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Rd., Time , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Date , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Location , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Notes , -align=center , Win , 19–2 , Philipp Brown , UD , 10 , 1988-10-12 , align=left,

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

, , -align=center , Win , 18–2 , Robert Evans , UD , 10 , 1987-08-10 , align=left,

Secaucus, New Jersey Secaucus ( ) is a Town (New Jersey), town in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 22,181, an increase of 5,917 (+36.4%) from the 2010 United St ...

, , -align=center , Win , 17–2 , Tom Fischer , TKO , 2 (10), , 1987-06-01 , align=left, Secaucus, New Jersey , , -align=center , Loss , 16–2 ,

, KO , 1 (10), , 1986-07-26 , align=left,

, , -align=center , Win , 16–1 , James Smith , UD , 10 , 1986-02-23 , align=left,

Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 3, 1905, and has a Richmond, California, City Council, city council.

, , -align=center , Win , 15–1 , José Ribalta , MD , 10 , 1985-09-11 , align=left,

, , -align=center , Win , 14–1 , James Tillis , UD , 10 , 1985-05-20 , align=left,

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

, , -align=center , Win , 13–1 , Funso Banjo , PTS , 10 , 1984-12-05 , align=left,

London, UK London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...

, , -align=center , Win , 12–1 , Bernard Benton , UD , 10 , 1984-10-23 , align=left, Atlantic City, New Jersey , , -align=center , Win , 11–1 , David Starkey , TKO , 1 (8), , 1984-09-25 , align=left, Pennsauken, New Jersey , , -align=center , Loss , 10–1 ,

, TKO , 1 (12), , 1983-11-25 , align=left,

, style="text-align:left;", , -align=center , Win , 10–0 ,

Joe Bugner József Kreul Bugner (born 13 March 1950) is a Hungarian born British– Australian former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division and actor. He holds triple nationality, originally being a citizen of Hungary and a nat ...

, UD , 10 , 1983-06-04 , align=left, Atlantic City, New Jersey , , -align=center , Win , 9–0 , James Broad , UD , 10 , 1983-04-10 , align=left, Atlantic City, New Jersey , , -align=center , Win , 8–0 , Mike Cohen , KO , 2 , 1983-03-07 , align=left,

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, , -align=center , Win , 7–0 , Amos Haynes , TKO , 5 (10), , 1983-02-08 , align=left, Atlantic City, New Jersey , , -align=center , Win , 6–0 , Guy Casale , RTD , 4 (8), , 1981-09-16 , align=left, Las Vegas, Nevada , , -align=center , Win , 5–0 , Tony Pulu , UD , 6 , 1981-08-22 , align=left, Las Vegas, Nevada , , -align=center , Win , 4–0 , Steve Zouski , KO , 6 (6), , 1981-05-11 , align=left, New York, New York , , -align=center , Win , 3–0 , Melvin Epps , UD , 6 , 1981-04-10 , align=left, New York, New York , , -align=center , Win , 2–0 , Dennis Rivera , TKO , 2 (4), , 1980-10-10 , align=left, New York, New York , , -align=center , Win , 1–0 , Roger Troupe , TKO , 3 (4), , 1980-09-12 , align=left, New York, New York , , -

References

External links

*
Amateur career of Marvis Frazier
(in Spanish) compiled by Pedro Cabrera Isidrón of the Cuban Olympics Committee.
Meet Marvis Frazier

Marvis Frazier's Facebook page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frazier, Marvis 1960 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen African-American boxers American male boxers Boxers from Philadelphia Heavyweight boxers National Golden Gloves champions Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School alumni Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers