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Smokin' Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier
A gripping, all-access biography of Joe Frazier, whose rivalry with Muhammad Ali riveted boxing fans and whose legacy as a figure in American sports and society endures
History will remember the rivalry of Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali as one for the ages, a trilogy of extraordinary fights that transcended the world of sports and crossed into a sociocultural drama that divided the country.
Joe Frazier was a much more complex figure than just his rivalry with Ali would suggest. In this riveting and nuanced portrayal, acclaimed sports writer Mark Kram, Jr. unlinks Frazier from Ali and for the first time gives a full-bodied accounting of Frazier’s life, a journey that began as the youngest of thirteen children packed in small farm house, encountering the bigotry and oppression of the Jim Crow South, and continued with his voyage north at age fifteen to develop as a fighter in Philadelphia.
Tracing Frazier’s life through his momentous bouts with the likes of Ali and George Foreman and the developing perception of him as the anti-Ali in the eyes of blue-collar America, Kram follows the boxer through his retirement in 1981, exploring his relationship with his son, the would-be heavyweight Marvis, and his fragmented home life as well as the uneasy place that Ali continued to occupy in his thoughts.
A propulsive and richly textured narrative that is also a powerful story about race and class in America, Smokin' Joe is unparalleled in its scope, depth, and access and promises to be the definitive biography of a towering American figure whose life was galvanized by conflict and whose mark has proven lasting.
History will remember the rivalry of Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali as one for the ages, a trilogy of extraordinary fights that transcended the world of sports and crossed into a sociocultural drama that divided the country.
Joe Frazier was a much more complex figure than just his rivalry with Ali would suggest. In this riveting and nuanced portrayal, acclaimed sports writer Mark Kram, Jr. unlinks Frazier from Ali and for the first time gives a full-bodied accounting of Frazier’s life, a journey that began as the youngest of thirteen children packed in small farm house, encountering the bigotry and oppression of the Jim Crow South, and continued with his voyage north at age fifteen to develop as a fighter in Philadelphia.
Tracing Frazier’s life through his momentous bouts with the likes of Ali and George Foreman and the developing perception of him as the anti-Ali in the eyes of blue-collar America, Kram follows the boxer through his retirement in 1981, exploring his relationship with his son, the would-be heavyweight Marvis, and his fragmented home life as well as the uneasy place that Ali continued to occupy in his thoughts.
A propulsive and richly textured narrative that is also a powerful story about race and class in America, Smokin' Joe is unparalleled in its scope, depth, and access and promises to be the definitive biography of a towering American figure whose life was galvanized by conflict and whose mark has proven lasting.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2019
48 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
Mark Kram Jr.
5 books12 followersWork by Mark Kram Jr. has appeared in The Best American Sports Writing (Houghton Mifflin) six times: 2011, 2008, 2005, 2003, 2002 and 1994. The Society of Professional Journalists honored him with the 2011 Sigma Delta Chi Award for feature writing. The Associated Press Sports Editors have awarded him first place prizes for feature writing in 2008 and for explanatory reporting in 2009 and 2010. With the Philadelphia Daily News since 1987, he has worked previously at the Detroit Free Press and the Baltimore News American. Additionally, he contributes the “American Read” essay for Business Day Sports Monthly in Cape Town, South Africa. He is also a former contributing writer for Philadelphia Magazine. He is the son of the late Mark Kram, an acclaimed writer for Sports Illustrated and the author of a controversial book on the rivalry between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Ghosts of Manila. Kram Jr. attended the University of Maryland, College Park and graduated from Loyola High School, Baltimore. He lives in Haddonfield, NJ with his wife and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 7, 2019
Touching portrait of an underrated boxing legend.
June 29, 2022
Epic story of the hard-hitting fighter from Philly, the only man Muhammad Ali ever feared in the ring. Joe Frazier emerges as far more courageous and complex than the caricature Ali created of a mindless pawn of the white establishment. This book is full of amazing characters and untold stories. There's the fun-loving, freewheeling bootlegger father, who raised Joe in the swamps of Carolina. (Steve Earle's Copperhead Row was never like this!) And there's the loyal and loving white mistress who stood by Joe for years. And there's the wives, sisters, nephews and nieces, sons and daughters of an authentic black patriarch who never let his people down. Joe Frazier was a hero and Mark Kram tells his story with frankness, insight and sensitivity. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves stories about boxing, sports, or American heroes.
June 4, 2019
While there has been so much written about Muhammad Ali, there's next to nothing out there about his most formidable opponent. This book addresses that omission. It's really refreshing to look at those great fights and that crazy time in history through a fresh lens. This book is really well-written and well-paced, and it's about way more than boxing.
October 2, 2019
We are getting some incredibly detailed biographies lately, especially in boxing, this one fits right in.
March 17, 2021
A very good biography. Get to know Smokin' Joe, it's worth your time.
June 19, 2019
Good
I enjoyed this book and would have given it a 3.5 rating if possible. My problem with the book is that the writing lacks flair and the story is told like a series of vignettes without a cohesive whole, skipping around from year to year , particularly near the end of the book. I love boxing books, enjoyed this one , but didn’t love it.
I enjoyed this book and would have given it a 3.5 rating if possible. My problem with the book is that the writing lacks flair and the story is told like a series of vignettes without a cohesive whole, skipping around from year to year , particularly near the end of the book. I love boxing books, enjoyed this one , but didn’t love it.
August 20, 2022
I was a fan of Smoken Joe Frazier. He came from poverty and achieved the American dream by hard work reaching to the top of the world heavyweight championship. His victory in the fight of the century with Ali as two undefeated champions was iconic. Sadly, his left eye issues, partying, womanizing and his singing/clubbing detracted from his longevity in the ring and legacy.
September 6, 2020
My boxing coach trained at Joe Frazier's gym in Philadelphia and when I started boxing myself, I found out about the golden era of heavyweight boxing. My coach had quite some interesting stories about his time in Philadelphia and even shared these in a podcast for the public. After training I would regularly ask him about the kind of man Joe Frazier was. I heard nothing but praise, even though Frazier had some demons that he just couldn't shed. All these stories only upped my interests in the man and I was very excited to find out that this book was going to be released.
The writer, Mark Kram Jr, and his father spent a lot of time with the likes of Frazier and Ali. Both were great sports writers with strong opinions. I have to say, Mark Kram Jr really did his homework on this one. Frazier is praised but not deified. The bad and ugly parts about his story also get quite some room in this book and that makes it for a very balanced view of the Joe Frazier as a person and as a boxer. I am very happy to see that the story told in this book is quite in lines with the view that my coach gave me of Frazier. And it's told in a very pleasant way for the reader.
This is not an encyclopedia, nor is it a commercial for Frazier-greatness. I really get the idea that the full story is portrayed in this book and it is endlessly fascinating. You'll learn about Frazier's childhood, upbringing, boxing development, boxing style, personal life, marriage, children.. and of course; his feud with Muhammad Ali.
Highly recommended.
The writer, Mark Kram Jr, and his father spent a lot of time with the likes of Frazier and Ali. Both were great sports writers with strong opinions. I have to say, Mark Kram Jr really did his homework on this one. Frazier is praised but not deified. The bad and ugly parts about his story also get quite some room in this book and that makes it for a very balanced view of the Joe Frazier as a person and as a boxer. I am very happy to see that the story told in this book is quite in lines with the view that my coach gave me of Frazier. And it's told in a very pleasant way for the reader.
This is not an encyclopedia, nor is it a commercial for Frazier-greatness. I really get the idea that the full story is portrayed in this book and it is endlessly fascinating. You'll learn about Frazier's childhood, upbringing, boxing development, boxing style, personal life, marriage, children.. and of course; his feud with Muhammad Ali.
Highly recommended.
November 14, 2019
I met Joe Frazier back in 2002 at a children's event along with George Foreman and as a boxing fan after the Frazier era I knew of him peripherally but I never knew of him, his background and how he became the man to beat Muhammad Ali in the first of 3 epic battles.
When I came across this book this year, I've been on a streak of reading suspenseful fiction or detective mysteries for the past 5-6 years but I thought of that meeting back in 2002 and I always wanted to know more.
Mark Kram did a great job with researching each and every facet of this book. Finishing this book I knew EXACTLY who he was and the ability he had to give of himself as much as possible. I laughed, I cried, I was angry, I was sad and more importantly I finished the last page wanting to see more, know more. Mr. Kram made me feel like I was at each of his boxing matches and the commentary from other reporters back in that era make me miss how majestic the sport of boxing was.
Although the scamboogahs (Joe's own word) and their view of history has been convenient to tuck Smokin' Joe beneath the shadow of Ali, I've come to respect Uncle Billy, who came from nothing and shocked the world.
p.s. when he shook my hand it was like shaking hands with a Vise Grip!
When I came across this book this year, I've been on a streak of reading suspenseful fiction or detective mysteries for the past 5-6 years but I thought of that meeting back in 2002 and I always wanted to know more.
Mark Kram did a great job with researching each and every facet of this book. Finishing this book I knew EXACTLY who he was and the ability he had to give of himself as much as possible. I laughed, I cried, I was angry, I was sad and more importantly I finished the last page wanting to see more, know more. Mr. Kram made me feel like I was at each of his boxing matches and the commentary from other reporters back in that era make me miss how majestic the sport of boxing was.
Although the scamboogahs (Joe's own word) and their view of history has been convenient to tuck Smokin' Joe beneath the shadow of Ali, I've come to respect Uncle Billy, who came from nothing and shocked the world.
p.s. when he shook my hand it was like shaking hands with a Vise Grip!
April 26, 2020
Don't miss this book
This is a history book, a cultural critique, an homage to greatness, and, yes, a book about boxing too. Written in Pulitzer- prize style, Kram's writing expertise shines through on every.page. Too bad the book had an ending.
This is a history book, a cultural critique, an homage to greatness, and, yes, a book about boxing too. Written in Pulitzer- prize style, Kram's writing expertise shines through on every.page. Too bad the book had an ending.
December 19, 2019
Brilliantly done. A knockout for any boxing fan.
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October 17, 2022Detailed revealing stories of a complicated yet focused man
June 8, 2023
This biography of the Philadelphia-based world champion fighter Joe Frazier, the main foil of Muhammed Ali, is riveting read that takes you through the complexity of rising out of Southern poverty and making the trek north before finding himself in boxing. Kram, whose dad covered Frazier as a Sports Illustrated writer, alternates between the long periods of training and amusing oneself to the bitter blow-by-blows of the incredibly brutal realities of a boxing fight. The narrative traced his rise from the gyms of Philly to the Olympics and then his methodic rise to heavy weight champion before his confrontation with Ali after Ali came back from his boxing exile. Joe Frasier was mostly trying to navigate the world in the ways that he saw in front of him, which sometimes made him hobnob with figures like Frank Rizzo or Richard Nixon, and set him apart from Ali and the other black power athletes of the day.
Frazier always lacked Ali's poetic trash talk abilities, and was so enraged by the belittling insults that Ali hobbed his way, to the point of turning much of the black community against Frazier, that he always harbored a grudged against Ali long after his fighting days were done. Kram illustrated this well, and why Ali went much too far in building up interest for the 3 bigger-than-life fights between Ali and Frazier. Joe Frazier won the first to defend his title, then was knocked off his perch by George Foreman. Frazier and Ali would engage twice more, culminating in the vicious Thrilla in Manilla.
Kram doesn't shy away from that Frazier was imperfect, as a father and as a husband. But he was also incredibly generous, and his gym is still well remembered in the North Philly community as an oasis for youth. He fought for too long, as boxers often do, though he lived a mostly full life afterwards. Today in Philly, he is overshadowed by the fictional Rocky, whose training regimes like punching meat or running up the Art Museum steps were probably directly inspired by Joe Frazier's training routines. Both were bruisers in the ring, taking blow after blow before eventually tiring and overwhelming the opponent. Frazier also struggled with blindness in one eye toward the end, that he compensated for by just powering through. Frazier, it seems, has been getting more remembrance in recent years beyond just boxing history nerds, finally getting a statue at the stadium district.
Frazier always lacked Ali's poetic trash talk abilities, and was so enraged by the belittling insults that Ali hobbed his way, to the point of turning much of the black community against Frazier, that he always harbored a grudged against Ali long after his fighting days were done. Kram illustrated this well, and why Ali went much too far in building up interest for the 3 bigger-than-life fights between Ali and Frazier. Joe Frazier won the first to defend his title, then was knocked off his perch by George Foreman. Frazier and Ali would engage twice more, culminating in the vicious Thrilla in Manilla.
Kram doesn't shy away from that Frazier was imperfect, as a father and as a husband. But he was also incredibly generous, and his gym is still well remembered in the North Philly community as an oasis for youth. He fought for too long, as boxers often do, though he lived a mostly full life afterwards. Today in Philly, he is overshadowed by the fictional Rocky, whose training regimes like punching meat or running up the Art Museum steps were probably directly inspired by Joe Frazier's training routines. Both were bruisers in the ring, taking blow after blow before eventually tiring and overwhelming the opponent. Frazier also struggled with blindness in one eye toward the end, that he compensated for by just powering through. Frazier, it seems, has been getting more remembrance in recent years beyond just boxing history nerds, finally getting a statue at the stadium district.
June 17, 2021
Some sports journalist (I forget who) once observed that Joe Frazier was a bug imprisoned in Muhammad Ali's amber, or words to that effect. It's a harsh statement, but it's one that encapsulates the role that Frazier was forced to play in the great narrative of Muhammad Ali's life.
What people forget is that Ali only found his ultimate foil in Frazier because of what Smokin' Joe was able to bring out in him, both in the ring and in their series of verbal spars that once or twice threatened to spill into literal violence (as in their televised fracas that occurred when they were being interviewed by broadcast legend Howard Cossell).
Author Mark Kram gives us the well-known broad strokes of the Frazier saga, the life in the Lowcountry among the Gullah people of South Carolina, that, while hard, was not without its countrified charms; the struggle for recognition as an undersized heavyweight with a style that was fierce but graceless; the legendary fights that thrilled the public but left both men permanently damaged (Ali more than Frazier).
All of that, while compelling, is well-known to boxing fans, and has been rehashed a million times in a million different ways. What's different this time (aside from the genuinely stellar prose) is how all of the smaller details of Frazier's life- his faults and great strengths, buttressed by the testimony of friends, family and mistress- create a picture of man more nuanced and complex than has ever been presented before.
Kram releases Frazier from Ali's amber. Too late perhaps, for it to do Frazier any good, but it's a service the rest of us survivors greatly appreciate. Highest recommendation.
What people forget is that Ali only found his ultimate foil in Frazier because of what Smokin' Joe was able to bring out in him, both in the ring and in their series of verbal spars that once or twice threatened to spill into literal violence (as in their televised fracas that occurred when they were being interviewed by broadcast legend Howard Cossell).
Author Mark Kram gives us the well-known broad strokes of the Frazier saga, the life in the Lowcountry among the Gullah people of South Carolina, that, while hard, was not without its countrified charms; the struggle for recognition as an undersized heavyweight with a style that was fierce but graceless; the legendary fights that thrilled the public but left both men permanently damaged (Ali more than Frazier).
All of that, while compelling, is well-known to boxing fans, and has been rehashed a million times in a million different ways. What's different this time (aside from the genuinely stellar prose) is how all of the smaller details of Frazier's life- his faults and great strengths, buttressed by the testimony of friends, family and mistress- create a picture of man more nuanced and complex than has ever been presented before.
Kram releases Frazier from Ali's amber. Too late perhaps, for it to do Frazier any good, but it's a service the rest of us survivors greatly appreciate. Highest recommendation.
April 22, 2024
As a life-long boxing fan I find myself reading biographies and autobiographies about those who had a lasting impact in the sweet science. Smokin' Joe Fraizer is known for his trilogy of matches against Muhammad Ali and rightfully so! But, this book sheds much more light on the humble beginnings and the life outside of just the Fight of the Century and Thrilla in Manilla. So many memorable moments are in this book and accounts of other battles which Joe Fraizer fought in....but of course the stories that loom from those Ali battles are the reason some people will read this book...and enjoy it! While I found those parts interesting, I think reading about George Foreman's fear of Smokin' Joe really made the book for me. Good reading and some neat pictures are sprinkled in to this readers delight. Solid story telling by Mark Kram Jr. and a book any Philadelphia native will relish!
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December 20, 2025i’ve read most of the books published about muhammad ali and it was fascinating to read about him through the lens of frazier, who comes off as a mix of a buzzkill and a monster in ali’s story. weird comparison, but this reminded me of hamilton? frazier the foil consumed by resentment, recognizing that there’s no good reason he’s perceived as the antagonist in someone else’s story rather than the protagonist of his own, could sing “wait for it” as often as he did “my way,” and his experience of ali certainly would make a guy want to punch him in the head as much as possible. fascinating guy, sad story, but all boxer stories are in the end. good book!
June 27, 2019
Movingly written story of Frazier, portrayed as a warm man with a lot of soul but hurt to the core by Ali’s taunting him as an Uncle Tom. The book has interesting detail about his young years in South Carolina and settling in Frank Rizzo’s Philadelphia. The author is not very prying about Frazier’s Cloverlay syndicate, which owned a share of his earnings. The book is also less effective after Frazier’s career ends. Still, a very enjoyable and interesting book, most noteworthy, of course, for the analysis of the two champions.
December 23, 2021
This was the biography of former Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier. This was pretty good. My only beef with It is that it was a bit slow in some parts. Overall it was uplifting, tragic and bittersweet in different spots. It showed Joe Frazier as a humble, mellow man that got things done, but that didn't take any crap off of anybody. He was basically a cool guy that wouldn't let himself be bullied or pushed around. It was a very good book.
December 5, 2025
Going in blind, I thought this would be a biography of Joe Frazier but was more so snapshots of several important moments in his life intertwined with some never before heard stories here and there. The book is well documented and an enthralling read but can be a bit dry or long in the tooth at moments. Still does not take away from the picture Kram Jr. paints of one of the most iconic figures in Heavyweight Boxing.
June 11, 2025
I received this as a Christmas gift from my Dad, who grew up watching Joe Frazier. Overall, I thought the author gave a pretty balanced picture of the man from his childhood in poverty in South Carolina, to his thrilling bouts with Muhammad Ali, and some of his struggles outside the ring during and after his career.
July 28, 2019
A forgotten talent outside of Philadelphia, Frazier was one of the greatest heavyweights ever. It was delightful to learn more about his upbringing and personal life during his time as a fighter. A hero to everyone who has a dream of becoming more than5e circumstances they were born into.
March 12, 2020
Joe Frazier
Well done by the author. A lot of perspective and history given in this book. The rivals were give a lot of life, perspective and texture in the book. The author did a great job in brining the full focus and legacy of Joe Frazier. This is a great read.
Well done by the author. A lot of perspective and history given in this book. The rivals were give a lot of life, perspective and texture in the book. The author did a great job in brining the full focus and legacy of Joe Frazier. This is a great read.
October 25, 2021
I enjoyed this book but felt lost sometimes as , it seemed to me, the author would jump around a little too fast. The fight scenes were fairly good but would have liked to read more on how joe was feeling leading up to the fight. I like Joe Frazier and respect him.
February 19, 2022
For me, the final chapter made this a 5 star book. I'm old enough to remember Joe's notable fights, and as a former Philadelphian I appreciated the author's insights into that city back in Frank Rizzo's day.
January 17, 2023
Straightforward biography with sometimes muddled chronology and unexpected asides. And references to the author's father come across as a bit self-serving. It seems there would be a better way to handle it than "my father wrote." But I might be off base or in the minority on that.
October 1, 2019
Excellent book on Frazier and the golden years of boxing. Of course even in a bio about Frazier, he can't quite shake the shadow of Ali.
October 6, 2019
Good book that tells the good and the bad about one of the greatest heavyweights ever.
October 22, 2021
Excellent biography with intimate details of Joe Frazier’s family and personal life I’d not read about in other publications.
March 28, 2022
Excellent biography of one of boxing's all-time greats. Reveals the brutality of the sport and probes the controversial relationship between Frazier and Ali.
November 8, 2023
Great book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews