I was at a party once and Joe Frazier was a guest. At the end of the party almost everybody had left except a few people and a three sheets to the wind Joe Frazier.

I'm a boxing fanatic and as a kid I worshiped "Smokin Joe".

I went over and introduced myself and told him what a hero he was to me and that I was the only person in the room in 1975 rooting for him instead of Ali.

So we talked a little about Ali and "Thrilla in Manilla". He told me that he was really hurt at all the mean things that Ali had said about him in the press. But get this......He was proud and bragging about what he had done to Ali in that fight. Remember now he was a little juiced, but he went on and on .... He said that everybody thinks Ali is a nice guy, but hes not, he also said and this I'll never forget " you see Ali now, he can't talk, eat or clean his own backside. I did that shit to him, I made him like that" He was truly proud of the fact that after all these years he could still go out and have a good time and chase women, and that Ali was a near vegetable.

RIP Smokin'Joe. One of the greats.

Sal