BOXING is mourning the passing of one its finest heavyweights after Joe Frazier lost his battle with liver cancer.

Leading the tributes to a true warrior, who has died at the age of 67, were two of the men who helped him shape the division’s golden era, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.

The careers of Frazier and Ali were inextricably linked as they forged one of sport’s great rivalries, engaging in a unforgettable trilogy of fights.

Ali last night paid tribute to his former foe, saying: ‘‘The world has lost a great champion.

I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration.

‘‘My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones.’’ Foreman, the only opponent who enjoyed any kind of mastery over Frazier over their two fights, tweeted his reaction to the news, saying: ‘‘Good night Joe Frazier. I love you dear friend.’’ It emerged over the weekend that the former undisputed world heavyweight champion had liver cancer and he was reported to be in hospice care.

His family confirmed he had passed away in a statement reported by Philadelphia’s WPVI-TV yesterday morning, which read: ‘‘We, the family of the 1964 Olympic boxing heavyweight goldmedallist, former heavyweight boxing champion and International Boxing Hall of Fame member Smokin’ Joe Frazier, regret to inform you of his passing.

‘‘He transitioned from this life as ‘One of God’s Men’, on the eve of November 7, 2011 at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

‘‘We thank you for your prayers for our father and vast outpouring of love and support.’’ Among Frazier’s many achievements were winning Olympic gold at the 1964 Games, becoming undisputed world champion six years later with his fifth-round stoppage of Jimmy Ellis and making five successful defences.

But it was his three meetings with Ali spanning four years and climaxing in the Thrilla in Manila, one of the greatest fights of all time, that defined the Philadelphia resident.

The brutality of the last encounter, staged in the searing heat of the Philippine capital in 1975, was staggering, with Frazier withdrawn after the 14th round by his trainer Eddie Futch.

Although almost rendered blind due to the bruising he had sustained around his eyes, Frazier still pleaded with Futch to be allowed to continue and later revealed he was ready to die in the ring.

It subsequently emerged that Ali was about to quit himself, only to see Frazier’s corner act first.

Frazier beat Ali on points in a thrilling contest billed Fight of the Century in 1971 to open the trilogy, but lost a less dramatic second clash in the same manner.

Outside the ring their relationship was equally fractious with Frazier feeling betrayed at being called ‘a gorilla‘ and ‘Uncle Tom’ by Ali.

Even during his later years the bitterness lingered, as shown in John Dower’s 2008 documentary Thrilla in Manilla.

Frazier, a relentless, brawling pressure fighter with a lethal left hook, retired in 1976 after losing a rematch against Foreman.

An attempted comeback five years later was aborted following a draw with the unheralded Jumbo Cummings.

Joe Bugner, another star of the heavyweight division in the 1970s, lost to Frazier five months after being beaten by Ali in 1973.

But it was the fight against Frazier, who visited Bugner in Australia for his 60th birthday last year, which the Hungaryborn fighter felt was a turning point in his own career.

‘‘Joe Frazier was relentless,’’ Bugner told BBC Radio 5 Live.

‘‘Here was a man about 5ft 10in, he weighed about a stone lighter than myself, but he was so courageous and ferocious, you had to literally hit him with a sledgehammer to put him away.

‘‘In 1973 I was 23 years old. I became a man after that fight because I realised you can’t go through a career like boxing without seeing and feeling the power of the greats.

‘‘I happened to have the privilege of fighting Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali and a few others but those two to me were the greatest.

‘‘Joe took everything away I thought I had and made me realise I needed more, if I was going to succeed I needed a lot more.

‘‘I’m so proud I fought him and I’m so proud he came to my birthday last year.

‘‘It hit me like a lightning bolt when I heard he died.’’ British former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis added on 5 Live: ‘‘He definitely was legendary and he made a great contribution to boxing.

‘‘I’m so sad for his family.

Nobody likes to hear about great heroes passing on. It’s very sad for boxing today.’’

FRAZIER'S FINEST FIGHTS

February 1970 v JIMMY ELLIS
NEW YORK
WON TKO 5TH ROUND

FRAZIER was crowned world champion for the first time, winning the WBC and WBA titles at Madison Square Garden. The aggressive Frazier was at his relentless best, flooring Ellis for the first time in his career on two occasions in the fourth round. Ellis failed to emerge for the fifth.

March 1971 v MUHAMMAD ALI
NEW YORK
WON ON POINTS

EMERGED victorious from a showdown billed ‘Fight of the Century’, his first and last victory over bitter foe Ali. Ali was floored in the 15th round by a left hook after Frazier had dominated the final third of the fight. Both spent time in hospital in the aftermath.

January 1973 v GEORGE FOREMAN
KINGSTON
LOST TKO 2ND ROUND

HARD and fearless, Frazier nevertheless had trouble in his two fights against the bigger Foreman, the only opponent to beat him convincingly. The first contest was the most emphatic, with the outgunned Frazier going down three times in the first and then again in the second round to lose his world titles.

January 1974 v MUHAMMAD ALI
NEW YORK
LOST ON POINTS

THE second instalment of a thrilling trilogy was the least entertaining with Ali looking to hold as often as possible on the way to clinching a unanimous 12-round decision that avenged his earlier defeat.

October 1975 v MUHAMMAD ALI
MANILA
LOST TKO 14TH ROUND

ARGUABLY the greatest fight of all time brought one of sport’s fiercest rivalries to a brutal conclusion. His right eye closed, Frazier was pulled out by trainer Eddie Futch despite pleading to continue. Unknown to Futch was that Ali was about to retire himself. Frazier later said he was ready to die in the ring.