Ali, who fought Frazier three times and Ali recorded his first professional loss against Smokin Joe after going on to win the last two battles these two had.
Ali vs. Frazier fights was always be held in high esteem, The “Thrilla in Manila” went down as one of the greatest battles to take place in the world of boxing.
Ali said, “The news about Joe is hard to believe and even harder to accept. Joe is a fighter and a champion and I am praying he is fighting now.
"My family are keeping Joe and his family in our daily prayers. Joe has a lot of friends pulling for him – and I’m one of them."
Frazier was the first man to beat Muhammad Ali, knocking him down and taking a decision in the so-called Fight of the Century in 1971. He would go on to lose two more fights to Ali, including the epic Thrilla in Manila bout in 1975.
The pairs relationship had remained as fragile as it was when both were fighters; Ali always taunted Frazier, referring to Joe as a ‘Gorilla’ and ‘Uncle Tom’. It was the Uncle Tom that Frazier found it difficult to forgive him.
In recent years it had been reported that the pair had buried the hatchet and had been on better terms.
