24 min

“A Real Fighter‪”‬ The Statue

    • Arts

Ask the average person who’s the most famous boxer from Philadelphia and they’re likely to reply with “Rocky Balboa.” In fact, it was the real-life heavyweight champion Joe Frazier who ran up the Art Museum steps and boxed raw meat sides at a slaughterhouse. We examine who is remembered when we build monuments to our heroes, and who gets left out — and visit the places around Philadelphia where Smokin’ Joe’s legacy lives on.

Show Notes


The Fight of the Century
Mark Kram Jr., Smokin’ Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier
Official Joe Frazier website
Brent Leggs and the National Trust for Historic Preservation
James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym
Joe Frazier and the Knockouts on the Ed Sullivan Show

Ask the average person who’s the most famous boxer from Philadelphia and they’re likely to reply with “Rocky Balboa.” In fact, it was the real-life heavyweight champion Joe Frazier who ran up the Art Museum steps and boxed raw meat sides at a slaughterhouse. We examine who is remembered when we build monuments to our heroes, and who gets left out — and visit the places around Philadelphia where Smokin’ Joe’s legacy lives on.

Show Notes


The Fight of the Century
Mark Kram Jr., Smokin’ Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier
Official Joe Frazier website
Brent Leggs and the National Trust for Historic Preservation
James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym
Joe Frazier and the Knockouts on the Ed Sullivan Show

24 min

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