6 Nov 2011

Joe Frazier severely ill with cancer

11:44 am on 6 November 2011

Former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier, who earned boxing immortality after three epic fights with Muhammad Ali, is in hospice care with liver cancer.

His manager says the now-67-year-old known as "Smokin' Joe" was diagnosed with liver cancer about a month ago after meeting with more than one doctor and is now in hospice care in Philadelphia.

Leslie Wolff, who's been Frazier's business and personal manager for seven years, says they're doing everything they can but he would be a liar if he said it wasn't very serious.

But Wolff added that Frazier is a fighter and doesn't give up.

Doctors are still exploring various medical options for Frazier, who has 11 children.

Frazier won the Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medal for the United States in 1964 in Tokyo and held the world heavyweight boxing crown from 1970 to 1973.

He is eternally linked with Ali thanks to their trilogy of fights in the 1970s which rank among the most famous ever in the sport. Frazier won the first and Ali took the next two.