Muhammad Ali said Sunday he was finding it hard to accept that one of his great rivals in the ring, former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, has advanced liver cancer and is in hospice care.
Ali and Frazier had three bouts in the 1970s — "The Fight of the Century," "Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II" and "The Thrilla in Manila" — with the first and last going down in boxing lore as two of the best fights of all time.
In a statement to CBS News, Ali said he was "pulling" for the 67-year-old Frazier, with whom he maintained a rivalry well beyond their boxing years.
"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," said Ali, 69.
"My family and I 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."
Citing a source, the New York Post reported on Saturday that Frazier had only been given a short time to live.
"He's in serious shape, we're looking for a miracle," the source said. "We need to have as many people as possible praying for Joe right now."
Frazier became the first man to beat Ali, when he won by unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden in 1971.
Ali would win their last two fights, including the classic "Thrilla in Manila."
Both boxers were near exhaustion when Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, ended the fight in Ali's favor after 14 punishing rounds, the Post reported.
Ali entered the ring thinking he was fighting a washed-up Frazier, and insulted Frazier often leading up to the fight, calling him a "gorilla."
Deeply hurt by the comments, Frazier came at Ali with a vengeance. At one point Ali, gaining new respect for Frazier, whispered in his ear, "Joe, they told me you was all washed up."
"They told you wrong, pretty boy," Frazier responded.
Throughout those middle rounds, Frazier continued to come at Ali with vicious body blows. After the fight, Ali, who now suffers from Parkinson's disease, acknowledged, "It was the closest I've come to death."
Frazier retired shortly after that battle and became an ambassador for the sport. He also started a singing career, billed as Joe Frazier and the Knockouts.
