Smokin' Joe Frazier Statue Debuts in South Philadelphia

The iconic steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art are famous thanks to Sylvester Stallone's portrayal of boxer Rocky Balboa in the movies.

Tourists come from far and wide to run up the "Rocky Steps" and take pictures with the fictional character's statue at the end of the Ben Franklin Parkway. But will people come and visit a sculpture of real hometown champion Joe Frazier?

A 12-foot-tall 1,800-pound bronze statue of "Smokin' Joe" that captures Philly's local hero in mid-punch was unveiled Saturday morning at XFinity Live in South Philadelphia. Frazier became the first fighter to beat Muhammad Ali when he outslugged "The Greatest" for the heavyweight title in 1971.

"Properly promoted, I think it would be much, much bigger than Rocky," said Robin Hazel, who was visiting the city recently from Ottawa, Canada. "Rocky is great, it's a movie. But Joe Frazier's real. And he's Philadelphia."

Artist Stephen Layne chose to depict Frazier flooring Ali with his powerful left hook, a pose that reflects the work ethic of Frazier and the city he called home. Layne, who was commissioned by the city, created the statue in 14-months. He began with a 12-foot clay model and then constructed a silicone mold before completing a bronze foundry work.

"That pose of glory ... the Rocky pose, I don't think that's quite the vibe of Philadelphia," Layne said while working in his studio in the Fishtown neighborhood. "It was so obvious that (Frazier) was completely willing to get beat up ... so that he could achieve what he wanted. And I thought that was just an inspirational thing to watch."

Frazier won the 1964 Olympic gold medal in Tokyo and finished with a professional record of 32-4-1, with 27 knockouts. Two of the losses were epic rematches with Ali, including the "Thrilla in Manila" in 1975.