Joe Frazier's Gym was a training facility owned by American

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...

Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. Nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He was known for ...

. Frazier trained at the gym while preparing for his 1971

Fight of the Century Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as The Fight of the Century or simply The Fight, was an undisputed heavyweight championship boxing match between WBA, WBC, and '' The Ring'' heavyweight champion Joe Frazier and Lineal champion Muhammad ...

against

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

History

Joe Frazier's Gym stands at 2917 N. Broad Street in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. The building was constructed around 1895 and originally served as a window sash and blind warehouse. Several companies, including the Benson Manufacturing Company and the Air Craft Plastics Company, were listed at this address. The building remained in industrial use until Cloverlay Inc., an investment group that sponsored Joe Frazier, purchased the property for his use in 1968. The gym served as Frazier's training center for his highest-profile fights, including his championship bouts against Muhammad Ali and

George Foreman George Edward Foreman (January 10, 1949 – March 21, 2025) was an American professional boxer, businessman, minister, and author. In boxing, he competed between 1967 and 1997, and was nicknamed "Big George". He was a two-time world heavyweig ...

. Following his 1975 retirement, Frazier purchased the gym from his investors and opened it to the public. For the following 25 years, Frazier trained boxers at the gym, including Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion

Duane Bobick Duane David Bobick (born August 24, 1950) is an American former boxer. As an amateur, Bobick won the gold medal at the 1971 Pan American Games and fought at the 1972 Olympics. He then turned professional in 1973 and retired in 1979 with a record ...

Bert Cooper Bertram Cooper (January 10, 1966 – May 10, 2019), nicknamed Smokin' Bert Cooper, was an American professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2012. He fought Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Riddick Bowe, Michael Moorer, Chris Byrd, Ray ...

, and Olympic medalist Terrance Cauthen. The gym was also open to local inner-city youth. Frazier, who maintained an apartment above the gym, was forced to sell the building due to

debt Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money Loan, borrowed or otherwise withheld from another party, the creditor. Debt may be owed by a sovereign state or country, local government, company, or an individual. Co ...

and back taxes in 2008.

Preservation

The gym was purchased by Broad Enterprises Group L.L.C. in 2011 and is currently leased to a discount furniture store. After efforts from preservationists and local politicians, Joe Frazier's Gym was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in April 2013. In April 2018, a portion of Glenwood Avenue near the gym was named "Smokin' Joe Frazier Boulevard".

References

{{Authority control Historic sites in Pennsylvania Boxing gyms and clubs in the United States Boxing venues in Philadelphia Broad Street (Philadelphia) Culture of Philadelphia Defunct boxing venues in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia