Joe Frazier statue to be moved to Philadelphia Museum of Art grounds this spring

“Smokin’ Joe” Frazier moved to Philadelphia as a teenager from South Carolina and is regarded among the greatest heavyweight boxers. He won an Olympic gold medal in 1964 at age 20, and in the “Fight of the Century” bout at Madison Square Garden, he became the first fighter to defeat Muhammad Ali.

Frazier founded Joe Frazier’s Gym on North Broad Street, where he mentored local youth and amateur boxers for more than 40 years. His experiences training in a meat locker and running the Art Museum’s steps also inspired details of the titular “Rocky” character in the movies.

Marguerite Anglin, public art director for Creative Philadelphia, said relocating the statue will create the chance for it to be seen by more people, particularly the influx of tourists expected to come to the city this summer for the U.S. semiquincentennial events, the World Cup and the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.  

“As we celebrate our 250th, visitors will come here seeking authentic stories about Philadelphia,” Anglin said during the commission’s meeting Wednesday. “Placing the Joe Frazier statue at the art museum allows us to share a more complete story about Philadelphia’s spirit – one rooted in real people, real work and real pride in this city.”

Many critics have noted the city’s willingness celebrate and promote a monument to a fictional boxer while, for years, lacking recognition for a real-life champion in Frazier, and that even after Frazier’s statue was commissioned it was relegated to the stadium district instead earning a prominent perch at the art museum. Anglin said during Wednesday that moving the Frazier statue is an opportunity for “respectful dialogue.”

“Philadelphia is big enough to celebrate both the real life story of Joe Frazier and the myth of Rocky,” she said. “This is not a competition, it’s a conversation, and public art can help us have those conversations.”