Boxing icon Joe Frazier has been in some of the biggest boxing matches in history, however, he missed out on his biggest payday after he stopped fighting.
Best known for his incredible trilogy of fights with Muhammad Ali, Frazier is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.
His career spanned over 16 years, from 1965-1981. During this time, he held the WBC World Heavyweight title for three years, between 1970-1973.
Although the high-profile boxing matches throughout his career would see him paid handsomely, Frazier was given a financial headache post-career.
Joe Frazier missed out on $100 million due to property sale
Frazier was able to make millions from his boxing career thanks to the caliber of opponents he faced. Although he is not known as a big spender like the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Frazier made a substantial purchase in the 70s.
In 1973 Frazier purchased land in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, for $843,000. With a total of 140 acres, a developer made a deal to buy the land five years later, for $1.8 million.
The boxer would be the recipient of annual payments from a trust that was used to buy the land thanks to his career earnings. However, the trust went out of business, meaning the payments stopped.
Frazier claimed he had no knowledge of the sale as he sued his business partners forgery of his signature for the property documents.
Following the predicament, the land was turned into a residential community, increasing its value to an estimated $100 million.
One of Frazier’s 11 children, Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde, is a lawyer and represented her father in the case. Speaking on the situation, she felt that her father was manipulated and treated unfairly.
Despite working side by side with his daughter, Frazier’s legal pursuit would not be a successful one as the case was dismissed in 2003.
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How much Joe Frazier made from his third meeting with Muhammad Ali
When Frazier met Ali for the third time, the two men both had a win in the series. Shortly after Ali returned from a boxing ban, he was beaten by Frazier in 1971. In 1974, Ali would redeem his loss.
However, in 1975, Ali would get the last laugh as he bested his rival in their trilogy bout.
As one of the most well-known boxing matches in history, it is likely not surprising that both men made millions from the bout.
‘The Greatest’ Ali reportedly made $9 million from the ‘Thrilla in Manila’.
Meanwhile, his opponent would make significantly less than Ali. Frazier would walk away with an estimated $5 million from his 35th professional fight.