The Story Behind the Joe Frazier Commission

Philadelphia's fictional-boxer statue, Rocky Balboa will cease being the city's sole monument to professional boxing next spring.

The City of Philadelphia  announced that $160,000 had been raised to fund, and a sculptor selected to create, the long-awaited statue honoring hometown non-fictional boxing legend Smokin' Joe Frazier.

Eight artists were selected to submit proposals for the statue which will be erected outside XFinity Live in South Philly's stadium district.

A panel that included several of Frazier's family members selected the work of Lawrence J. Nowlan, an Overbrook native who created the Harry Kalas Memorial Statue at Citizens Bank Park.

In these three interviews, we examine the sculptor, Lawrence Nowlan, his love of sports and his vision.

Special thanks goes out to Darryl "Cal" Morse who lent his  knowlege and enthusiasm for sports to this interview, and to Larry Nowlan for allowing us this opportunity.

 

"That great image from the first fight [between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali], when Ali's about a foot off the canvas, Joe's right hand is cocked back, he's on his toes, looking, that's the Joe Frazier I know and loved, the one who came out of the corner like a pitbull. That image encapsulates his power."
--Lawrence J. Nowlan, sculptor 

 

"He's deserved it for a very long time, and now we're finally doing it. ... He'd be excited and happy, but speechless. He wouldn't know what to say."
-- Derek Frazier, youngest son of Smokin' Joe Frazier, on how his father would have reacted to the news."Joe never complained or spoke out about not having a statue, but it bothered me. It's about time we honored him."

 

Produced and edited by Third Generation Design, LLC