Was Joe Frazier prime when he faced Foreman in 1973?

[Seamus]

Maybe Frazier hadn't trained hard enough or wasn't as focused as he'd been in the past, but that doesn't mean he wasn't still in his prime. You can pretty much use the same arguments to explain away any big fight any guy loses.

[Ezzard]

Agreed

[yancey]

He was in a hospital and in pretty bad shape after the fight. High blood pressure and his kidney's were affected as well. He also had Arthritis. He pushed his body way past it's comfort/health zone. I don't think he was ever that Frazier again. As for his eye problem. Gypsy Joe Harris said that he (and a select few) knew of Joe's bad eye, well before the Ali fight. "The Fight Of The Century" was the greatest fight of Frazier's career,but it took something out of him that could never be replenished.
Frazier weighed 10 pounds heavier in the Foreman fight than he did in his win over Ali. After winning the "Fight Of The Century", Frazier felt like he was God and started partying and eating, and stopped training seriously. Foreman was probably sent to him by God to teach him a lesson.
Foreman himself even admitted this. Frazier had climbed his Everest by beating Ali. Durham wanted Frazier to retire. Frazier was in the hospital for a month and he was seriously ill. He almost died.
There's a lot more evidence the Fight Of The Century took something out of him. I just wanted to keep it short though.

The answer to your topic question is NO.

I lived that era and have absolutely no doubt on this issue.

[illinijoejoe]

No, he was never in his prime after the Ali fight. He was always a step slower and had the little extra belly fat after the Ali fight. He struggled with Bugner, beat two other guys that were on the down slope in Quarry and Ellis and fought two stiffs in his title defenses. Ali wasn't in his prime for the first Frazier fight and by the time they fought the second time they were both were still world-class, but not in their primes.

[misterpunch]

agree - mentally/physically he wasn't the fighter that beat ali - but he still could have got in better shape for George. however, prime for prime foreman wins every time