Imminently Dangerous
By M. Abduh

During the pandemic, I drove by Joe Frazier’s old gym. Seeing his faded name above a furniture store sign made me sad—even sadder to know he spent his later years living in a small apartment upstairs.

I thought about how great, how proud a champion he was. One half of some of boxing’s most epic bouts—Madison Square Garden to Manila. Blind in one eye, he made no excuses. He just shrugged, bobbed & weaved, & threw left hooks.

I thought about the prospects who trained there. The wars they fought. I pictured Smokin’ Joe leaning on the ropes, watching his young fighters spar: “That’s it. That’s it. Move them feet.”

Now, they say the city may tear it down, calling it “imminently dangerous.” To them, it is just falling brick & wire. Just a fading name above an old furniture store. To us, it was the cornerstone of the neighborhood. The keystone of the Philly fight game.