The artist Stephen Layne, who is putting the finishing touches on the Frazier statue, isn?t that fond of the Rocky statue?
When Joe Frazier was in his prime he was virtually indestructible. But now that he?s gone, having died of liver cancer three years ago at age 67, a new opponent may give Smokin? Joe a run for his money.
After many delays, a nine-foot tall clay statue of Joe Frazier is nearing completion. Beset with funding issues, alleviated in part by the generosity of Bernard Hopkins, and the sudden death of the original sculptor, an 1800-pound likeness of the former heavyweight champ will be cast in bronze and should be unveiled in the spring.
Unlike the statue of fictional Rocky Balboa, which stands atop the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the statue of Joe Frazier will stand five miles south of that prime real estate, in front of Xfinity Live, an entertainment complex by Philly?s three sports stadiums.
The artist Stephen Layne, who is putting the finishing touches on the Frazier statue, isn?t especially fond of the Rocky statue. ?That pose of glory,? he said, ?the Rocky pose, I don?t think that?s quite the vibe of Philadelphia.? More in keeping with the ?vibe of Philadelphia,? Layne said, ?It was so obvious that [Frazier] was completely willing to get beat up … so that he could achieve what he wanted. And I thought that was just an inspirational thing to watch.?
Others beside Layne have wondered about the Rocky statue and its place of prominence. The hugely successful Rocky films presumably put Philly on the map, assuming it wasn?t on the map before Sylvester Stallone put it there, and its artistic merits are questionable, especially in context of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, no less than the Rodin Museum down the street. But pop culture is still culture, as the distinctions between high and low have been whittled away over time.
But Joe Frazier is an actual sports hero and not a fantasy figure in gloves and satin shorts, so perhaps it makes sense that the Frazier statue will stand where sports fans can see it. But busloads of tourists come from all over the world visit the Rocky statue every day. Will they do the same with a statue of Joe Frazier?
