My involvement with the legendary Heavyweight Champion of the World, Smokin' Joe Frazier, and his landmark gym in North Philadelphia officially started in October 2007, although in reality I had known Joe and his son Marvis, who actually ran the gym, for about a year before then.
I officially became part of the team at Smokin' Joe Frazier's Gym after a meeting with Joe and Marvis with regard to their wanting to attract more members and fighters to the gym.
I quickly set up a website for the gym and bought them the domain smokinjoefraziersgym.com, then started to compile a photo library of the current fighters for use in press releases. I also created press packs for the main fighters from the gym.
In November 2007, just as I was preparing to return to London for Christmas, I had a further meeting with Marvis in which the extent of the financial problems of the gym were explained to me. Marvis also told me of his vision for the future of the gym. Whilst back in London I undertook some extensive research and created an information pack for potential sponsors. I also researched various potential sponsors and made initial contact. By the time I returned to Philadelphia, late in January 2008, I had one major beverage sponsor interested in the development of the gym building into a museum, gym and community centre. This progressed to the point where an agreed 5 year title sponsorship was proposed, for a substantial amount. I was also close to finalising a 5 year advertising agreement with an American airline as well as sponsorship for Team Frazier fighters.
Throughout this period I had started a small localised publicity campaign, which was paying dividends as the gym membership had grown by over 30% in just 3 months, and former fighters of the gym started to return as well as outside trainers began to use the gym's facilities to coach their fighters.
I organised a fund raising event for one of the gym's fighters who had progressed to the regional finals of the Golden Gloves competition.
I had also contacted various of my contacts in the media which in turn attracted many journalists, as well as television and film crews, to the gym, some for interviews with Joe, others regarding the fighters that were now based at the gym and a documentary on the training of television personality Steve Kwasnik, by Marvis, for a celebrity fight.
Knowing that one of Joe's biggest disapointments was that there was not a statue of him I successfully negotiated with sculptor Greg Goldner for one to be commissioned, funded and donated to the proposed Smokin' Joe Frazier Boxing Museum.
Early in February 2008, even though the gym was now starting to attract more income, the financial crisis at the gym had escalated. Marvis and myself created a short term marketing strategy to generate more income for the gym. Unfortunately at this time Joe was admitted to hospital, for surgery, and the planned meeting had to be held back until March, alas Joe was still not well enough to take part in the strategy meeting and his personal business manager instead attended, but showed no interest in saving the gym. A few days later, on the 31st March 2008, Joe decided to close the gym even though we were due to meet with the potential sponsors lawyers on the 4th April with regard to the proposed sponsorship. It later turned out Joe had not even been told that the sponsorship or advertising package were imminent by his personal business manager.
Due to my total respect and liking of Joe, who is without doubt one of the greatest boxers of all time and a genuinely nice person, following the closure of the gym I have continued to work with Greg Goldner, on raising funding, to ensure that the Smokin' Joe Frazier statue project continues. The plan is that the statue will now be donated to the City of Philadelphia.
