Final Goodbye: Nelson Mandela with 10 sporting legends

7) Michael Spinks and Joe Frazier

South African President Nelson Mandela (C) poses with former heavyweight boxing champions Michael Spinks (L) and the late Joe Frazier (R) at his official residence in Pretoria 06 December 1997.

Heavyweight American boxer Michael Spinks (left), met Mandela with the undisputed heavyweight champion Joe Frazier on the 6^th of December 1997. The boxers were visiting South Africa at the President’s invitation. Frazier died in 2011, Joe’s manager at that time, Burt Watson relayed the story of Frazier’s and Mandela’s first meeting: “They hugged and spoke to each other. He told Joe how much he respected him, how much he appreciated what he did to the world. Joe presented him with the belt and said, ‘I want you to have this.’” The belt was the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship belt he was awarded after defeating Muhammad Ali in 1971. Watson took the belt and snapped it around Mandela’s waist. Mandela and Frazier posed for a few pictures, Frazier left and the two never met again.