With the Rocky Statue moving permanently to the top of the (checks for latest name change) Philadelphia Museum of Art steps — with a brief stint in the museum before that — there were questions about what, if anything, would move into its old space near the foot of the steps.

Creative Philadelphia, the city’s arts department, said it would probably be an un-Rocky-related, city-owned artwork. Its proposal, being presented to the city’s Art Commission tomorrow, seems to counter that initial idea.

If approved, the figure replacing Philly’s fictional heavyweight champion will be the city’s real former heavyweight champion, “Smokin’” Joe Frazier, which is currently in front of the Stateside Live! sports bar in the South Philadelphia sports complex.

“Relocating the Joe Frazier statue to this prominent civic and cultural space would increase public visibility for the statue, deepen educational opportunities, and create a respectful dialogue between two complementary representations of Philadelphia’s spirit: Rocky Balboa as a symbol of hard work and aspiration, and Joe Frazier as the embodiment of those values lived out in real life,” the proposal reads.

If approved, the Frazier statue will go where the original of three Rocky statues cast by A. Thomas Schomberg has stood. That Rocky original will move up the steps, close to the spot where it was first unveiled in the “Rocky III.” The second statue, currently at the tops of the steps after Stallone himself loaned it to be part of the first-ever RockyFest in 2024, will be returned to Stallone. The third Rocky statue was unveiled at Philadelphia International Airport last November and will remain a permanent fixture in Terminal A-West, between Gates A15 and 16.

Frazier was born in Beaufort, S.C., and moved to Philly when he was 15. His boxing career included three Golden Gloves heavyweight championships, an Olympic gold medal and a victory over Muhammad Ali in 1971’s “Fight of the Century” at Madison Square Garden. He lost to Ali in 1974 and, a year later, in the “Thrilla in Manila.” Frazier died in Philadelphia in 2011.

Frazier was one of Sylvester Stallone’s inspirations for the Rocky Balboa character, as detailed in an episode of WHYY’s “The Statue” podcast. Rocky’s now-iconic run up the museum steps and punching frozen meat sides in a slaughterhouse were drawn directly from Frazier’s training regimen. Stallone even gave Frazier a cameo role in the first movie and considered him for the role of James “Clubber” Lang in the third movie of the franchise, until a sparring match during an audition introduced him to one of Frazier’s punches. 

All that said, recognition for Frazier’s legacy has been sparse, aside from Inspectah Deck’s standout lyric in the Wu-Tang Clan’s song “Protect Ya Neck” and comedian Bill Burr’s very NSFW rant calling out a Philly audience. While Rocky’s statue has been around since 1981, Frazier’s wasn’t installed in the city until 2015. It was created by artist Stephen Layne.

Marvis Frazier, son of Joe Frazier, poses for photographers after the unveiling of a statue dedicated to Joe, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in Philadelphia. The 12-foot statue by Stephen Layne captures Frazier mid-strike, depicting the moment after he landed the punch that knocked down Muhammad Ali in the 15th round on March, 8, 1971. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Before the move for the Rocky Statue was approved last month, guarantees were made to address the commission’s concerns adding “future engagement regarding the opportunities for interpretation of the statue,” particularly regarding its plaque.

The proposal to move the Frazier statue nearer to the Rocky statue appears to be an attempt to fulfill that initiative.

“We believe this proposal to relocate the Joe Frazier statue aligns with Creative Philadelphia’s commitment to inclusive storytelling and cultural education through the City’s public art collection,” the proposal reads. “It highlights the real-life heroes and lived experiences embedded in Philadelphia’s history and culture, while underscoring the powerful role public art plays in shaping our civic narrative.”

The proposal is scheduled to be reviewed in the Art Commission’s public hearing Wednesday, which will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The total budget allocated is $150,000, using city funds. It has the support of the Mayor’s office, the art museum, and Frazier’s family and foundation, among others.