The death of a humble heavyweight champion Joe Frazier

Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier has died of cancer, his family has said.

The 67-year-old boxer had been flooded with get-well messages from former boxers and fans before his death from liver cancer.

Frazier was diagnosed last month with the disease. His manager said the boxer had been in out and out of the hospital since early October and has been receiving hospice treatment since last week.

Frazier's death was announced in a statement by his family, who asked to be able to grieve privately and said they would announce "our father's homecoming celebration" as soon as possible.

Bob Arum, who once promoted Ali, said he was saddened by Frazier's passing.

"He was such an inspirational guy. A decent guy. A man of his word," Arum said. "I'm torn up by Joe dying at this relatively young age. I can't say enough about Joe."

World welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao learned of the death shortly after he arrived in Las Vegas for his fight on Saturday night with Juan Manuel Marquez. Like Frazier in his prime, Pacquiao has a powerful left hook that he has used in his remarkable run to stardom.

"Boxing lost a great champion, and the sport lost a great ambassador," Pacquiao said. "My prayers go out to his family."

"I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration," Ali said in a statement. "My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones."

Don King, who promoted the Thrilla in Manila, was described by a spokesman as too upset to talk about Frazier's death.

A fellow Philadelphia fighter, long-time middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, said Frazier was so big in the city that he should have his own statue, like the fictional Rocky character.

"I saw him at one of my car washes a few weeks ago. He was in a car, just hollering at us, 'They're trying to get me!' That was his, hi," Hopkins said.

"I'm glad I got to see him in the last couple of months. At the end of the day, I respect the man. I believe at the end of his life, he was fighting to get that respect."

AP