Statue of boxing great Joe Frazier close to completion

A bronze statue of late boxer Joe Frazier is reportedly close to completion ahead of its unveiling in Philadelphia next year.

The former world heavyweight champion, also known as 'Smokin' Joe', famously knocked Muhammad Ali to the ground with a left hook back in the 1970s.

The pose of Frazier unleashing the blow has been recreated in a sculpture by Stephan Layne, and will undergo a five-month bronzing process, according to the Daily Mail.

The nine-foot statue will be unveiled in Frazier's hometown of Philadelphia next April.