Foreman Rolls With the Punches

For George Foreman, life really does get better after 40.

The 41-year-old former world heavyweight champion is having a great time hyping his second boxing career and preaching the Bible; he even enjoys the barbs that he is an overweight, slow-moving old fighter making a mockery of the sport as he campaigns to win back the heavyweight title.

“I can’t blame you for what you say, but I can blame me for what I say,” said Foreman, using one of his always-ready aphorisms in responding to critics of his return to the ring after 10 years as a church minister.

Even his children delight in teasing him.

“I came home after a fight and one of my kids said, ‘I saw you on TV and I thought it was a sumo wrestling contest.’ They tease me all the time,” Foreman said.

Foreman’s next opponent in his quest to win the title 17 years after he took it from Joe Frazier will be Gerry Cooney, 33, heavyweight boxing’s perennial “White Hope,” who has not fought since Michael Spinks persuaded him to retire with a five-round thrashing in 1987.

The two will meet in a 10-rounder Monday in Atlantic City, N.J. They are each earning $1 million for the fight with a decent chance for a much bigger payday in a title bout with Mike Tyson. Cooney, 28-2, is a 2-1 favorite.

“My ultimate goal is to become heavyweight champion of the world,” Foreman said. “I’ve got to win the heavyweight championship of the world.”

Foreman, 19-0 since picking up his career again in 1986, is traveling the country looking for fights he can win and promoters who can sell tickets to his performances, which invariably feature a 270-pound Foreman wearing down his opponents--sometimes by simply leaning on them.

Foreman, who says he will weigh 250 pounds for Monday’s fight, also says he returned to boxing for the money to help a youth program he founded in Houston.

He also missed boxing and wants “to show the world that your drive and need can overcome your age and limitation.”

Foreman collected a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics and won the heavyweight title in 1973 when he was 25, losing it to Muhammad Ali in 1974. Foreman, 64-2 overall in his career, marvels at Ali’s one-time ability to take a punch.

“I hit him so hard, I put him out and woke him up again,” Foreman said.

Foreman recalled that he “grew up so poor, breakfast, lunch and dinner, they didn’t exist. . . . All my heroes were guys with big scars on their faces.”

One night spent hiding in the mud under a house to get away from police dogs went a long way in convincing Foreman that he should look for different role models.

He pays homage to the Job Corps, a 1960s youth program that gave him work and discipline. “I’m a product of a compassionate society,” he said.

Turning to a possible fight with Tyson, Foreman’s infectious smile and warm voice changed.

“I can whup him. He hasn’t spent enough time in defensive fighting--in backing away. With me they’re going to have to back up. I pity the fool who’s going to try and make me back up. You have to understand intimidation.”