For Client’s Happiness, Moore Is Better

A contender, he says, for the world’s heavyweight championship, George Foreman, 42, expresses pity for those untraveled critics unable to see him as a major force in the line of work he pursues.

George dispatches that word here through his emissary and priest of punch, Archie Moore, former light-heavyweight champion and renowned as the artist who knocked down Rocky Marciano in a fight for the heavyweight title.

Archie did it in the second round with a matchless inside right, and he argues to this day that if the referee hadn’t given Rocky more time than he had coming, Archie would have left the scene with the treasure.

“It would have been the jewel heist of the century,” he reflects. “And it would have been pulled off by one reported to be 39.”

Archie is tentative about the age, considering he always claimed he was born in Collinsville, Ill., in 1916, while his mother claimed he was born in Benoit, Miss., in 1913.

It always has been one of humanity’s most intriguing discrepancies.

“If Mama was right,” says Archie, “I would have been 42 when I fought Rocky, strengthening the point that my client, George Foreman, and I are making today. George is not too old to render into unconsciousness any opponent.”

Archie ponders this thought a moment, then adds:

“And you better believe there is no opponent right now the quality of Rocky Marciano. Yet at roughly George’s age, I came close to rendering Rocky into unconsciousness with one punch. Casey Stengel used to say, ‘Look it up.’ ”

“What about the shape of Foreman?” the skeptic responds. “He weighs 260.”

“Football players weigh that much,” Archie answers. “They used to weigh 215. And why do they now weigh 260? Because they feel more secure at 260. Same with a heavyweight fighter.”

It is Moore’s dispassionate view that weight doesn’t hurt a fighter as much as the changing of weights.

“Foreman doesn’t have to endure what I did,” Archie says. “I fought Nino Valdes at 196. The following month, I scaled down to 173 1/2 to defend my light-heavyweight title against Bobo Olson.”

“Tell the folks what happened.”

“I rendered Olson into unconsciousness in three. Then, three months later, I shot up to 186 3/4 against Marciano.”

“And he rendered you into unconsciousness.”

“Yes, but it wasn’t until the ninth round. And that was after I had decked him and suffered from weight changes. But Foreman has weighed 250 or more for years. He has a happy body. He suffers no guilt at the table when he indulges, which means he has a happy mind, too.”

Years ago, we came upon Foreman in the dining room the night before his title fight against Ken Norton. We stuck out a hand. He let it hang. We stuck it out again.

“I never shake when I’m eating,” he announced.

He allowed, however, he could have shifted the fork to his left hand and shaken with his right, but it would have interrupted the flow.

At his home in Texas, Foreman currently is training for a June 16 match in Las Vegas against Adilson Rodrigues, billed as heavyweight champion of most of South America.

“What parts of the continent does he rule?” Archie is asked.

“He’s from Brazil, so he must rule Brazil. I think he also rules as far north as the Orinoco and he has Peru and Ecuador, but I’m not sure he is recognized by the Indians of Bolivia.”

“Would you say he is formidable?”

“He has an imposing record of 33-3, but I can say, without fear of rebuttal, that George will render him into unconsciousness, earning a shot at the heavyweight title held by Buster Douglas of Columbus, Ohio, where, in 228 fights, I never appeared.”

“How much help are you giving Foreman?” Archie is asked.

“George is pretty self-sustaining,” he responds. “But I am helping him with his foot-speed.”

Judging by the way he takes nourishment, George already has hand-speed.

“I also offer navigational tips,” continues Archie. “Texas is a flatland, with hills not known to many. George likes to train in hills. It is my job to tell him where hills can be found.”

And is Archie sure that George is a serious combatant?

“People who fought Marciano developed heart palpitations,” he replies. “At one point, I think my heart stopped for three minutes. But there are no Marcianos around now. Anything around I think George can render into unconsciousness.”