clarinews@clarinet.com (LISA HARRIS, UPI Sports Writer) (01/13/90)
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (UPI) -- As his comeback rolled on, George Foreman relished every joke made to or by him about boxing in his 40s. His opponent Monday night, Gerry Cooney returned to the gym in private after a 2 1/2-year layoff. ``He said to us he'd prefer not to know anything being said or have to answer it,'' said Tom Mara, Cooney's friend and negotiator. ``He said, `I'd just as soon not even see it.''' The two fight for $1 million apiece at Caesars. Cooney is 33 years old while Foreman, a preacher and former heavyweight champion, turns 42 a week after the fight. Promoter Bob Arum attempted to bill the fight as ``The Preacher and the Puncher.'' Dave Raffo, United Press International's boxing writer, dubbed it ``The Geezers at Caesars,'' and Arum's promotion never stood a chance. ``That immediately became the line of the fight,'' Arum said. ``They (the boxing media) threw that at me as soon as I walked into the first press conference to announce the thing. ``I look at it like this,'' said Arum, drawing a scale of 1 to 10. ``Ten is raves, one is they ignore it. `Geezers at Caesars' immediately meant an eight to me -- they're still asking the fighters how they feel about it.'' Indeed, Foreman was interviewed on national television Thursday night and asked about the fight's ``affectionate'' nickname. ``Affectionate?'' Foreman asked. ``Call me whatever you want, just make sure you call me at dinner time.'' The issue, however, strikes some as serious. The questionable quality of boxing offered in this event is mild criticism. Boxing analyst Dr. Ferdie Pacheco refused to work on Showtime's delayed cable telecast of the bout, citing medical ethics. Pacheco has said Cooney has ``the face of a drunk trying to make a comeback. He looks withered.'' And Foreman is ``grossly overweight and flabby.'' Foreman responded: ``What is he, a gynecologist?'' To all criticism, Cooney pays no heed. Foreman, despite the jokes, thinks he is no laughingstock to his generation. ``It shocked me that so many other people my age don't believe in themselves,'' he said. ``Age 40 is not a death sentence. I intend to go for 100 so I haven't reached middle age.'' Among his believers, Foreman says, are his traveling buddies. ``Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, Kenny Norton, Larry Holmes, we travel a lot to promote our `Champions Forever' video,'' he said. ``I think they're getting a kick out of it. I do believe Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier are happy for me and I think Larry Holmes, he may want to come back now.'' So much so, that Holmes, 40, reportedly is rooting for Cooney, to set up a rematch of Holmes-Cooney. In their 1982 fight for Holmes' title, Holmes knocked out Cooney in the 13th round. Even if Holmes doesn't get his wish of a Cooney victory Monday night, he said he'd ``even fight Foreman.'' To be followed, of course, by the ``Geezers Forever'' video tour.