?He?s had a silk pajamas existence.?
?FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION BIG GEORGE FOREMAN ON THE UPBRINGING OF HIS NOW 26-YEAR-OLD SON, ?MONK? FOREMAN.
Good point, Big G, because your son did not have to fight his way out of the utter and abject poverty of the violence-plagued Houston Fifth Ward as you did. Monk never had to scrap and strain through the Job Corps program, rising up to Olympic gold medal success and the world title.
Your comment is reminiscent of Jack Dempsey?s line about how successful fighters lose their mean streak and their work ethic when they can afford to wear silk underwear.
It?s hard to make a real case for a pro debutant who will be driving his fully owned Bentley to and from his initial pro fight. (Unless, of course, ?Monk? has either a paid chauffeur or puts his Pops to work in transportation.)
George Foreman III, who runs assorted businesses for his father, is in a four-round Saturday night at the Coushatta Hotel-Casino in Kinder, La.
This may be short lived novelty act. It’s doubtful you will ever see “Monk” swapping punches with one of the Klitschko boys.
But, even if the business degree holder from Rice University?s pro ring foray does not last it has already accomplished one good thing.
This Foreman?s pro debut has returned colorful character Ron Weathers to the boxing stage.
Weathers is a throwback to the era when boxing was replete with guys like Big Al Braverman, Paddy Flood, writer Ben ?Fistic Scene? Greene, phony ?Frenchman? Monsieur George Kantor and the recently deceased Yamil Chade. The Texan harkens back to the halcyon days of unrepentant rascals such as Irish Pat O?Grady in Oklahoma and Subway Sam Silverman in New England.
O’Grady was unique in that he formed his own personal governing body, the World Athletic Association. Before long, he crowned his son in law, the marginal Monte Masters, as WAA heavyweight champion.
When Masters and an O’Grady daughter experienced domestic strife, Irish Pat circulated a worldwide boxing bulletin that the WAA had stripped Masters of the belt.
They say that Weathers has operated barrooms, topless joints, maybe a used auto dealership featuring EZ credit and other trustworthy businesses. Basically I believe Weathers moved cars like Johnny Carson’s “Art Fern” sponsor did.
As smarmy TV movie host “Art Fern,” Carson pretended to sell autos for reasonable terms.
“Got bad credit? We don’t care!
“Got no job? We don’t care!
“Got a bad prison record? We don’t care!
“Don’t expect to pay us? That is when we care!”
No one, least of all Weathers, has ever said he is a candidate for the priesthood.
Weathers is a rogue?s rogue albeit a likeable one if his hands do not go into your personal pocket.
But the man knows boxing, especially how to build attractions, like few others. He doesn?t dabble in boxing, he eats, sleeps and breathes it.
So, when Houston Chronicle writer Steve Campbell, asked the obvious question as to why ?Monk? would want to hit and get hit in a pro ring, Weathers had a ready reply.
?How about for $200 million and stardom? You think that?s a pretty good motivation? A couple hundred million and being a superstar ? not to mention all the other stuff that goes with it. That?s where he?s headed.?
Preacher Foreman knows his Bible, particularly the be fruitful and multiply part.
He?s fathered 10 children, including ?Monk? and four others sons all named George for simplification.
That?s a lot of pairs of silk pajamas.
But, on the other hand, $200 million buys lots of frilly, lacy undergarments as well.
Next Generation Foreman may not have a lengthy pro career but you may be sure, that with rascal Weathers along for the ride, it will never, ever be boring.
Characters like Weathers, they don’t do boring.
I’d trade 1000 of the corporate numbercruncher types who infest boxing now for two Weathers types.
That’s if there is a second Weathers type left in boxing.
That is more doubtful than this Foreman’s career.
