THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 28, 1995 TAG: 9502280420
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
George Foreman was limping. Somebody said his hand hurt, too, so he couldn't sign a lot of autographs. Then, the heavyweight champion's announced 2 1/2-hour visit to patients at The Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters on Monday was trimmed to an hour - and ultimately to about 50 minutes - because, his people said, he was tired.
Well, OK. The guy is 46 and training for a title defense. He's a little nicked up. And how often do people his age bounce back from anything like they used to?
``You walk around carrying 300 pounds and see how you walk,'' Foreman said.
Regardless, the hulking marvel of the sports and advertising industries smiled and sweated his way through a brisk goodwill mission to three floors of toddlers and teenagers on behalf of Home Quarters Warehouse, which brought in Foreman for a company meeting and his hospital appearance.
A symbol of violence ironically holding court in a place of healing, Foreman, it is fair to say, went over like a champ.
Foreman begged two french fries from the plate of 3-year-old Melissa Ezelle of Virginia Beach who, of course, had no idea why a big, bald man nicely dressed in gray slacks, white shirt, green print tie and a maroon wool blazer should be swiping her food.
But she smiled. As did Sam Dorsey, 10, of Virginia Beach when Foreman approached his seat in a playroom and began to set up the checker board in front of Dorsey. Suddenly, the two were off on a game - Dorsey was black, Foreman was red.
``That was George Foreman,'' Dorsey said when asked if he knew the identity of his opponent. ``He's a boxer.''
Sweating through his shirt collar, intermittently grabbing tissues and a white towel to dab his chin and glistening head, Foreman delighted kids, parents and nurses as he led an entourage around the hospital.
About two dozen public relations operatives, media drones, bodyguards and HQ officials tagged along as Foreman mugged for TV crews and Polaroid shooters. In fact, the sole duty of one man who emerged from the black Lincoln limousine that carried Foreman was to tote Foreman's brown cap through the halls.
Such is life as champ. The life Foreman clearly enjoys so much, but that he vows to give up by year's end.
Foreman is due to fight Germany's Axel Schultz in April, and has talked of battling former champ Mike Tyson, who is slated to leave an Indiana prison next month. But in the five minutes that Foreman, also a minister, had to answer questions Monday, he said he wants to see Tyson get back on his feet before he tries to take him off of them.
``I think he'll want to go to Baskin Robbins and have some ice cream and stuff for a while,'' Foreman said. ``Then I think if he wants to fight for my titles, then I'll box him up. But it has to be this year, 'cause this will be my last year as a boxer.''
Then, with a twinkle, Foreman added: ``I'd like to fight him before he gets into shape, of course.''
Foreman, who first was champion in 1973, is 73-4 in a career that he resumed in 1987 after a 10-year retirement. Foreman returned the opposite of the brooding, angry man who quit a decade earlier - marketing himself as a joking, self-deprecating ``fat old man'' never far from a cheeseburger. He cemented his folk-hero status last November when he upset Michael Moorer to regain the title.
In turn, Foreman has become one of the world's most-recognized and lovable sports figures. Monday, some of the endearment was turned his way.
``You have a lot of fun when you get out to visit with kids,'' said Foreman, a father of nine. ``This is where we get a little relief ourselves, we get a little fun. Kids are always happy, so I think the thrill is for the athlete to get here. I get more out of this than the kids will get out of me. I've met some interesting buddies today.''
One, 7-year-old Joseph Butterbaugh of Elizabeth City, asked for a hug as Foreman rose to leave the playroom. Foreman complied, then wrote down his address and asked Butterbaugh to write and tell him how he was doing.
``I'm putting in some investments here,'' Foreman said, ``so later on when they turn 20 and I'm heavyweight champ of the world - I'll be what, 60-something? - I'll have some built-in fans.'' ILLUSTRATION: COLOR PHOTOS BY PAUL AIKEN/Staff
A ring of journalists, bodyguards and officials surround George
Foreman - boxing's heavyweight champ - as he lands laughs with
youngsters at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk
on Monday.
At left, Melissa Ezelle of Virginia Beach happily gives a french fry
to the big, bald visitor.
by CNB