Picking Foreman's Foe

From the moment a grim Joe Frazier enters North Philadelphia's Cloverlay Gym in his Smokin' Joe T shirt, he seems to be in constant motion. Inside the ring he dodges imaginary blows; he launches lefts and rights at the air, then spars for four hard rounds. Next Frazier pounds the bags as if hoping to shred them. The workout ends with 20 sit-ups and a beating around the gut with the medicine ball that brings a roar from the mixed crowd of fighters, trainers and well-dressed onlookers who drop in for the free show. Before they can press round Frazier, he is whisked away to a private room in his carpeted, lavishly appointed training quarters.

Eighty miles away in the Pennsylvania Dutch country, Muhammad Ali sings the Tennessee Waltz while he spars with Light-Heavyweight Boss Man Jones. "He's got me in the coffin, but he can't nail me," Ali boasts. "He fights like a woman." Ali clinches with Jones and dances round the ring at his isolated, frontier-style training complex, where he sleeps in a cabin equipped with pump-handle faucets and coal stoves. "Tie him up," Ali laughs. "Waltz with him. That's the way you stall for time."

Biggest Prize. As they prepare for their rematch at Madison Square Garden on Monday, Ali, 32, and Frazier, 30, know that time is running out for both of them. Perhaps the fight will be as dramatic as their last clash in 1971, but by any measure the stakes are not. Frazier is no longer the defending heavyweight champion of the world; he is defending little more than his pride because George Foreman took away his title with a surprise knockout last January in Jamaica. Ali, after being beaten by Frazier three years ago and by Ken Norton last March, can no longer claim that he lost the title only because his disagreement with the draft law forced him into temporary retirement. Each fighter will take home $850,000 or 32.5% of closed-circuit TV revenue and ancillary rights, whichever comes to more. Last time, they cut up a record $5 million purse. This time, the biggest prize for the winner will be the chance to challenge Foreman. The loser is likely to pass into frustrated retirement.

Frazier is in top shape following three months of hard training. Up every day at 5:30 for a two-mile run, Frazier has concentrated on building his stamina. He intends to fight Ali the way he did three years ago: "Stay in on him, keep him moving back, don't give him the big punch." Constant forced retreat, he is sure, will exhaust Ali. As usual Frazier is not intimidated by any of Ali's verbal attacks. "Ali can rap," Joe says. "I can fight."

At Ali's camp, known locally as Muhammad's Mountain, the words, as always, fly as fast as the punches. "Frazier's a robot," says Ah'. "He's a human punching bag." Ali promises that he will be better prepared for Frazier's methodical style this time. "I fought his fight last time. This time I'm gonna move. I'm gonna dance."

In his workouts with sparring partners, though, Ali seems to tire fast, doing little dancing or punching, often protecting his right hand. Whenever visitors show up, Ali seems to regain his energy and tries to put on the expected show. But he admits that he finds training boring, and he seems distracted.

Nonetheless, Ali says that he is determined to win. "I lost so much prestige the first time," he admits. "I didn't realize until later what I lost. Now I want to get it back." If he loses, will this be his last fight? "There ain't too much left for me to do in this game now but get out of it. I've got a lot more on my mind than boxing." When he does retire, he says, he plans to become a Black Muslim minister.

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