Where Are the Ex-Champs Now?

All the heavyweight champions have known some of the glory that Ali did--and for the rest of their lives they can take solace from the fact that they once held the most coveted title in boxing. Three of the ex-champs since Joe Louis are dead: Rocky Marciano was killed in a plane crash in 1969, Sonny Liston died of an overdose of drugs in 1970, and in 1975 Ezzard Charles succumbed to the lingering muscular disease that killed baseball's Lou Gehrig. Louis and the other five surviving champions have coped with life without the title in a variety of ways:

Joe Louis, 63, captured the heavyweight crown in 1937 by knocking out James J. Braddock, then successfully defended his title 25 times, scoring 21 K.O.s. Although Louis made nearly $5 million, ill-advised business ventures, a costly divorce and his penchant for high living led to a financial squeeze. By 1956 he owed $1.25 million in taxes, In 1970 Louis was briefly committed to a psychiatric hospital by his family. The ex-champ eventually went to work as an official greeter for Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Last November Louis had open-heart surgery in Houston, where he is still recuperating.

Jersey Joe Walcott, 64, won the title from Charles in 1951, then retired 14 months later after being K.O.'d by Marciano. Walcott is now thriving in his native New Jersey as an organizer of community programs for handicapped and retarded children. He also served for three years as sheriff of Camden County, and is currently the state's acting athletic commissioner. Walcott, who claims he never earned a purse larger than $300 during his first 15 years of boxing, concedes that some of his later winnings "could have been better invested." But he adds proudly, "no one will have to put on a benefit for me."

Floyd Patterson, 43, gained the championship by winning a tournament after Marciano retired in 1956. Patterson lost the title to Ingemar Johansson in 1959 and then won it back in 1960, making him the first man ever to regain the championship. After two first-round knockouts by Sonny Liston, he retired in 1972. Patterson now operates an amateur boxing club and is New York's acting athletic commissioner. After he lost his title, Patterson was so humiliated that he sometimes wore disguises. Now he says: "What I've been looking for throughout my whole life I have found, and that's simply peace of mind."

Ingemar Johansson, 45, was driven out of Sweden by high taxes after the Patterson fights. Retiring in 1963, he dabbled in real estate and the restaurant business in Europe before moving to Lighthouse Point, Fla., two years ago. Johansson is now divorced: his ex-wife Birgit and their four children live in Sweden. A paunchy 240 Ibs., Johansson, plays some tennis and a lot of golf and admits he is still looking for a post-boxing career. Says he: "I haven't done anything, really. I am like a used-car dealer; I stick my nose in everything I can make a profit on."

Joe Frazier, 34, won the title vacated by Ali when he beat Jimmy Ellis in 1970. The man with the fearsome left hook reigned until George Foreman knocked him out in 1973. Two subsequent defeats--a loss to Ali and a quick K.O. by Foreman in 1976--propelled him out of the ring and into a so-so nightclub singing career. After winning the title, Frazier earned over $6 million and invested in real estate, including a Philadelphia gym and farm land in nearby Bucks County. Although he clearly has no financial problems, Smokin' Joe has resumed training and plans a comeback bout this spring against Scott LeDoux. Claims Frazier: "I haven't slowed down at all."

George Foreman, 30. a gold medalist in the 1968 Olympics, surrendered the title he won from Frazier by losing to Ali in 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire. That extravaganza earned him $5 million. Despite his reputation as an awesome puncher, Foreman's attempted comeback ended last year when he lost a unanimous decision to Jimmy Young and, exhausted, landed in the hospital. Foreman has since converted to fundamentalism and, say friends, is now preparing himself for religious work. With his wife, the Miss Black Teen-Age America of 1972, he lives as a recluse on a 220-acre ranch near Marshall, Texas.

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