Scene 3: Pleasington, California

George Foreman is stood in the street chatting to two white girls, Sandy & Lucy

Lucy
This body you possess, Mr Foreman
Flows pectorially perfect, Sandy
Place your hands here with pressure’s lightsome flight
Touching this point, feeling tectonic force
Upheaving from Earth’s core into this heart
Which beats the smelt of blood as if the drums
Of war did thunder oer Montana’s plains

Sandy
{feeling Foreman’s chest}
Hmm – Hmm – why, that is a wonderful thing

Lucy
How often do you train, Mr Foreman

Foreman
George, girls, call me George, why every day

Sandy
But not all day, tell us about your nights

Lucy
Do you have time for play before you sleep
For we love playful funtimes after dark

Sandy
Tonight the both of us have nothing on

Lucy
Would you like to see us with nothing on

Enter Policeman

Policeman
Excuse me ladies, is he troubling you

Lucy
Not at all officer

Foreman
They came to me

Sandy
Its George Foreman, the boxer,

Lucy
We’re big fans

Sandy
So what are you gonna do officer,
Arrest him for being to good looking
I’d leave my white husband in an instant
For half an hour of passion with this man

Policeman
You’d better move along ladies, right now

Lucy
But

Policeman
I said move it

Lucy
See you later George

Policeman
Move it, move it, I’m watching you Foreman
Famous boxer or no you’re just a nigger
to me

Foreman
& all the Confederacy
A century has pass’d since Gettysburg
Destroyd satanic tangents down which slaves
Driven by shameful, disgraceful mutants
Sir, this is now nineteen seventy two
& Civil Rights permit my right to claim
Your use of nigger as a deep offence
But.. I’ll forgive you for your ignorance
Education beats humilation

Policeman
What you call me boy, you want some of this
{Foreman squares off to him / the Policeman spits}
I’m watching you

Foreman
& I’m watching you leave

---

BLACK POWER

From civil rights by candlelight
In guru kinda places
To rubbing wax on caddilacs
To put them thro their paces
Gonna drive round town with my hood down
Saying fuck you to the racists

There’s black power running thro’ my beat
Feel the freedom in my feet
See me rising in the street
Black Power

Well here’s my fist & here’s a list
Of all my consternations
Its been two strides forward one drag back
Since our emancipation
In brotherhood our mothers’ blood
Defines us as one nation

There’s black power running thro’ my beat
Feel the freedom in my feet
See me rising in the street
Black Power

Let it roll thro my soul
We are fast & we are strong
Gonna fight the past, gon right the wrong
Cos there’s black power running thro my vein
Lionesses stroke my mane
Watching white men on the wane
Black Power
Back power running thro’ my beat
Feel the freedom in my feet
Gon see us rising in the street

---

Exit Policeman, Lucy & Sandy / enter Don King

King
Powerful song from a powerful man

Foreman
What

King
Allow me to introduce myself
My name is King, Don King, a businessman

Foreman
So, what’s your business

King
Boxing promotion
I see an opportunity in thee
Whose supreme being fills me with intent
To send your essence thro’ the wider world
I’ve never seen such miracles of strength
Credibility crowning performance
Your foes disintegrating at your gaze

Foreman
What are you saying

King
Joe Frazier

Foreman
Frazier?!

King
He says he’ll fight you if the price is right

Foreman
I aint ready for Joe

King
Sure you are,
Three hundred & seventy five thousand
Fills me with thy possible transcendence

Foreman
How much?

King
Its by Jamaica guaranteed
Shewing a world beyond America
Where black men making money never hear
Their genius defam’d as crooked wiles

Foreman
I still don’t know, Joe’s scary, that left hook
Which floor’d Ali with pristine precision
Still haunts my soul, I seen it sixty times
When as long as Frazier’s the heavyweight
Champion of the world, I got no chance

King
Son, undeliver your defeatism,
It is the boxer’s business to be more,
Not less, than man… with thee I dig deep faith
Joe Frazier boxes like an old blind man
Tapping his stick around for one good punch,
But with that reach of yours he won’t get close
For eagerly astounded I have been
By all your battles’ rich abilities

Foreman
I guess when I lay my fists on these guys
It feels as if Archdruid I’ve became
Wielding a blade temper’d in dragonsbreath

King
Less druid, more Adonis fully-form’d
Thou art as marvelous a specimen
As might be found in all our Human rolls
To never flinch at challengers the print
Of champions, Frazier picks no-hopers,
Beats with them ease, thus his force is dulling,
Straining the lack sharpness from his mind,
Yet what an abundant promise of wealth
Ticks in your heart, & you’ve got hunger too

Foreman
Nevertheless his fighting’s infernal,
He’s never lost a bout, & beat Ali,
Whose ‘Greatest’ egotag fair ratified

King
That fight with Ali left Joe Frazier spent
As if he’d won the Kentucky Derby
Destin’d to never run so fast again
Sithen he has continued as a barge
Cruises canals of glass tranquility,
While favourites can fall if they refuse
To scout ahead all fences in a race
Before it run – he’s never seen you fight,
Or if he has fairly unfancies thee,
But I don’t, George, I think you’re fantastic

Foreman
You really want me to fight Joe Frazier

King
I do, brother, the contract ready form’d
& by the lord in Heaven preordain’d

Foreman
OK – I’ll read it

King
The world is waiting
To crown its next heavyweight champion

Foreman
I’ll let you know tonight what I’ll decide
Come meet me in that diner over there
At seven o’ clock

King
Sure, I will be there

Foreman
O & Mr King, thank you very much

King
You know it makes sense, lets make some money
& bend this exhibition to the bout

Exit Don King – Foreman starts to analyse the contract

---

Scene 4: Vernon

The Great Gorge Playboy Club: Joe Frazier is relaxing with a newspaper eating his breakfast / enter Hugh Hefner

Hefner
Morning Joe

Frazier
Good morning Mr Heffner

Hefner
Do call me Hugh, so how is your breakfast

Frazier
This sausages & bacon taste sublime

Hefner
Only the best at the Playboy Hotel
Twenty million dollar luxury
Salubrious among the Vernon hills,
The Sinatras, Harry Belafonte
Have play’d, Dean Martin, Duke Ellington too
Our entertainment’s Vegas, food gourmet,
Our famous pool’s fit for Olympians,
There’s twenty seven holes of sterling golf,
Jacuzzis & spas &…

Frazier
Its magical, Hugh,
But a strange place to train, all these bunnies
Bouncing about my body & my brain
The very antithesis of Sparta

Hefner
To see our newly-form’d facilities
Put to the test by a man such as you
Redeems the validation of my dream
You are the world Champion after all
How long, & for free, would you care to stay
At the Great Gorge?

Frazier
Well, I’ve been here a week
I’d like to reside another ten days
It would have been longer but for the snow
I need to run, you see, for stamina
Atlantic City’s where I’ll burn those miles

Hefner
Seems like you’re training harder for Foreman
Than Roy stander & Terry Daniels

Frazier
Well I would say yeah, not because of Foreman,
But I’ve been out a little longer, dig
George is young & strong, he’s a big fella
Who’ll try out all the tricks in book & box
To take that title

Hefner
What about that size
He’ll tower over you as did Ali

Frazier
Well, I got all the remedy for that
I’ll get underneath & keep myself low
As much as possible, while otherwise
I’ve got a new thing for him, you’ll see me
Hitting George with a host of jabs this time

Hefner
His reach is long, you don’t mind getting hit

Frazier
I do mind getting hit, but its a game
Y’know what I mean, if you go out there
You expect to get hit – I dont worry
About tiring, I know can take it,
But only time does tell what will happen
& I’m getting myself together well,
But fear is absent from my agile thoughts
He swings too wide, I’ll teach him a lesson
Like all those other guys before my fists
He’s never felt the clipfull rough of hurt
& yeah, what he did to George Chuvalo
Ruffl’d a fly surprisement – but I got
Too much command of motion in that ring
To see no other outcome but a win

Hefner
& then you are ya gonna fight Muhammad
He’s still the first pretender to your crown

Frazier
The Number One Contender, who’s he fought
Some bruis’d up boys I’ve already beaten
Ali was floor’d, while Foreman’s never lost
But when I slay him in a flash of sweat
Another tilt I’ll give to Ali, sure
& next time knock him out

Hefner
I’m sure you will

Frazier
That nigger makes me mad as murderers
Hes really only in it for the dough
Y’know, some times he calls me up at night
Spittin’ ‘we’re big & bad, why don’t we fight
& carping all the while about the purse
While preaching to the world I aint no good

Hefner
I guess you gotta wait til the four-square
To shut his puss

Frazier
Yeah – I just don’t like him

Enter Kitty, a waitress, carrying a breakfast tray

Kitty
Here you are, Mr Frazier, your breakfast

Frazier
Can I get another pot of coffee

Kitty
Of course, Mr Frazier

Hefner
Thank-you Kitty
{Exit Kitty}
My girls think you’re cute

Frazier
I’m a married man
Mr Heffner

Hefner
She’s a lucky woman
Amidst this siren sensuality
You’re still obsessed with boxing

Frazier
That’s my bag
But as for Cassius Clay, give me five
Months off after Foreman, then I’ll fight him

Hefner
I hope such things transpire as you predict
For now I am a Frazier man, to see
Strength temper’d by tender humility
Cast in a lamp of powerful illume,
I’ll blink in wonder at thy mighty light,
But please excuse my lowly sycophance
There’s business to attend to, & my girls –
Enjoy your day, we can meet this evening
For dinner with my Bunnies, if you’ll wish

Frazier
I’ll be there

Exit Hugh / enter Kitty

Kitty
Your coffee Mr Frazier

Frazier
Thanks Kitty

Kitty
You’re very welcome – enjoy

Exit Kitty / Frazier begins his breakfast