Joe Frazier returns to his smokin’ ways tonight

He’s only 62. 62 is the new 42, and we all know what George Foreman did in his 40s, so it’s no big deal that we hear Smokin’ Joe Frazier is going to be lacing up the gloves once again.

OK, put away your portable defibrillator….he’s lacing ‘em up for a charity event on Thursday night.

Frazier, the superlative left hooker from Philly who last fought as a pro in Dec. 1981 (a draw with Jumbo Cummings), will do something we’d all like to do: face off with a politician. He’s gloving up against the mayor of Memphis, Willie Hereton. The mayor’s been training for a spell, so he doesn’t totally embarrass himself, and word is that Frazier is weighing about the same as he did in the 70s. Hey, with the state of the heavyweight division as we know it, I hope Joe doesn’t look too good, because someone will try and lure him back into the ring for an oldies match with Foreman or Holmes. The mayor, word is, has a past as an amateur boxer, so maybe things will heat up in there…

Proceeds from the rumble will raise around $100,000 for a local drug treatment program.

Welcome back, Smokin’ Joe…