Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

George Foreman

 
Who2 Biography:

George Foreman, Boxer

George Foreman
George Foreman
Click to enlarge

  • Born: 10 January 1949
  • Birthplace: Marshall, Texas
  • Best Known As: Heavyweight boxing champ with a grill business

George Foreman was young, lean and angry when he beat Joe Frazier for the world heavyweight boxing championship in 1973. The next year he lost the title to Muhammad Ali in an epic bout in Zaire called the "Rumble in the Jungle." Foreman dropped from the public eye for years and devoted himself to his religious ministry, but in the 1990s he returned to the ring transformed into a rotund, jovial fighter who somehow beat Michael Moorer in 1994 to regain the heavyweight crown at age 45. His subsequent self-mocking commercials for hamburgers and mufflers made him even more famous. Foreman retired again after a 1997 loss to Shannon Briggs, but his fame was intact: he made millions as a TV pitchman for a low-fat cooking gadget called the George Foreman Grill. In February of 2004, Foreman announced that he intended to return for one more fight, this time as a 55-year-old grandfather, in honor of the 30th anniversary of his rumble with Ali.

Foreman was the Olympic heavyweight boxing champion in 1968... It's true: Foreman has five daughters and five sons and has named all of the sons George: George Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and George VI.

Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
George Foreman
(born Jan. 10, 1949, Marshall, Texas, U.S.) U.S. boxer. Foreman grew up in Houston, Texas, and learned to box in a U.S. Job Corps camp in Oregon. He won the Olympic gold medal in heavyweight boxing in 1968. His first world heavyweight title victory was his second-round knockout of Joe Frazier in 1973. He had won all 40 of his professional bouts, many by knockout, before he fell in eight rounds to Muhammad Ali in 1974 in the so-called "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire, one of the most famous matches in modern boxing history. He retired in 1978 but began a remarkable comeback in 1987 at age 38; he regained the title in 10 rounds against Michael Moorer in 1994 to become, at 45, the oldest titleholder ever. He announced his retirement again the next year but fought a few more times in 1996 – 97. He has been an ordained minister since 1977.

For more information on George Foreman, visit Britannica.com.

Black Biography:

George Foreman

Top

boxer

Personal Information

Born 1948 in Houston, TX; married five times; fifth wife's name, Mary Joan; nine children from three of his five marriages, including five sons named George.
Education: Earned GED, 1967.

Career

Job Corps, Grants Pass, OR and Pleasanton, CA, c. early-mid 1960s; amateur boxer, 1966-68; won gold medal in heavyweight division in 1968 Olympic Games; went professional in 1969; became heavyweight champion of the world, January 22, 1973, by defeating Joe Frazier; lost title to Muhammad Ali in 1974; retired from professional boxing, 1977; returned to boxing, 1986; defeated in 12-round championship title bout, April, 1991, against Evander Holyfield; became heavyweight champion of the world, November 5, 1994, by defeating Michael Moorer. Minister and youth leader, 1977-86, working primarily out of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ (founded by Foreman) in Houston. Author, By George (with Joel Engle; autobiography), Random, 1995; George Foreman's Knock-Out-the-Fat Barbeque and Grilling Book (with Cherie Calbom), Random, 1996.

Life's Work

George Foreman is an unlikely hero in a savage sport. A former heavyweight champion of the world, Foreman returned to professional boxing after a ten-year retirement with the idea of regaining his lost crown. In doing so, "he also dealt a crashing blow to conventional wisdom which insisted that middle-aged men had no business pursuing world heavyweight championships and instead ought to play with their grandchildren," noted Ebony's Hans J. Massaquoi.

Foreman's checkered career includes juvenile delinquency, an Olympic gold medal, dramatic victories and defeats in boxing's professional ranks, and years spent as a preacher and youth leader. Even in his years away from boxing he has been the subject of media attention--not all of it flattering--and his return to the ring has sparked heated debate on his talents and potential. The boxer himself, a fundamentalist Christian, declares that he has returned to his sport in order to raise money for the youth center he is developing in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. He refuses to concede that his advancing age could weigh against him in a field where stamina and agility factor heavily into most victories. "40 is no death sentence," he told Time magazine. "Age is only a problem if you make it one."

If he seems assured at mid-life, Foreman was certainly adrift as a youth. He was born and raised in the Fifth Ward, a poor neighborhood on the north side of Houston. There he made a name for himself as a brawler, drinker, petty thief, and gang leader, quitting school before he got to the ninth grade. Lester Hayes, a member of the Los Angeles Raiders football team, grew up in the same neighborhood and described the George Foreman he remembered in Sports Illustrated. Foreman, Hayes said, "was a very, very big kid and had a reputation for savage butt kickings. That was his forte. So by the early age of 12, I had met George Foreman twice and I found both occasions extremely taxing." Hayes added: "I will say this of George. He was a smart gangster in that he would tax you first and then kick your butt. But he wasn't a very nice thing."

Foreman told Sports Illustrated that he thought a hero was someone with "a big, long scar down his face, a guy who'd come back from prison, a guy maybe killed a man once." He even went so far as to wear bandages on his own face so it would seem like he had a scar. Without any proper role models Foreman just drifted, with no clear idea how to make a life for himself. He was growing up in a single-parent family and spending most of his time in the streets. "I remember once," he said in Sports Illustrated, "two boys and myself, we robbed a guy. Threw him down. I could hold the guy because I was strong, and the sneaky fella would grab the money. And then we'd run until we couldn't hear the guy screaming anymore. And then we'd walk home as if we'd just earned some money on a job, counting it. We didn't even know we were criminals."

One day Foreman was watching television at his Houston home. A commercial came on featuring athlete Jim Brown, one of the few men Foreman actually admired. In the commercial, Brown urged young people to join the Job Corps in order to "be somebody." Foreman took the challenge. All alone, the teenager traveled from Texas to Oregon, where he joined a Job Corps camp. All was not rosy right away, though- -Sports Illustrated contributor Richard Hoffer described the youth as "principally a thug in a new outfit." Shortly after joining the Job Corps, Foreman was involved in a savage fistfight in the town of Pleasanton, California. When a group of counselors could not pull Foreman off his victim, they called upon the supervisor, Doc Broadus, for help. Broadus stepped in and stopped the fight, noticing in the process that Foreman seemed to be crying out for understanding, that he was indeed a confused boy wasting his strength in fits of frustration.

Broadus's special interest was developing boxers. He took Foreman to the gym and began to teach him how to channel his energy for productive purposes. In a short two years, Foreman developed into a powerful amateur heavyweight. He not only qualified for the 1968 Olympic Games, he won the gold medal in his division. His many victories notwithstanding, Foreman still remembers his moment in the 1968 games as the highlight of his life. He told Sports Illustrated: "None of it felt as good as when I was poor and had just won that gold medal, when I wore it so long I had to have the ribbon restitched."

Foreman turned pro in 1969 and began to move through the ranks toward the championship. He made his mark quickly, going undefeated through forty fights and winning more than half of those within two rounds. "My opponents didn't worry about losing to me," Foreman told Sports Illustrated. "They worried about getting hurt." Despite this track record, Foreman was an underdog when he entered the ring against world champion Joe Frazier in 1973. Frazier had stunned the world by beating Muhammad Ali and was thought to be invincible. Not only did Foreman beat Frazier, he knocked the champion down six times in a brutal TKO victory. Foreman went on to defend his championship belt against Ken Norton, another highly-ranked contender, and knocked him out in less than two rounds.

This set the stage for one of the most dramatic fights in modern history, the October 30, 1974 meeting between Foreman and Ali in Zaire. The crowd of 60,000 was squarely in Ali's corner, booing Foreman loudly as he attacked the former champion with flurry after flurry of punches. In Muhammad Ali, Foreman had finally met his match. The wily Ali absorbed six rounds of punishment from Foreman, taunting him all the while, and then Foreman was spent. Ali knocked Foreman down in the eighth round, and Foreman was unable to rise before the count of ten. It was his first loss, and it came in spectacular fashion. Years later, in 1997, the "Rumble in the Jungle" would become the subject of an acclaimed documentary entitled When We Were Kings.

The impact of that loss rocked Foreman for years to come. Sports Illustrated correspondent Gary Smith wrote: "Out of nowhere, [Foreman] had won adulation by mauling people in a boxing ring; now that he had lost for the first time, he lived with a quiet terror. He couldn't stop spending money or conquering women.... He was flailing at love and acceptance the same way he did at Ali, thinking he could win them by exertion of muscle and might." Foreman does not like to dwell on those years now. He admits his life was completely out of control. "After I'd lost to Ali," he said, "I'd decided I needed more hate. I'd hit you in the kidneys or on the back of the head. I'd beat women as hard as I beat men. You psyche yourself to become an animal to box, and that's what you become. A lion sleeps 75 percent of the day, the rest he eats and breeds--just like a boxer."

Surrounded by false friends and the useless trappings of a lavish lifestyle (including a lion, a tiger, a $21,000 German shepherd, and a half dozen luxury cars), Foreman more or less made a spectacle of himself. On March 17, 1977, he climbed into the ring in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a match with lightly-regarded Jimmy Young. For Foreman the fight was no more than a tune-up match for a return against Ali, but he lost a 12-round decision to Young. That fight marked a true milestone in Foreman's career. After returning to the dressing room, Foreman became ill and began to be obsessed with death.

Foreman told Sports Illustrated that he found himself plunged "into a deep, dark nothing, like out in a sea, with nothing over your head or under your feet. Nothing but nothing. A big dark lump of it. And a horrible smell came with it. A smell I haven't forgotten. A smell of sorrow.... And then I looked around and I was dead. That was it. I thought of everything I worked for. I hadn't said goodbye to my mother, my children. All the money I hid in safe-deposit boxes! You know how paper burns and when you touch it, it just crumbles. That was my life. I looked back and saw it crumble, like I'd fallen for a big joke."

Foreman began babbling in his terror and was taken to the hospital. On the way, he said, he felt the saving grace of God restoring him to life. "I said, I don't think this is death," he remembered. "I still believe in God. And I said that and I was back alive.... I could feel the blood flowing through my veins. For a moment, I felt I was somebody." Overnight, Foreman became a zealous Christian. He quit the ring and began a new career, preaching on Houston street corners and in fundamentalist churches. Eventually he opened his own church, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, in a mobile home. There he ministered to a small flock, trying to avoid the limelight as much as possible.

Even though he had found Jesus Christ, Foreman still had not taken a firm grasp of his life. Within a space of two years--1981 to 1983--he was married and divorced three times. One of his wives fled to Barbados with the couple's two children, and he flew there and literally stole them back. That experience forced him to face yet more unsavory facts about his life. Foreman told Sports Illustrated: "We're all like blind men on a corner--we got to learn to trust people, or we'll never cross the street. I've come to find out love is allowing yourself to be weak and vulnerable and hurt. I used to think that was weakness, even after I'd become a preacher. All those women that were leaving me were just trying to get me to say 'I love you' like I really meant it, instead of just giving them things."

Between 1983 and 1986 Foreman seemed to have found peace at last. His small church and a gym he had built next to it filled his days. He remarried and fathered the last of three sons--all named George. Gradually, however, the expenditures for the church and gym began to erode what funds he had left from his boxing days. At the same time, some of his eight children were nearing college age. Foreman tried to raise money by serving as a guest minister, but he found that experience humiliating. At the age of 40, he decided to return to the career that had proven so lucrative for him in his 20s--boxing.

Immediately Foreman faced yet another challenge. His love of fast food and home cooking had sustained him through the 1980s, but it had also caused his weight to balloon. He estimates that on his first day back in training he weighed nearly 315 pounds. As reporters scoffed, he announced his intentions to fight and began to work out vigorously, eventually bringing his weight down to 267. Few in the boxing establishment praised Foreman for his comeback, especially when he began to book "easy" fights against no-name opposition. NBC boxing commentator Ferdie Pacheco told Sports Illustrated: "This is pathetic. It shouldn't be allowed. He's overage, inept. This whole thing is a fraudulent second career to build a money fight with [Mike] Tyson."

Indeed, Foreman did have his eye on "Iron Mike" Tyson, then the heavyweight champion. "Tyson was 10 years old the last time I had a match," Foreman said in the Boston Globe. "I'm fighting guys he just fought and beating them. It still only takes me one punch. Whump. The power is still there." Foreman proved that power to a certain extent by turning in 24 victories, 23 by knockout, between 1986 and 1990. In January of 1990 he met former contender Gerry Cooney in Atlantic City (a match locally known as "The Geezers at Caesars"), knocking him senseless in the second round. Despite his constant battles with weight and the slower reflexes of age, Foreman finally signed for a title match, not against Tyson but against 28-year-old Evander Holyfield. That bout, which took place in April of 1991, ended in defeat for Foreman, although he was not easily beaten--the fight went 12 rounds.

The money Foreman had earned since making his comeback enabled him to build a spacious new athletic center for underprivileged youngsters in Houston, but he refused to relinquish his dream. For his own kids and for others, Foreman felt "I had to set an example," he explained in Ebony. "I think it's a crime for a man who's made as much as me to ask for donations," he told Sports Illustrated. "I want kids with murder on their faces. I'll trick 'em with boxing and sports to get them straightened out and going to school." He spent the next four years earning himself another go at the championship.

By November of 1994, Foreman had fought his way back into the championship ring, this time with 26-year-old Michael Moorer, who had stripped Holyfield of his title. "People don't know what it took for George to make it back," aide Mort Sharnik revealed to Esquire. "The bumps, the bruises, the cuts. The loneliness. The self-doubt. The unmerciful effort to reach a higher condition each time out. Going against age and weight ... and a conventional wisdom that was mean and full of contempt. But he's a man of large intelligence." Foreman's mental attitude, fortitude, stamina--and one walloping punch delivered two minutes into the tenth round--ended the jeers of all his critics and made him, at 45, the oldest man to regain the heavyweight title in the history of the sport. In one fell swoop, Foreman was back on top, holding the titles of the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) formerly held by Moorer.

Against the wishes of the WBA, Foreman defended his crown against Alex Schultz in April of 1995, rather than against Tony Tucker, the number-one-ranked contender at the time. In so doing, Foreman was stripped of his WBA title. Shortly thereafter, Foreman was forced to give up his IBF title for refusing to fight Schultz again that fall. Though he had earlier vowed to give up boxing after 1995, then after 1996, matches were being planned even in 1997. Though Foreman did step into the ring from time to time, none of the bouts received as much attention as the historical one on November 5, 1994.

Meanwhile, Foreman planned to spend the rest of an active life in Houston, training others in the sport that had provided him with so many ups and downs. He published an autobiography entitled By George and for a short time had appeared in George, a 1992 ABC-TV sitcom about an overweight, middle-aged former boxing champ plotting a comeback. The series lasted only eight weeks, but as Ebony predicted, "from street tough, to Olympic star, to bad guy boxing champ, to minister of the gospel, to big brother to troubled youths, to TV actor and pitchman, to American folk hero ... it won't be the last they have seen and heard of Big George."

Further Reading

Sources

  • Boston Globe, March 11, 1987.
  • Ebony, July 1995, pp. 86-92.
  • Esquire, February 1995, pp. 99-102.
  • Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1996, sect. C, pp. 1, 4.
  • New York Times Biographical Service, May 1995, pp. 774-775.
  • Philadelphia Inquirer, September 17, 1989, September 23, 1990.
  • Sports Illustrated, October 8, 1984, July 17, 1989, January 29, 1990.
  • Time, July 24, 1989.
  • Washington Post, January 12, 1990, January 17, 1990.

— Mark Kram

 
Columbia Encyclopedia:

George Foreman

Top
Foreman, George, 1948-, American boxer, b. Marshall, Tex. A high school dropout, Foreman learned to box in the Job Corps. In 1968 he was the Olympic heavyweight gold medalist. Foreman beat Joe Frazier for the world heavyweight crown in 1973 and defended the title twice before losing to Muhammad Ali. He retired to the ministry in 1977, but launched a comeback in 1987, losing a title fight at age 43. In 1994 Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer to win the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles and become the world's oldest heavyweight champion, but he was stripped of the WBA crown in 1995 and relinquished the IBF title the same year.
Quotes By:

George Foreman

Top

Quotes:

"A hero is someone right who doesn't change."

"My kids idea of a hard life is to live in a house with only one phone."

"It embarrasses me to think of all those years I was buying silk suits and alligator shoes that were hurting my feet; cars that I just parked, and the dust would just build up on them."

"The question isn't at what age I want to retire, it's at what income."

"George Foreman. A miracle. A mystery to myself. Who am I? The mirror says back. The George you was always meant to be. Wasn't always like that. Used to look in the mirror and cried a river."

"I am a winner each and every time I go into the ring."

See more famous quotes by George Foreman

Wikipedia:

George Foreman

Top
George Foreman
George Foreman signing.jpg
Statistics
Real name George Edward Foreman
Nickname(s) Big George
The Heywood Giant[1]
Rated at Heavyweight
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Nationality United States American
Birth date January 10, 1949 (1949-01-10) (age 61)
Birth place Marshall, Texas, U.S.
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 81
Wins 76
Wins by KO 68
Losses 5
Draws 0
No contests 0

George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and successful entrepreneur.

He became the oldest man ever to become heavyweight boxing champion of the world when, at age 45, he knocked out Michael Moorer, age 26, to reclaim the title he held 20 years earlier. He has been named one of the 25 greatest fighters of all time by Ring magazine.[2] Nicknamed "Big George"[3] he is now a successful businessman and an ordained Christian minister who has his own church.

Foreman has 10 children, and each of his five sons are named George: George Jr., George III, George IV, George V and George VI. His four older sons are distinguished from one another by the nicknames "Monk", "Big Wheel", "Red" and "Little George."[4]

Foreman is ranked #9 on Ring magazine's list of "100 greatest punchers of all time". He is also well-known for the eponymous George Foreman Grill.

Contents

Early life

Professional career

Olympic medal record
Men's Boxing
Gold 1968 Mexico City Heavyweight

Foreman won Gold for Men's Boxing at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

Foreman, after an amateur record of 27–0, turned professional in 1969 with a three-round knockout of Donald Walheim in New York. He had a total of 13 fights that year, winning all of them (11 by knockout). Among the boxers he defeated was Cookie Wallace, who lasted only 23 seconds.

In 1970, Foreman continued his march toward the undisputed heavyweight title, winning all 12 of his bouts (11 by knockout). Among the opponents he defeated were Gregorio Peralta, whom he decisioned at Madison Square Garden, and George Chuvalo, whom he defeated by technical knockout (TKO) in three rounds. After this impressive win, Foreman defeated Charlie Polite in four rounds and Boone Kirkman in three.

A young George Foreman celebrates his Olympic triumph.

In 1971, Foreman won seven more fights, winning all of them by knockout, including a rematch with Peralta, whom he defeated by knockout in the tenth and final round in Oakland, California, and a win over Leroy Caldwell, who was knocked out in the second round. After amassing a record of 32–0 (29 KO), Foreman was ranked as the number one challenger by the WBA and WBC.

In 1972, his string of wins continued with a series of five consecutive bouts in which he defeated each opponent within three rounds.

The Sunshine Showdown (vs. Joe Frazier)

Still undefeated, and with an impressive knockout record, Foreman was set to challenge undefeated and undisputed world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, who in 1971 had scored a 15-round unanimous decision over previously-unbeaten Muhammad Ali, following Ali's return to the ring after an exile of more than three and a half years.

The Sunshine Showdown took place on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica, with Foreman knocking down Frazier six times in two rounds to win the championship by knockout in one of boxing's biggest upsets. In what was HBO Boxing's first broadcast, the call made by Howard Cosell became one of the most memorable in all of sports: "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!" Before the fight Frazier was 29–0 (25 KO) and Foreman was 37–0 (34 KO). After the sixth and final knockdown, Frazier managed to get to his feet, as he had the previous 5 knockdowns, but referee Arthur Mercante called an end to the bout. Foreman however later admitted that he had been afraid of Frazier prior to the bout, and it was a narrowly missed left hook after the first knockdown that prompted him to finish the fight quickly.

Foreman was sometimes characterized by the media as an aloof and antisocial champion. According to them, he always seemed to wear a sneer and was not often available to the press. Foreman would later attribute his demeanor during this time as an emulation of Sonny Liston, for whom he had been an occasional sparring partner.

Nevertheless, Foreman went on to defend his title successfully twice during his initial reign as champion. His first defense, in Tokyo, pitted him against Puerto Rican heavyweight champion José Roman. Roman was not regarded as a top contender, and it took Foreman only 2 minutes to end the fight, one of the fastest knockouts in a heavyweight championship bout. Foreman's next defense was against a much tougher opponent (at least on paper). In 1974, in Caracas, Venezuela, he faced the highly regarded hall-of-famer Ken Norton who was 30–2, a boxer notorious for his awkward boxing style and crab-like defense, who had broken the jaw of Muhammad Ali while defeating him on points a year earlier. Norton's ability to "take a punch," however, was suspect, and Foreman put him to the test. In an astonishing display of aggression and punching power, Foreman knocked out Norton in just two rounds. The win made Foreman 40–0 with 37 knockouts.

"Rumble in the Jungle"

Foreman's next title defense, against Muhammad Ali, was historic. Ali was 44–2 (31 KO), with decision losses coming at the hands of Frazier and Norton. Frazier had knocked down Ali in the 15th and final round en route to a unanimous decision (9–6, 11–4 and 8-6-1), while Ken Norton, who broke Ali's jaw in the second round, won by split decision (4-7-1, 4-5-3 and 6-5-1) (these losses were later avenged by Ali via a unanimous decision and a split decision, respectively). Foreman, who was 40–0 (37 KO), had knocked out both Frazier and Norton in the second round. The only fighters who lasted the distance with Foreman to that time were Roberto Davila, Levi Forte and Gregorio Peralta.

During the summer of 1974, Foreman traveled to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to defend his title against Ali. The bout was promoted as The Rumble in the Jungle.

During training in Zaire, Foreman suffered a cut above his eye, forcing postponement of the match for a month. Ali used this time to tour Zaire, endearing himself to the public while taunting Foreman at every opportunity. Nevertheless, Foreman was a heavy favorite, due in large part to the fact that Frazier and Norton had given Ali four difficult fights, lasted the distance in all, and won two of them, while Foreman had scored TKOs over both in the second round.

When Foreman and Ali finally met in the ring, Ali started on his toes, dancing around as advertised. Such was the intensity of Foreman's attack, however, that he was soon driven into the ropes. Foreman dug vicious body punches into Ali's sides; however, it quickly became clear that Foreman was unable to land a clean punch to Ali's head. The ring ropes, being reasonably elastic in nature, allowed Ali to lean back and away from Foreman's wild swings and then maul him in a clinch, forcing Foreman to expend extra energy untangling himself. Ali also pushed down on Foreman's neck which is an illegal act in boxing yet Ali was never warned or penalised.[citation needed] To this day, it is unclear whether Ali's pre-fight talk of using speed and movement against Foreman had been just a diversionary trick, or whether his use of what became known as the "Rope-a-dope" tactic was an improvisation necessitated by Foreman's constant pressure.

In either case, Ali was able to counter off the ropes with blows to the face, and was able to penetrate Foreman's defense. As the early rounds passed, Ali continued to take heavy punishment to the body, and occasionally a hard jolt to the head, but Foreman could not land his best punches directly on Ali's chin. Eventually, Foreman began to tire and his punches became increasingly wild, losing power in the process. An increasingly-confident Ali taunted Foreman throughout the bout. Late in the eighth round, Ali sprang off the ropes with a sudden flurry of blows to Foreman's head, punctuated by a hard right cross that landed flush on Foreman's jaw. Foreman was knocked down, overcome. He managed to regain his feet, but the referee stopped the bout. It was Foreman's first defeat, and Muhammad Ali would remain the only boxer to defeat him by a knockout throughout his two-phased career, although Ron Lyle and Jimmy Young did manage to floor him in later bouts.

Later, Foreman stated that he was pleased to contribute to such a memorable moment in the history of the world, but simply regards the fight as being "a sweaty old boxing match which I lost." Foreman also comments in his autobiography that he feels that it is inaccurate for Ali to say the "rope a dope" was his planned strategy all along, with Foreman saying "It's like shooting an arrow into a barn, and then painting a bullseye around the arrow." Foreman's autobiography also mentions a strange-tasting drink he was given shortly before the fight, and unusual physical soreness afterward which he did not experience after any other fight.

First comeback

After losing his title, Foreman remained inactive during 1975. In 1976, he returned to boxing in Las Vegas against Ron Lyle, (who had been defeated by Muhammad Ali in 1975 by a TKO in round 11, while leading on all scorecards by 6–4) in a fight hailed by Ring Magazine as "The Fight Of The Year." At the end of the first round, Lyle landed a hard left that sent Foreman staggering across the ring. In the second round, Foreman pounded Lyle against the ropes and might have scored a KO, but due to a timekeeping error the bell rang with a minute still remaining in the round[citation needed], and Lyle survived. In the third, Foreman pressed forward, with Lyle waiting to counter off the ropes. In the fourth, a brutal slugfest erupted. A cluster of power punches from Lyle sent Foreman to the canvas. When Foreman got up, Lyle staggered him again, but just as Foreman seemed finished he retaliated with a hard right to the side of the head, knocking down Lyle. Lyle beat the count, then landed another brutal combination, knocking Foreman down for the second time. Again, Foreman beat the count. In the fifth round, both fighters continued to ignore defense and traded their hardest punches. Each man staggered the other and each seemed almost out on his feet. Then, as if finally tired, Lyle stopped punching and Foreman delivered a dozen unanswered blows until Lyle collapsed. Lyle remained on the canvas and was counted out giving Foreman the KO victory.

For his next bout, Foreman chose to face Joe Frazier in a rematch. Because of the one-sided Foreman victory in their first fight, and the fact that Frazier had taken a tremendous amount of punishment from Ali in Manila a year earlier, few expected him to win. Frazier at this point was 32–3 and Foreman was 41–1. Surprisingly, Foreman-Frazier II was fairly competitive as long as it lasted, as Frazier used quick head movements to make Foreman miss with his hardest punches. Unable to mount a significant offense, however, Frazier was eventually floored twice by Foreman in the fifth round and the fight was stopped. Next, Foreman knocked out Scott Ledoux in three and Dino Dennis in four to finish the year.

Retirement and rebirth

1977 would prove to be a life changing year for Foreman. After knocking out Pedro Agosto in four rounds at Pensacola, Florida, Foreman flew to Puerto Rico, where he lost a 12-round decision to Jimmy Young. Foreman fought cautiously early on, costing himself points, but as in the Ali fight he tired in the later rounds. Despite nearly scoring a KO at one point, Foreman could not mount a sustained attack on the elusive Young, who knocked down Foreman in the last round to secure the decision victory.

Foreman became ill in his dressing room after the fight. He was suffering from exhaustion and heatstroke and believed he had a near death experience. He claimed he found himself in a hellish, frightening place of nothingness and despair. He began to plead with God to help him. He explained that he sensed God asking him to change his life and ways. After this experience, Foreman became a born-again Christian, dedicating his life for the next decade to Christianity. Although he did not formally retire from boxing, Foreman stopped fighting, became an ordained minister of a church[5] in Houston, Texas, and devoted himself to his family and his parishioners. He also opened a youth center[6] that bears his name. Foreman continues to share his conversion experience on Christian television broadcasts such as The 700 Club and the Trinity Broadcasting Network, and would later joke that Young had knocked the devil out of him.

Second comeback

In 1987, after 10 years away from the ring, Foreman surprised the boxing world by announcing a comeback at the age of 38. In his autobiography he stated that his primary motive was to raise money to fund the youth center he had created. For his first fight, he went to Sacramento, California, where he beat journeyman Steve Zouski by a knockout in four rounds. Foreman weighed 267 lb (121 kg) for the fight, and looked badly out of shape. Although many thought his decision to return to the ring was a mistake, Foreman countered that he had returned to prove that age was not a barrier to people achieving their goals (as he would say later, he wanted to show that age 40 is not a "death sentence"). He won four more bouts that year, gradually slimming down and improving his fitness. In 1988, he won nine times. Perhaps his most notable win during this period was a seventh round knockout of former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi.

Having always been a deliberate fighter, Foreman had not lost much mobility in the ring since his first "retirement," although he found it harder to keep his balance after throwing big punches and could no longer throw rapid combinations. He was still capable of landing heavy, single blows, however. Ironically, the late-rounds fatigue that had plagued him in the ring as a young man now seemed to be gone, and he could comfortably compete for 12 rounds. Foreman attributed this to his new, relaxed fighting style (he has spoken of how, earlier in his career, his lack of stamina came from an enormous amount of nervous tension).

By 1989, while continuing his comeback, Foreman had become a successful business entrepreneur, selling everything from grills to mufflers on TV. The formerly aloof, unfriendly Foreman had been replaced by a smiling, friendly George. He and Ali had become friends, and he followed in Ali's footsteps by making himself a celebrity outside the boundaries of boxing.

Foreman continued his string of victories, winning five more fights, the most impressive being a three-round win over Bert Cooper, who would go on to contest the undisputed heavyweight title against Evander Holyfield.

In 1990, Foreman met former title challenger Gerry Cooney in Atlantic City. Cooney was coming off a long period of inactivity, but was well-regarded for his punching power. Cooney wobbled Foreman in the first round, but Foreman landed several powerful punches in the second round. Cooney was knocked down twice, and Foreman had scored a devastating KO. Foreman went on to win four more fights that year.

Then, in 1991, Foreman was given the opportunity to challenge undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, who was in tremendous shape at 208 pounds, for the world title in a Pay Per View boxing event. Very few boxing experts gave the 42-year-old Foreman a chance of winning. Foreman, who weighed in at 257 pounds, began the contest by marching forward, absorbing several of Holyfield's best combinations and occasionally landing a powerful swing of his own. Holyfield proved too tough and agile to knock down, and was well ahead on points throughout the fight, but Foreman surprised many by lasting the full 12 rounds, losing his challenge on points. Round 7, in which Foreman knocked Holyfield off balance before being staggered by a powerful combination, was Ring Magazine's "Round Of The Year."

A year later, Foreman fought journeyman Alex Stewart, who had previously been stopped in the first round by Mike Tyson. Foreman knocked down Stewart twice in the second round, but expended a lot of energy in doing so. He subsequently tired, and Stewart rebounded. By the end of the 10th and final round, Foreman's face was bloodied and swollen, but the judges awarded him a majority decision win.

In 1993, Foreman received another title shot, although this was for the vacant WBO championship, which most fans at the time saw as a second-tier version of the "real" heavyweight title, then being contested between Holyfield and Riddick Bowe. Foreman's opponent was Tommy Morrison, a young prospect known for his punching power. To the frustration of Foreman, and the disappointment of the booing crowd, Morrison retreated throughout the fight, refusing to trade toe-to-toe, and sometimes even turned his back on Foreman. The strategy paid off, however, as he outboxed Foreman from long range. Foreman was competitive throughout the match, but after 12 rounds Morrison won a unanimous decision. Though it seemed unlikely at the time, one more chance at the legitimate heavyweight crown was just around the corner for Foreman.

Regaining the Title

In 1994, Foreman once again sought to challenge for the world championship after Michael Moorer had beaten Holyfield for the IBF and WBA titles.

Having lost his last fight against Morrison and been inactive since, Foreman was unranked and in no position to demand another title shot. However, his relatively high profile made a title defense against Foreman, who was 19 years older than Moorer (old enough to be his father) a lucrative prospect at seemingly little risk for champion Moorer.

Foreman's title challenge against Moorer took place on November 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Foreman wearing the same red trunks he had worn in his title loss to Ali 20 years earlier. This time, however, Foreman was a substantial underdog. For nine rounds, Moorer easily outboxed him, hitting and moving away, while Foreman chugged forward, seemingly unable to "pull the trigger" on his punches. Entering the tenth round, Foreman was trailing on all scorecards. However, Foreman launched a comeback in the tenth round, and hit Moorer with a number of long-range jabs. Then, suddenly, a short right hand caught Moorer on the tip of his chin, gashing open his bottom lip, and he collapsed to the canvas. He lay flat on his back as the referee counted him out.

In an instant, Foreman had regained the title he had lost to Muhammad Ali two decades before. He went back to his corner and knelt in prayer as the arena erupted in cheers. With this historic victory, Foreman broke three records: he became, at age 45, the oldest fighter ever to win the world heavyweight crown; and, 20 years after losing his title for the first time, he broke the record for the fighter with the longest interval between his first and second world championships. The age spread of 19 years between the champion and challenger was also the largest of any heavweight boxing championship fight.

Shortly after the Moorer fight, Foreman began talking about a potential superfight against Mike Tyson. The WBA organization, however, demanded he fight their No. 1 challenger, who at the time was the competent but aging Tony Tucker. For reasons not clearly known, Foreman refused to fight Tucker, and allowed the WBA to strip him of that belt. He then went on to fight mid-level prospect Axel Schulz of Germany in defense of his remaining IBF title. Schulz was a major underdog. Schulz jabbed strongly from long range, and grew increasingly confident as the fight progressed. Foreman finished the fight with a swelling over one eye, but was awarded a controversial majority decision (two judges scored for Foreman, one called it even). The IBF ordered an immediate rematch to be held in Germany, but Foreman refused the terms and found himself stripped of his remaining title. However, Foreman continued to be recognized as the lineal heavyweight champion.

In 1996, Foreman returned to Tokyo, scoring an easy win over the unrated Crawford Grimsley by a 12-round decision. In 1997, he faced contender Lou Savarese, winning a close decision in a grueling, competitive encounter. Then, yet another opportunity came Foreman's way as the WBC decided to match him against Shannon Briggs in a 1997 "eliminator bout" for the right to face WBC champion Lennox Lewis. After 12 rounds, in which Foreman consistently rocked Briggs with power punches, almost everyone at ringside saw Foreman as the clear winner.[7] Once again there was a controversial decision—but this time it went in favor of Foreman's opponent, with Briggs awarded a points win. Foreman had fought for the last time, at the age of 48.

Second retirement

Foreman was gracious and philosophical in his loss to Briggs, but announced his "final" retirement shortly afterward. However, he did plan a return bout against Larry Holmes in 1999, scheduled to take place at the Houston Astrodome on pay per view. The fight was to be billed as "The Birthday Bash" due to both fighters' upcoming birthdays. Foreman was set to make $10 million and Holmes was to make $4 million, but negotiations fell through and the fight was cancelled. With a continuing affinity for the sport, Foreman became a respected boxing analyst for HBO.

Foreman said he had no plans to resume his career as a boxer, but then announced in February 2004 that he was training for one more comeback fight to demonstrate that the age of 55, like 40, is not a "death sentence." The bout, against an unspecified opponent, never materialized (it was widely thought that Foreman's wife had been a major factor in the change of plans). Having severed his relationship with HBO to pursue other opportunities, George Foreman and the sport of boxing finally went their separate ways.

The George Foreman Grill and other business ventures

Apart from his advertisements for Meineke mufflers, Foreman also tours the world promoting the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine. Foreman has said that he has made more money from his grilling machine contracts than he made during his entire boxing career, and has suggested that he is better known for the grill than he is for his boxing.[8]

Foreman will not disclose how much he has earned as a product endorser, but he does not dispute a published estimate that his lifetime earnings are about $240 million—three times what he earned in the ring. In 1999, Salton Inc. bought the rights to use his name and selling skills in perpetuity for $127.5 million in cash and $10 million in stock. It stands as one of the biggest endorsement deals for any athlete. Under the original 1995 deal, Foreman had a right to 60% of the profits from the grills, which range in price from $20 to $150. At the height of its success, Foreman received $4.5 million a month in payouts according to former Salton CEO Leonhard Dreimann. But, in the past few years, consumers have put off replacing their old Foreman grills and Salton reported a loss of $3.2 million on sales of $274 million in a recent quarter.

In 1993, Foreman starred in his own situation comedy on ABC George, which turned out to be a flop. During the 1990s, he hosted The Disney Channel's Walt Disney World Inside Out along with Brianne Leary and J.D. Roth.

In 2004, Foreman began marketing the George Foreman brand of "Big and Tall" clothes through the retailer Casual Male. His clothing features "comfort zone" technology, which allows expansion and contraction as the wearer's weight changes.[9]

Foreman appeared as a judge on the second season of the ABC reality television series American Inventor.

Foreman has four books: one, published in 1995 and titled By George: The Autobiography of George Foreman, was written with Joel Engel; the second published in May 2007 and titled God in My Corner: A Spiritual Memoir, was written with Ken Abraham; the third, published in October 2007, is called Going the Extra Smile. The second two books deal with his faith-related experiences, practicing forgiveness, and overcoming adversity. God in My Corner contains numerous pictures from his life and career. Foreman's fourth book, published in 2008, is scheduled for release in late June and early July.

On May 22, 2007, it was announced that Foreman has become a partner in the Panther Racing IndyCar team, which is fielding Vitor Meira, Kosuke Matsuura, and John Andretti in the Indianapolis 500.

On July 16, 2008, TV Land premiered Family Foreman, a reality TV show, starring George and his family.

In the beginning of the film Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, he makes a cameo.

Boxing record

As of November 1997, Foreman has compiled a professional record of 76 wins and 5 losses.

Result Record Opponent Type Date Round Location
Loss 76–5 United States Briggs, ShannonShannon Briggs MD 01997-11-22 22 November 1997 12 United States Atlantic City, New Jersey Non-title fight
Win 76–4 United States Savarese, LouLou Savarese SD 01997-04-26 26 April 1997 12 United States Atlantic City, New Jersey Defends WBU heavyweight title & gives up IBA heavyweight title
Win 75–4 United States Grimsley, CrawfordCrawford Grimsley UD 01996-11-03 3 November 1996 12 Japan Chiba, Japan Defends WBU heavyweight title, stripped of IBF heavyweight title, vacant IBA heavyweight title
Win 74–4 Germany Schulz, AxelAxel Schulz MD 01995-04-22 22 April 1995 12 United States Las Vegas, Nevada Defends IBF heavyweight title, stripped of WBA heavyweight title & Wins vacant WBU heavyweight title
Win 73–4 United States Moorer, MichaelMichael Moorer KO 01994-11-05 5 November 1994 10 set for 12 United States Las Vegas, Nevada Wins WBA heavyweight title & IBF heavyweight title
Loss 72–4 United States Morrison, TommyTommy Morrison UD 01993-06-07 7 June 1993 12 United States Las Vegas, Nevada For vacant WBO heavyweight title
Win 72–3 South Africa Coetzer, PierrePierre Coetzer TKO 01993-01-16 16 January 1993 8 set for 10 United States Reno, Nevada
Win 71–3 United States Stewart, AlexAlex Stewart MD 01992-04-11 11 April 1992 10 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 70–3 United States Ellis, JimmyJimmy Ellis TKO 01991-12-07 7 December 1991 3 set for 10 United States Reno, Nevada
Loss 69–3 United States Holyfield, EvanderEvander Holyfield UD 01991-04-19 19 April 1991 12 United States Atlantic City, New Jersey For WBC heavyweight title, WBA heavyweight title & IBF heavyweight title
Win 69–2 United States Anderson, TerryTerry Anderson KO 01990-09-25 25 September 1990 1 set for 10 United Kingdom London, United Kingdom
Win 68–2 Canada Lakusta, KenKen Lakusta KO 01990-07-31 31 July 1990 3 set for 10 Canada Edmonton, Alberta
Win 67–2 Brazil Rodrigues, AdilsonAdilson Rodrigues KO 01990-06-16 16 June 1990 2 set for 10 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 66–2 United States Jameson, MikeMike Jameson KO 01990-04-17 17 April 1990 4 set for 10 United States Stateline, Nevada
Win 65–2 United States Cooney, GerryGerry Cooney TKO 01990-01-15 15 January 1990 2 set for 10 United States Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win 64–2 United States Martin, EverettEverett Martin UD 01989-07-20 20 July 1989 10 United States Tucson, Arizona
Win 63–2 United States Cooper, BertBert Cooper RTD 01989-06-01 1 June 1989 2 set for 10 United States Phoenix, Arizona
Win 62–2 United States Williamson, JBJB Williamson TKO 01989-04-30 30 April 1989 5 set for 10 United States Galveston, Texas
Win 61–2 Brazil AlmeidaManoel De Almeida TKO 01989-02-16 16 February 1989 3 set for 10 United States Orlando, Florida
Win 60–2 United States Young, MarkMark Young TKO 01989-01-26 26 January 1989 7 set for 10 United States Rochester, New York
Win 59–2 United States Jaco, DavidDavid Jaco TKO 01988-12-28 28 December 1988 1 set for 10 United States Bakersfield, California
Win 58–2 Tonga Fulilangi, TonyTony Fulilangi TKO 01988-10-27 27 October 1988 2 set for 10 United States Marshall, Texas
Win 57–2 United States Hitz, BobbyBobby Hitz TKO 01988-09-10 10 September 1988 1 set for 10 United States Auburn Hills, Michigan
Win 56–2 Mexico Mijangos, LadislaoLadislao Mijangos TKO 01988-08-25 25 August 1988 2 set for 10 United States Fort Myers, Florida
Win 55–2 Cuba Hernandez, CarlosCarlos Hernandez TKO 01988-06-26 26 June 1988 4 set for 10 United States Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win 54–2 United States Lux, FrankFrank Lux TKO 01988-05-21 21 May 1988 3 set for 10 United States Anchorage, Alaska
Win 53–2 United States Qawi, Dwight MuhammadDwight Muhammad Qawi TKO 01988-03-19 19 March 1988 7 set for 10 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 52–2 Italy Trane, GuidoGuido Trane TKO 01988-02-05 5 February 1988 5 set for 10 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 51–2 United States Trimm, TomTom Trimm KO 01988-01-23 23 January 1988 1 set for 10 United States Orlando, Florida
Win 50–2 United States Sekorski, RockyRocky Sekorski TKO 01987-12-18 18 December 1987 3 set for 10 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 49–2 United States Anderson, TimTim Anderson TKO 01987-11-21 21 November 1987 4 set for 10 United States Orlando, Florida
Win 48–2 United States Crabtree, BobbyBobby Crabtree TKO 01987-09-15 15 September 1987 6 set for 10 United States Springfield, Missouri
Win 47–2 United States Hostetter, CharlesCharles Hostetter KO 01987-07-09 9 July 1987 3 set for 10 United States Oakland, California
Win 46–2 United States Zouski, SteveSteve Zouski TKO 01987-03-09 9 March 1987 4 set for 10 United States Sacramento, California
Loss 45–2 United States Young, JimmyJimmy Young UD 01977-03-17 17 March 1977 12 Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico
Win 45–1 Puerto Rico Agosto, PedroPedro Agosto TKO 01977-01-22 22 January 1977 4 set for 10 United States Pensacola, Florida
Win 44–1 United States Denis, John DinoJohn Dino Denis TKO 01976-10-15 15 October 1976 4 set for 10 United States Hollywood, Florida
Win 43–1 United States LeDoux, ScottScott LeDoux TKO 01976-08-14 14 August 1976 3 set for 10 United States Utica, New York
Win 42–1 United States Frazier, JoeJoe Frazier TKO 01976-06-15 15 June 1976 5 set for 12 United States Uniondale, New York
Win 41–1 United States Lyle, RonRon Lyle KO 01976-01-24 24 January 1976 5 set for 12 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Loss 40–1 United States Ali, MuhammadMuhammad Ali KO 01974-10-30 30 October 1974 8 set for 15 Zaire Kinshasa, Zaire Loses WBC heavyweight title & WBA heavyweight title
Win 40–0 United States Norton, KenKen Norton KO 01974-03-26 26 March 1974 2 set for 15 Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela Defends WBC heavyweight title & WBA heavyweight title
Win 39–0 Puerto Rico Roman, JoseJose Roman KO 01973-09-01 1 September 1973 1 set for 15 Japan Tokyo, Japan Defends WBC heavyweight title & WBA heavyweight title
Win 38–0 United States Frazier, JoeJoe Frazier TKO 01973-01-22 22 January 1973 2 set for 15 Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Wins WBC heavyweight title & WBA heavyweight title
Win 37–0 United States Sorrell, TerryTerry Sorrell KO 01972-10-29 29 October 1972 2 set for 10 United States Salt Lake City, Utah
Win 36–0 Argentina Paez, Miguel AngelMiguel Angel Paez KO 01972-05-11 11 May 1972 2 set for 10 United States Oakland, California
Win 35–0 United States Gullick, TedTed Gullick KO 01972-04-10 10 April 1972 2 set for 10 United States Inglewood, California
Win 34–0 United States Boone, ClarenceClarence Boone KO 01972-03-07 7 March 1972 2 set for 10 United States Beaumont, Texas
Win 33–0 United States Goodwin, Joe MurphyJoe Murphy Goodwin KO 01972-02-29 29 February 1972 2 set for 10 United States Austin, Texas
Win 32–0 Brazil Pires, Luis FaustinoLuis Faustino Pires TKO 01971-10-29 29 October 1971 5 set for 10 United States New York City, New York
Win 31–0 Australia Wilson, OllieOllie Wilson KO 01971-07-07 7 July 1971 2 set for 10 United States San Antonio, Texas
Win 30–0 United States Caldwell, LeroyLeroy Caldwell KO 01971-09-21 21 September 1971 2 set for 10 United States Beaumont, Texas
Win 29–0 United States Scott, VicVic Scott KO 01971-09-14 14 September 1971 1 set for 10 United States El Paso, Texas
Win 28–0 Argentina Peralta, GregorioGregorio Peralta TKO 01971-05-10 10 May 1971 10 set for 15 United States Oakland, California
Win 27–0 Jamaica Harris, StanfordStanford Harris KO 01971-04-03 3 April 1971 2 set for 10 United States Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Win 26–0 United States Boston, CharlieCharlie Boston KO 01971-02-08 8 February 1971 1 set for 10 United States Saint Paul, Minnesota
Win 25–0 United States Turnbow, MelMel Turnbow TKO 01970-12-18 18 December 1970 1 set for 10 United States Seattle, Washington
Win 24–0 United States Kirkman, BooneBoone Kirkman TKO 01970-11-18 18 November 1970 2 set for 10 United States New York City, New York
Win 23–0 United States Bailey, LouLou Bailey TKO 01970-11-03 3 November 1970 3 set for 10 United States Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Win 22–0 Canada Chuvalo, GeorgeGeorge Chuvalo TKO 01970-08-04 4 August 1970 3 set for 10 United States New York City, New York
Win 21–0 United States Russell, RogerRoger Russell TKO 01970-07-20 20 July 1970 1 set for 10 United States Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win 20–0 United States Johnson, GeorgeGeorge Johnson KO 01970-05-16 16 May 1970 7 set for 10 United States Inglewood, California
Win 19–0 United States Eastling, AaronAaron Eastling TKO 01970-04-29 29 April 1970 4 set for 10 United States Cleveland, Ohio
Win 18–0 United States Woody, James JJames J Woody TKO 01970-04-17 17 April 1970 3 set for 10 United States New York City, New York
Win 17–0 United States Brassell, RufusRufus Brassell TKO 01970-03-30 30 March 1970 1 set for 10 United States Houston, Texas
Win 16–0 Argentina Peralta, GregorioGregorio Peralta UD 01970-04-17 17 April 1970 10 United States New York City, New York
Win 15–0 United States O'Halloran, JackJack O'Halloran KO 01970-02-16 16 February 1970 5 set for 10 United States New York City, New York
Win 14–0 United States Polite, CharleyCharley Polite KO 01970-06-06 6 June 1970 4 set for 10 United States Houston, Texas
Win 13–0 United States Wiler, Gary HoboGary Hobo Wiler TKO 01969-12-18 18 December 1969 1 set for 10 United States Seattle, Washington
Win 12–0 United States Forte, LeviLevi Forte UD 01969-12-16 16 December 1969 10 United States Miami Beach, Florida
Win 11–0 United States Hazelton, BobBob Hazelton TKO 01969-12-06 6 December 1969 1 set for 6 United States Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 10–0 United States Martinez, MaxMax Martinez KO 01969-11-18 18 November 1969 2 set for 10 United States Houston, Texas
Win 9–0 Trinidad and Tobago Peterson, LeoLeo Peterson KO 01969-11-05 5 November 1969 4 set for 8 United States Scranton, Pennsylvania
Win 8–0 Peru Davila, RobertoRoberto Davila UD 01969-10-31 31 October 1969 8 United States New York City, New York
Win 7–0 United States Clay, VernonVernon Clay TKO 01969-10-07 7 October 1969 2 set for 6 United States Houston, Texas
Win 6–0 United States Wallace, RoyRoy Wallace KO 01969-09-23 23 September 1969 2 set for 6 United States Houston, Texas
Win 5–0 United States Carroll, JohnnyJohnny Carroll KO 01969-09-18 18 September 1969 1 set for 8 United States Seattle, Washington
Win 4–0 United States Wepner, ChuckChuck Wepner TKO 01969-08-18 18 August 1969 3 set for 8 United States New York City, New York
Win 3–0 United States Dullaire, SylvesterSylvester Dullaire TKO 01969-07-14 14 July 1969 1 set for 6 United States Oxon Hill, Maryland
Win 2–0 United States Askew, FredFred Askew KO 01969-07-01 1 July 1969 1 set for 6 United States Houston, Texas
Win 1–0 United States Walheim, DonDon Walheim TKO 01969-06-23 23 June 1969 3 set for 6 United States New York City, New York

See also

References

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Forest Ward
United States Amateur Heavyweight Champion
1968
Succeeded by
Earnie Shavers
Preceded by
Joe Frazier
World Heavyweight Champion
January 22, 1973 – October 30, 1974
Succeeded by
Muhammad Ali
Preceded by
Michael Moorer
IBF Heavyweight Champion
November 5, 1994 – 1995
Stripped
Succeeded by
Michael Moorer
Filled vacancy
WBA Heavyweight Champion
November 5, 1994 – 1995
Stripped
Succeeded by
Bruce Seldon
Filled vacancy
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Muhammad Ali
Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year
1976
Succeeded by
Carlos Zarate
Preceded by
Michael Jordan
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year
1994
Succeeded by
Cal Ripken, Jr.



 
 

 

Copyrights:

Who2 Biography. Copyright © 1998-2008 by Who2, LLC. All rights reserved. See the George Foreman biography from Who2.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2009 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Black Biography. Contemporary Black Biography. Copyright © 2006 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
Quotes By. Copyright © 2008 QuotationsBook.com. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "George Foreman" Read more