Via Ken Hisner: George Foreman “Big” admitted to having a difficult childhood before convincing his mother that he wanted to join the Job Corps. He started boxing as an amateur in 1966, scoring 21-5, winning the 1968 AAU National Championship and the Mexico City Olympics Gold Medal by defeating Jonas Chepulis of the Soviet Union.
In 1969, Foreman turned professional and won his first 38 games when in Kingston, Jamaica, in January 1973, he defeated world champion “Smokin” Joe Frazier of Philadelphia, 29-0, in two hiep.
During Foreman’s second defense, he stopped Ken Norton, 30-2, in Caracas, VZ, in March 1974. His former coach Eddie Futch told me in the Gym Joe Frazier’s education in Philadelphia that he refused to work in Norton’s corner for this war.
In Foreman’s next bout in October, he lost to former world heavyweight champion Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali, 44-2, in eight rounds in what has come to be known as “The Rumble in the” Jungle” in Zaire, Africa, in October.
Foreman didn’t fight again until January 1976 in what is considered the “Game of the Year” when, losing two cards, he defeated Ron Lyle, 31-3-1, in the fifth round, for the tournament. North American Boxing is vacant League title.
In June, Foreman again blocked Frazier at the Nassau Coliseum for five innings. He scored five straight stops after losing to Ali against another Philadelphia boxer named Jimmy Young, 20-5-2, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, losing decisively in the twelfth round. and the last inning.
In the dressing room, lying on the table, Foreman, in what he called a “religious epiphany” in his vision of Jesus Christ, retired to eventually become a Baptist minister.
Ten years later, Foreman returned in March 1987, winning 24 straight, 23 in injury time, before losing to world champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, 25-0 by decision in City Atlantic Street, New Jersey, in April 1991.
Foreman went on to win three games in a row before losing to Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, 36-1, to contest the vacant WBO world title in June 1993 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Seventeen months later, despite losing this match, he had another title chance at the age of forty-five when he knocked out world champion Michael “Double M” Moorer, 35-0, in the tenth round. while behind all three scorecards.
Foreman would defend his title in April 1995, defeating Germany’s Axel Schulz, 21-1-1, by a controversial majority decision. Immediately after this match, he will be stripped of his title, denying Schulz a rematch.
In Foreman’s next two games, he beat Crawford “Terminator” Grimsley, 20-0, in Tokyo, Japan, 1996, and Lou Savarese, 36-0, by split decision, in City Atlantic, in April 1997.
In his final game, he lost to Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs, 29-1, in Atlantic City and retired at the age of 48. His final record was 76-5 with 68 stops.
Foreman will be inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He would go on to become a sub-analyst for HBO for twelve years. His George Foreman Grill ad has sold over 100 million units worldwide. In 1999, he sold the commercial rights to the oven for $138 million.
Foreman is the father of twelve children, five of whom are named George. What a rollercoaster career for the former world heavyweight champion!
