Known as a heavy hitting boxing champion, ‘Big’ George Foreman grew up poor in the small town of Marshall, Texas. The fifth of seven children, his father, a railroad worker, and mother, a homemaker, worked hard, but due to lack of finances, they moved to Houston in what was known as the Fifth Ward, a rough neighborhood.
Đorđe would leave school, and the street would lead him astray. He found himself in billiard halls and casinos. He got into fights all the time because of his size. He was rebellious at home and would disappear for days at a time.
In 1965, at the age of fifteen, he joined the Job Corps, where George met a supervisor and boxing trainer, Doc Broadus, who found in him not only strength but also aggression. George, at first, had no interest in boxing, but found that it was an outlet for his anger, a way to focus his energy. Under Broadus he learned discipline.
In just three years, George found himself on the rise in the world of boxing. In 1968, he will represent the United States at the Olympic Games in Mexico. He won the gold medal, and walking around the ring waving the American flag was iconic.
This led him to a professional boxing career under trainer Dick Sadler and legendary promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank. He turned pro in June 1969, winning his first thirty-seven fights, thirty-four by knockout, including a stoppage over Canadian George Chuvala, 59-15-2, and a decision over South American rival Gregorio ‘Gor’ Peralta, 74-5-8 , both at Madison Square Garden.
In January 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, George stopped undefeated 29-0 champion and former Olympic gold medalist ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier in two rounds, losing six times. After first-round knockout defenses over Joe ‘King’ Romano, 44-7-1, in Tokyo and eventual champion Ken Norton, 30-2, he split two fights with Ali, Caracas, Venezuela, stopping him in two rounds, facing faced former champion Muhammad Ali, 44-2, in Zaire, Africa, losing title stopped in eight rounds.
Foreman returned with a victory over Ron Lyle, 31-3-1, in a fight that Ring magazine named ‘Fight of the Year’ in 1976. For four rounds they traded punch after punch until he stopped Lyle in the fifth round. Then a rematch with Frazier dropped him twice in the fifth before stopping him.
Then, after scoring three knockouts, he faced Jimmy Young, 20-5-2, in San Juan, PR, was dropped in the twelfth and final round, lost by decision in June 1977, and retired from the ring. In his dressing room, he saw a vision of Jesus Christ, which would eventually lead him into ministry.
George would return to the ring after an absence of nearly ten years, winning twenty-four fights in a row, against champion Evander ‘The Real Deal Holyfield, 25-0, in Atlantic City, losing by decision.
After three wins George would lose to Tommy ‘The Duke’ Morrison, 36-1, in Las Vegas. Somehow, despite a loss in November 1994, he would fight for a world title at the age of 45 against WBA and IBF champion Michael ‘Double M’ Moorer, 35-0, in Las Vegas. Behind all the results, he knocked out Moorer in the tenth round for the title.
George was stripped of the WBA title when he refused to fight Tony ‘TNT’ Taker. He returned to the ring in April 1995, defeating Germany’s Axel Schulz, 21-1-1, by controversial majority decision in Las Vegas, adding the vacant WBU title. Then he was stripped of his IBF title because he refused to give Schultz a rematch.
In November 1996, George returned to the ring in Japan, defeating Crawford ‘Terminator’ Grimsley, 20-0, in 12 rounds, adding the IBA belt. In April 1997, he defeated Lou Savarese 36-0 by split decision in Atlantic City.
In November, George’s career came to an end, losing a controversial decision to Shannon ‘The Cannon’ Briggs, 29-1, in Atlantic City. His final record was 76-5 with 68 knockouts.
George would get rich selling it George Foreman Grill.
