Known as a heavyweight boxing champion, ‘Big’ George Foreman grew up in poverty in the small town of Marshall, Texas. The fifth of seven children, his father, a railroad worker, and his mother, a homemaker, worked hard, but due to lack of funds, they moved to Houston in what is known as the fifth ward, a bad area.
George was dropping out of school, and the streets were leading him astray. He found himself in pool halls and gambling houses. He found himself constantly fighting because of his size. He was rebellious at home and, days passed, he disappeared.
In 1965, at the age of fifteen, he joined the Job Corps, where George met boxing director and trainer, Doc Broadus, from whom he found not only strength but also fierceness. George, at first, had no interest in boxing but found that it was an outlet for his anger, a way to channel his energy. Under Broadus he studied discipline.
In just three years, George found himself a good start in the world of boxing. In 1968 he would represent the United States at the Olympics in Mexico. He won the Gold Medal and walking into the ring waving the American flag was iconic.
It led him to a professional boxing career under trainer Dick Sadler and legendary promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank. He would become champion in June of 1969, winning his first thirty-seven fights, thirty-four by knockout, including a stoppage of Canadian George Chuvalo, 59-15-2, and a decision over South American contender Gregorio ‘Goro’ Peralta, 74. -5-8, both at Madison Square Garden.
In January 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, George would stop undefeated champion, 29-0, and former Olympic gold medalist ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier in two rounds, knocking him down six times. After defending a knockout over Joe ‘King’ Roman, 44-7-1, in Tokyo in the first round against future champion Ken Norton, 30-2, coming off a two-fight split with Ali, Caracas, Venezuela, stopping him in two rounds. , faced former champion Muhammad Ali, 44-2, in Zaire, Africa, losing his title in eight rounds.
Foreman defeated Ron Lyle, 31-3-1, in a fight that Ring Magazine called 1976’s ‘The Fight of the Year.’ For four rounds, they traded punches until he stopped Lyle in the fifth round. Then, in a rematch with Frazier, he dropped him twice in the fifth before stopping him.
Then, after scoring three knockouts, he faced Philly’s Jimmy Young, 20-5-2, in San Juan, PR, was thrown in the twelfth and final round, lost by decision in June of 1977, and retired from the ring. In his dressing room, he saw a vision of Jesus Christ, which would eventually lead him to ministry.
George will return to the ring after an absence of almost ten years, winning twenty-four fights in a row, against the champion Evander ‘The Real Deal Holyfield, 25-0, in Atlantic City, losing by decision.
After winning three fights George will lose to Tommy ‘The Duke’ Morrison, 36-1, in Las Vegas. Somehow, despite losing in November 1994 he would go on to fight for the world title at the age of 45 against WBA and IBF champion Michael ‘Double M’ Moorer, 35-0, in Las Vegas. After all the scorecards he knocked out Moorer in the tenth round to take the title.
George was stripped of his WBA title when he refused to fight Tony ‘TNT’ Tucker. He returned to the ring in April 1995, winning a controversial decision over German Axel Schulz, 21-1-1, in Las Vegas, adding the vacant WBU title. He was then stripped of the IBF title because he refused to give Schulz a rematch.
In November 1996, George returned to the ring in Japan, defeating Crawford ‘The Terminator’ Grimsley, 20-0, 12 rounds, adding the IBA belt. In April of 1997, he won a split decision over Lou Savarese, 36-0, in Atlantic City.
In November, George’s career ended, losing a controversial decision to Shannon ‘The Cannon’ Briggs, 29-1, in Atlantic City. His final record was 76-5 with 68 strikeouts.
George would go on to make a fortune in sales George Foreman Grill.
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