George Foreman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search George Foreman Statistics Real name George Edward Foreman Nickname(s) Big George Rated at Heavyweight Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Nationality American Birth date January 10, 1949 (1949-01-10) (age 60) 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 World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and entrepreneur. He became the oldest man ever to win a major heavyweight title when, at 45, he knocked out 26-year-old Michael Moorer in the 10th round. He has been named one of the 25 greatest fighters of all time by Ring magazine.[1] Nicknamed "Big George,"[2] 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. They are also known by the nicknames "Monk," "Red," "Joe," "Big Wheel," and "Little George."[3] Foreman is ranked #9 on Ring magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Contents [hide] 1 Professional career 1.1 The Sunshine Showdown (vs. Joe Frazier) 1.2 "Rumble in the Jungle" 1.3 First comeback 1.4 Retirement and rebirth 1.5 Second comeback 1.6 Regaining the Title 1.7 Second retirement 1.8 Boxing Hall of Fame 2 Foreman family 3 The George Foreman Grill and other business ventures 4 Boxing record 5 See also 6 References 7 External links [edit] Professional career Olympic medal record Men's Boxing Gold 1968 Mexico City Heavyweight 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 12 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, 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, 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. [edit] 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). Equally memorable was Foreman's final punch, an uppercut landed with such force that it lifted Frazier off his feet before sending him to the canvas for the sixth and final time. 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 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 Ken Norton who was 30-2, a boxer notorious for his awkward boxing style, 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. [edit] "Rumble in the Jungle" Main article: The Rumble in the Jungle Foreman's next title defense, against Muhammad Ali, was historic. Ali was 44-2 (31 KO), with losses coming at the hands of Joe 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. 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 sharp, snapping blows to the face, and was able to penetrate Foreman's defense almost at will. 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 and by the eighth round was in control of the fight. Late in that 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 staggered, lurched, and collapsed, overcome as much by exhaustion as Ali's punching power. 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." [edit] 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. The fight was stopped and Foreman was declared the winner. 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. [edit] 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[4] in Houston, Texas, and devoted himself to his family and his parishioners. He also opened a youth center[5] 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. [edit] 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 nearly 270 lb (120 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, and a clear trend began to emerge - none of his opponents were ranked contenders, and most were no better than little-known club fighters. Perhaps his most notable win during this period was a seventh round knockout of faded, overweight former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Having always been a somewhat slow and 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 against mediocre opposition, the most impressive being a three-round win over Bert Cooper, a moderately talented fighter 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, and was known to have a weak chin, but his well-regarded punching power was enough to convince some that he was Foreman's first dangerous comeback opponent. Sure enough, Cooney wobbled Foreman in the first round, but when Foreman landed several powerful punches in the second, Cooney froze on his feet. Seconds later, he was knocked down twice, and Foreman had scored a devastating KO. Foreman went on to win four more fights that year. Then, in 1991, despite having beaten no highly ranked contenders since his return, 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 to administer the worst beating of Foreman's career. By the end of the 10th and final round, Foreman's face was bloodied and swollen, but the judges awarded him a controversial 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. [edit] 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, he took the matter to the courts, pleading "age discrimination" as the real reason to prevent his challenge, and his appeal was successful.[6] 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 two 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 one world championship and the next. 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, but the experts who dismissed his chances did not take into account his toughness and mobility. Schulz jabbed strongly from long range, was never troubled by Foreman's power, and grew increasingly confident as the fight progressed. Foreman finished the fight with a grotesque swelling over one eye, but was awarded a highly 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 fringe 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 favour of Foreman's opponent, with Briggs awarded a points win. Foreman had fought for the last time, at the age of 48. [edit] 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 canceled. 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. [edit] Boxing Hall of Fame In January 2003, Foreman was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in June. That same year, he was named boxing's ninth greatest puncher of all time by Ring Magazine. [edit] Foreman family Spouses, partners, and ten children: Mary Joan Martelly (27 March 1985 – present): 6 children (George VII (Lucky), George VI (Joe), George V (Red), George IV (Big Wheel), Natalie, Leola) Andrea Skeete (28 April 1982 – 4 February 1985; divorced): 2 children (Freda George (born 16 October 1976) and George III (Monk; born January 1983)) Sharon Goodson (15 September 1981 – 23 April 1982) (divorced) Cynthia Lewis (6 October 1977 – 3 August 1979) (divorced) Charlotte Gross (no marriage): 1 child (Georgetta (born 26 August 1977)) Pamela Clay (no marriage): 1 child (George Jr. (born 1974)) Adrienne Calhoun (24 December 1971 – 13 February 1974; divorced): 1 child (Michi) He has joked that naming all five of his sons George was because: "In this career, you have to prepare for long term brain damage." His son George III (Monk) is his business manager. [edit] 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's 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 doesn't 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, says 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. 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. [edit] 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 Briggs, ShannonShannon Briggs MD 01997-11-22 22 November 1997 12 Atlantic City, New Jersey Win 76-4 Savarese, LouLou Savarese SD 01997-04-26 26 April 1997 12 Atlantic City, New Jersey Win 75-4 Grimsley, CrawfordCrawford Grimsley UD 01996-11-03 3 November 1996 12 Chiba, Japan Win 74-4 Schulz, AxelAxel Schulz MD 01995-04-22 22 April 1995 12 Las Vegas, Nevada Win 73-4 Moorer, MichaelMichael Moorer KO 01994-11-05 5 November 1994 10 Las Vegas, Nevada Loss 72-4 Morrison, TommyTommy Morrison UD 01993-06-07 7 June 1993 12 Las Vegas, Nevada Win 72-3 Coetzer, PierrePierre Coetzer TKO 01993-01-16 16 January 1993 8 Reno, Nevada Win 71-3 Stewart, AlexAlex Stewart MD 01992-04-11 11 April 1992 10 Las Vegas, Nevada Win 70-3 Ellis, JimmyJimmy Ellis TKO 01991-12-07 7 December 1991 3 Reno, Nevada Loss 69-3 Holyfield, EvanderEvander Holyfield UD 01991-04-19 19 April 1991 12 Atlantic City, New Jersey Win 69-2 Anderson, TerryTerry Anderson KO 01990-09-25 25 September 1990 1 London, United Kingdom Win 68-2 Lakusta, KenKen Lakusta KO 01990-07-31 31 July 1990 3 Edmonton, Alberta Win 67-2 Rodrigues, AdilsonAdilson Rodrigues KO 01990-06-16 16 June 1990 2 Las Vegas, Nevada Win 66-2 Jameson, MikeMike Jameson KO 01990-04-17 17 April 1990 4 Stateline, Nevada Win 65-2 Cooney, GerryGerry Cooney TKO 01990-01-15 15 January 1990 2 Atlantic City, New Jersey Win 64-2 Martin, EverettEverett Martin UD 01989-07-20 20 July 1989 10 Tucson, Arizona Win 63-2 Cooper, BertBert Cooper RTD 01989-06-01 1 June 1989 2 Phoenix, Arizona Win 62-2 Williamson, JBJB Williamson TKO 01989-04-30 30 April 1989 5 Galveston, Texas Win 61-2 AlmeidaManoel De Almeida TKO 01989-02-16 16 February 1989 3 Orlando, Florida Win 60-2 Young, MarkMark Young TKO 01989-01-26 26 January 1989 7 Rochester, New York Win 59-2 Jaco, DavidDavid Jaco TKO 01988-12-28 28 December 1988 1 Bakersfield, California Win 58-2 Fulilangi, TonyTony Fulilangi TKO 01988-10-27 27 October 1988 2 Marshall, Texas Win 57-2 Hitz, BobbyBobby Hitz TKO 01988-09-10 10 September 1988 1 Auburn Hills, Michigan Win 56-2 Mijangos, LadislaoLadislao Mijangos TKO 01988-08-25 25 August 1988 2 Fort Myers, Florida Win 55-2 Hernandez, CarlosCarlos Hernandez TKO 01988-06-26 26 June 1988 4 Atlantic City, New Jersey Win 54-2 Lux, FrankFrank Lux TKO 01988-05-21 21 May 1988 3 Anchorage, Alaska Win 53-2 Qawi, Dwight MuhammadDwight Muhammad Qawi TKO 01988-03-19 19 March 1988 7 Las Vegas, Nevada Win 52-2 Trane, GuidoGuido Trane TKO 01988-02-05 5 February 1988 5 Las Vegas, Nevada Win 51-2 Trimm, TomTom Trimm KO 01988-01-23 23 January 1988 1 Orlando, Florida Win 50-2 Sekorski, RockyRocky Sekorski TKO 01987-12-18 18 December 1987 3 Las Vegas, Nevada Win 49-2 Anderson, TimTim Anderson TKO 01987-11-21 21 November 1987 4 Orlando, Florida Win 48-2 Crabtree, BobbyBobby Crabtree TKO 01987-09-15 15 September 1987 6 Springfield, Missouri Win 47-2 Hostetter, CharlesCharles Hostetter KO 01987-07-09 9 July 1987 3 Oakland, California Win 46-2 Zouski, SteveSteve Zouski TKO 01987-03-09 9 March 1987 4 Sacramento, California Loss 45-2 Young, JimmyJimmy Young UD 01977-03-17 17 March 1977 12 San Juan, Puerto Rico Win 45-1 Agosto, PedroPedro Agosto TKO 01977-01-22 22 January 1977 4 Pensacola, Florida Win 44-1 Denis, John DinoJohn Dino Denis TKO 01976-10-15 15 October 1976 4 Hollywood, Florida Win 43-1 LeDoux, ScottScott LeDoux TKO 01976-08-14 14 August 1976 3 Utica, New York Win 42-1 Frazier, JoeJoe Frazier TKO 01976-06-15 15 June 1976 5 Uniondale, New York Win 41-1 Lyle, RonRon Lyle KO 01976-01-24 24 January 1976 5 Las Vegas, Nevada Loss 40-1 Ali, MuhammadMuhammad Ali KO 01974-10-30 30 October 1974 8 Kinshasa, Zaire Win 40-0 Norton, KenKen Norton KO 01974-03-26 26 March 1974 2 Caracas, Venezuela Win 39-0 Roman, JoseJose Roman KO 01973-09-01 1 September 1973 1 Tokyo, Japan Win 38-0 Frazier, JoeJoe Frazier TKO 01973-01-22 22 January 1973 2 Kingston, Jamaica Win 37-0 Sorrell, TerryTerry Sorrell KO 01972-10-29 29 October 1972 2 Salt Lake City, Utah Win 36-0 Paez, Miguel AngelMiguel Angel Paez KO 01972-05-11 11 May 1972 2 Oakland, California Win 35-0 Gullick, TedTed Gullick KO 01972-04-10 10 April 1972 2 Inglewood, California Win 34-0 Boone, ClarenceClarence Boone KO 01972-03-07 7 March 1972 2 Beaumont, Texas Win 33-0 Goodwin, Joe MurphyJoe Murphy Goodwin KO 01972-02-29 29 February 1972 2 Austin, Texas Win 32-0 Pires, Luis FaustinoLuis Faustino Pires TKO 01971-10-29 29 October 1971 5 New York City, New York Win 31-0 Wilson, OllieOllie Wilson KO 01971-07-07 7 July 1971 2 San Antonio, Texas Win 30-0 Caldwell, LeroyLeroy Caldwell KO 01971-09-21 21 September 1971 2 Beaumont, Texas Win 29-0 Scott, VicVic Scott KO 01971-09-14 14 September 1971 1 El Paso, Texas Win 28-0 Peralta, GregorioGregorio Peralta TKO 01971-05-10 10 May 1971 10 Oakland, California Win 27-0 Harris, StanfordStanford Harris KO 01971-04-03 3 April 1971 2 Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Win 26-0 Boston, CharlieCharlie Boston KO 01971-02-08 8 February 1971 1 Saint Paul, Minnesota Win 25-0 Turnbow, MelMel Turnbow TKO 01970-12-18 18 December 1970 1 Seattle, Washington Win 24-0 Kirkman, BooneBoone Kirkman TKO 01970-11-18 18 November 1970 2 New York City, New York Win 23-0 Bailey, LouLou Bailey TKO 01970-11-03 3 November 1970 3 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Win 22-0 Chuvalo, GeorgeGeorge Chuvalo KO 01970-08-04 4 August 1970 3 New York City, New York Win 21-0 Russell, RogerRoger Russell TKO 01970-07-20 20 July 1970 1 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Win 20-0 Johnson, GeorgeGeorge Johnson KO 01970-05-16 16 May 1970 7 Inglewood, California Win 19-0 Eastling, AaronAaron Eastling TKO 01970-04-29 29 April 1970 4 Cleveland, Ohio Win 18-0 Woody, James JJames J Woody TKO 01970-04-17 17 April 1970 3 New York City, New York Win 17-0 Brassell, RufusRufus Brassell TKO 01970-03-30 30 March 1970 1 Houston, Texas Win 16-0 Peralta, GregorioGregorio Peralta UD 01970-04-17 17 April 1970 10 New York City, New York Win 15-0 O'Halloran, JackJack O'Halloran KO 01970-02-16 16 February 1970 5 New York City, New York Win 14-0 Polite, CharleyCharley Polite KO 01970-06-06 6 June 1970 4 Houston, Texas Win 13-0 Wiler, Gary HoboGary Hobo Wiler TKO 01969-12-18 18 December 1969 1 Seattle, Washington Win 12-0 Forte, LeviLevi Forte UD 01969-12-16 16 December 1969 10 Miami Beach, Florida Win 11-0 Hazelton, BobBob Hazelton TKO 01969-12-06 6 December 1969 1 Las Vegas, Nevada Win 10-0 Martinez, MaxMax Martinez KO 01969-11-18 18 November 1969 2 Houston, Texas Win 9-0 Peterson, LeoLeo Peterson KO 01969-11-05 5 November 1969 4 Scranton, Pennsylvania Win 8-0 Davila, RobertoRoberto Davila UD 01969-10-31 31 October 1969 8 New York City, New York Win 7-0 Clay, VernonVernon Clay TKO 01969-10-07 7 October 1969 2 Houston, Texas Win 6-0 Wallace, RoyRoy Wallace KO 01969-09-23 23 September 1969 4 Houston, Texas Win 5-0 Carroll, JohnnyJohnny Carroll KO 01969-09-18 18 September 1969 2 Seattle, Washington Win 4-0 Wepner, ChuckChuck Wepner TKO 01969-08-18 18 August 1969 1 New York City, New York Win 3-0 Dullaire, SylvesterSylvester Dullaire TKO 01969-07-14 14 July 1969 4 Oxon Hill, Maryland Win 2-0 Askew, FredFred Askew KO 01969-07-01 1 July 1969 1 Houston, Texas Win 1-0 Waldheim, DonDon Waldheim TKO 01969-06-23 23 June 1969 4 New York City, New York [edit] See also List of heavyweight boxing champions List of WBC world champions Notable boxing families Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years [edit] References ^ "About.com: Boxing". http://boxing.about.com/od/history/a/ring_80_best.htm. ^ "George Foreman bio". http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0286040/bio. ^ "New York Times archive". http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DF1039F934A25752C0A967958260. ^ "George Foreman's church". http://www.georgeforeman.com/preacher.html. ^ "George Foreman Youth Center, Houston, TX". http://www.georgeforeman.com/youthcenter.html. ^ http://www.yuddy.com/celebrity/george-foreman/bio ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n4_v93/ai_20064179/ ^ "The Motley Fool Radio Show". April 3, 2006. http://podcasts.yahoo.com/episode?s=5a5b94891d0abe6c3030d98ae71386c5&e=41. ^ Naomi Aoki (2004-07-06). "Casual Male's heavyweight hopes". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2004/07/06/casual_males_heavyweight_hopes/. Retrieved on 2007-12-17. [edit] External links GeorgeForeman.com / BigGeorge.com - Official George Foreman Web Site George Foreman - IBHOF Biography Professional boxing record for George Foreman from Boxrec George Foreman's Amateur Boxing Record StartupStudio - Interview with George Foreman about his entrepreneurial success George Foreman at the Internet Movie Database George Foreman Media Appearances George Foremanat TV.com George Foreman at TVLand.com 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 Francois Botha 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. [hide]v • d • eOlympic Boxing Champions in Men's Heavyweight 1904-1908: over 158 lb (71.7 kg), 1920-1936: over 175 lb (79.4 kg), 1948: over 80 kg 1952-1980: over 81 kg, 1984-2008: 81-91 kg 1904: Samuel Berger (USA) • 1908: Albert Oldman (GBR) • 1920: Ronald Rawson (GBR) • 1924: Otto von Porat (NOR) • 1928: Arturo Rodríguez (ARG) • 1932: Santiago Lovell (ARG) • 1936: Herbert Runge (GER) • 1948: Rafael Iglesias (ARG) • 1952: Ed Sanders (USA) • 1956: Pete Rademacher (USA) • 1960: Franco De Piccoli (ITA) • 1964: Joe Frazier (USA) • 1968: George Foreman (USA) • 1972–1976–1980: Teófilo Stevenson (CUB) • 1984: Henry Tillman (USA) • 1988: Ray Mercer (USA) • 1992–1996–2000: Félix Savón (CUB) • 2004: Odlanier Solís (CUB) • 2008: Rakhim Chakkhiev (RUS) Persondata NAME Foreman, George Edward ALTERNATIVE NAMES Big George (nickname) SHORT DESCRIPTION American boxer DATE OF BIRTH January 10, 1949 PLACE OF BIRTH Marshall, Texas, U.S. DATE OF DEATH living PLACE OF DEATH Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Foreman" Categories: 1949 births | African American boxers | American Christian clergy | American Christians | American boxers | Boxers at the 1968 Summer Olympics | Heavyweights | IBF Champions | International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees | Living people | Olympic boxers of the United States | Olympic gold medalists for the United States | People from Houston, Texas | People from Marshall, Texas | WBA Champions | WBC Champions | Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers