For the electric grill, see George Foreman Grill. For other people named George Foreman, see George Foreman (disambiguation).
George Foreman
Foreman in 2016
Born
George Edward Foreman
(1949-01-10) January 10, 1949 (age 75)
Marshall, Texas, U.S.
Other names
Big George
Statistics
Weight(s)
Heavyweight
Height
6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[1]
Reach
79 in (201 cm)[1]
Stance
Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights
81
Wins
76
Wins by KO
68
Losses
5
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Representing United States
Olympic Games
1968 Mexico City
Heavyweight
George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949)[2][3] is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister, and author. In boxing, he competed between 1967 and 1997 and was nicknamed "Big George". He is a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist. As an entrepreneur, he is known for the George Foreman Grill.
After a troubled childhood, Foreman took up amateur boxing and won a gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Having turned professional the next year, he won the world heavyweight title with a stunning second-round knockout of then-undefeated Joe Frazier in 1973. He defended the belt twice before suffering his first professional loss to Muhammad Ali in the iconic Rumble in the Jungle in 1974.[4] Unable to secure another title opportunity, Foreman retired after a loss to Jimmy Young in 1977.
Following what he referred to as a religious epiphany, Foreman became an ordained Christian minister.[5] Ten years later he announced a comeback, and in 1994 at age 45 won the unified WBA, IBF, and lineal heavyweight championship titles by knocking out 26-year-old Michael Moorer. He dropped the WBA belt rather than face his mandatory title defense soon after, and following a single successful title defense against Axel Schulz, Foreman relinquished his IBF title as well on June 28, 1995. At 46 years and 169 days old, he was the oldest world heavyweight champion in history.[6] Foreman is the oldest to ever win the world heavyweight boxing championship of major honors and the second-oldest in any weight class after Bernard Hopkins (at light heavyweight). He retired in 1997 at the age of 48, with a final record of 76 wins (68 knockouts) and 5 losses.
Foreman has been inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame and International Boxing Hall of Fame. The International Boxing Research Organization rates Foreman as the eighth-greatest heavyweight of all time.[7] In 2002, he was named one of the 25 greatest fighters of the past 80 years by The Ring.[8]The Ring ranked him as the ninth-greatest puncher of all time.[9] He was a ringside analyst for HBO's boxing coverage for 12 years until 2004.[10] Outside boxing, he is a successful entrepreneur and known for his promotion of the George Foreman Grill, which has sold more than 100 million units worldwide.[11] In 1999, he sold the commercial rights to the grill for $138 million.[12]
^ abHBO Sports tale of the tape prior to the Michael Moorer fight.
^Porter, David L. (1995). African-American Sports Greats: A Biographical Dictionary. ABC-CLIO. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-313-28987-3. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
^"Amateur Accomplishments". BoxRec.com. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
^Christopher, Paul J.; Smith, Alicia Marie (August 2006). Greatest Sports Heroes of All Times: North American Edition. Encouragement Press, LLC. pp. 75–81. ISBN 978-1-933766-09-6.
^Oden, John E. (September 29, 2009). Life in the Ring. Hatherleigh Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-1578263493. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
^"Professional boxing record: George Foreman". BoxRec.com. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
^"Heavyweight. IBRO All Time Ratings". Ibroresearch.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
^Eisele, Andrew (February 22, 2018). "Ring Magazine's 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years". Boxing.about.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
^Eisele, Andrew. "Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers". Boxing.about.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
^"George Foreman Leaves HBO Sports After Twelve Great Years". PR Newswire. December 4, 2003. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
^"History of the George Foreman Grill". georgeforemancooking.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
^Coster, Helen (January 30, 2010). "Millionaire High School Dropouts Page 2 of 2". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013.
George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister, and author. In boxing, he competed between...
Big GeorgeForeman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World (or simply Big GeorgeForeman) is a 2023 American biographical...
The GeorgeForeman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine, also commonly referred to as simply the GeorgeForeman Grill, is a portable double-sided electrically...
Kinshasa GeorgeForeman vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as The Rumble in the Jungle, was a heavyweight championship boxing match on October 30, 1974, at the 20th...
George Edward Foreman III (born January 23, 1983) is an American entrepreneur, professional boxer, trainer/coach, founder of EverybodyFights and son of...
anticipated Fight of the Century. Two years later, Frazier lost his title to GeorgeForeman. Frazier's last world title challenge came in 1975, but he was beaten...
Gregorio Peralta and Scott LeDoux, but is best known for his fight against GeorgeForeman in 1976, which was voted Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. Lyle...
professional career including fights against Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and GeorgeForeman. Chuvalo unsuccessfully challenged Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight...
boxing event up until then), the Thrilla in Manila, and his fight with GeorgeForeman in The Rumble in the Jungle. Ali thrived in the spotlight at a time...
Schulz first fought for a world championship in 1995, when he challenged GeorgeForeman for his IBF title. Schulz lost a very close majority decision, but was...
original on March 17, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2013. Foreman, George (January 2012). "GeorgeForeman on why Muhammad Ali was so much more than a 'boxer'"...
WBO heavyweight title in 1993 with a unanimous decision victory over GeorgeForeman. He lost the title in his second defense to Michael Bentt that same...
Democratic Republic of the Congo) between world heavyweight champion GeorgeForeman and Muhammad Ali. It features archival footage of celebrities, including...
fights against all time greats such as Two-Time Heavyweight Champion GeorgeForeman, World Heavyweight Champion Ken Norton, and Top Contender and Undisputed...
defended his titles three times, scoring victories over former champions GeorgeForeman and Larry Holmes, before suffering his first professional loss to Riddick...
of young heavyweight fighters. Briggs fought against lineal champion GeorgeForeman on November 22, 1997, at the Trump Taj Majal Hotel & Casino in Atlantic...
champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Sean Mannion, José Nápoles, GeorgeForeman, George Scott, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio, Luis Manuel Rodríguez, and Willie...
remaining able to continue boxing). Examples of this style include GeorgeForeman, Rocky Marciano, Julio César Chávez, Jack Dempsey, Riddick Bowe, Danny...