George Foreman

Born : 10th January 1949.
Height : 6 Feet 3 Inches.
Weight : 210 Lbs to 270 Lbs.
Pro Debut : 23rd June 1969.
Record : 76-6 (68 Ko's)
Championship Record : 5-2 (4 Ko's)
Titles : World Heavyweight Champion 1973 to 1974 and IBF Heavyweight Champion 1994 to 1995.

Pure Power!

In the 1960s, Foreman, a young thug from a Houston ghetto, turned his life around by signing up for an anti-poverty program called the Job Corps. George discovered boxing in the program, and went on to win an Olympic gold medal in 1968. During the games, many U.S. athletes protested against racism at home as well as America's involvement in the Vietnam War. So people took special notice when George celebrated his victory by holding up an American flag and bowing to the audience on each side of the ring. "No demonstration or anti-demonstration," he would explain later. "I just wanted everybody to know that I was from the United States of America."

Foreman turned professional in June 1969, knocking out Don Waldhelm in three rounds, he then put together a record of 37-0 (34).

In 1973 he fought for the heavyweight championship against then champion "Smokin" Joe Frazier. George astounded the world by knocking Frazier down six times in two rounds. A year later, George beat Ken Norton just as easily. A thundering left-right combination put Norton on the canvas in round two and ended the fight.

Following these demolitions, George was a heavy favorite against Muhammad Ali in October of 1974, when the two men met for the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Africa. But Ali managed to survive immense punishment. He covered himself up and leaned against the ropes while George pummeled him incessantly. Then, in the eighth round, Muhammad knocked the exhausted Foreman out. The loss would haunt George for decades. Ali had outsmarted him (the fight would become known as the "Rope-A-Dope"), and George's title was gone.

To make things worse for Foreman, boxing fans despised him both during and after his reign as champion. The public had no patience for George's sulky demeanor and constant scowl, attributes that actually stemmed from the young fighter's insecurity. George was hurt by people's contempt for him, even though he brought much of it on himself.

Only when he quit boxing in 1977 did George start to really enjoy his life. Claiming to have undergone an intense religious experience moments after a fight, George became an evangelical minister. He went into the streets to preach, and would eventually serve as pastor at the Church of The Lord Jesus Christ in Houston. In 1984 he opened the George Foreman Youth and Community Center, a place for boys to box, play basketball, read books, or just sit around and talk. As time passed, George's celebrity status from the fighting years slowly faded. George took pleasure in being an ordinary citizen; people came to know him better, and they liked him.

By 1987, however, George was running out of money to keep the youth center going. He decided to get the funds by stepping into the boxing ring for the first time in 10 years. "Ultimately, my goal is to win the heavyweight championship," Foreman told the public.

At the beginning of his comeback, Foreman was 38 and weighed a whopping 267 pounds -- 50 pounds heavier than he had been as a young, muscular champion in 1973. In addition to gaining weight, George had shaved his head. He looked like a giant hard boiled egg. Sports reporters snickered at him.

But it wasn't a laughing matter when George knocked out 23 opponents over the next 3 1/2 years. Although many of these men were not well-known boxers, George gained people's respect by clobbering some dangerous adversaries like Bert Cooper and Gerry Cooney.

Moreover, the public fell in love with George's new personality. In vivid contrast to the pouting bruiser of the 1970s, Foreman had matured into a friendly, bald-headed giant with a terrific sense of humor. Jesting about his age, he said, "When I win the heavyweight championship, I want every 40-year-old and 50-year-old to stand up and have a toast of Geritol for George Foreman."

George received his first chance to regain the title in 1991. At 42, he faced 28-year-old champion Evander Holyfield in a match promoters billed "The Battle of the Ages." Holyfield won a decision, but George stalked the champion and stunned him on many occasions during the bout.

"He had the points, but I made a point," said Foreman. "If you can live, you can dream."

Three years later, George fulfilled the dream. On November 5, 1994, he fought undefeated title-holder Michael Moorer at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Moorer led on points when George landed a crushing right in the tenth round. Stupefied, Moorer fell. The referee counted to ten. George Foreman became the oldest man in history to win the heavyweight championship of the world.

George Foreman's Complete Professional Record

All Records From www.boxrec.com