With a limited amateur background,, former world heavyweight champion Big George Foreman won a Gold Medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
He defeated Soviet Union’s Ionas Chepulis, stopping him in two rounds, and walked around the ring afterward with American Flags in his hands.
Foreman turned pro in June of 1969. He won his 28th straight fight, defeating South American champion Gregorio Peralta, 74-5-8, at Madison Square Garden.
In August 1970, he stopped iron-chin Canadian George Chuvalo, 59-15-2, at the Garden. Prior to this, Chuvalo had only been stopped by ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier, and this was the only time he had been stopped in his career.
In January of 1973, Foreman won the world heavyweight title, destroying Frazier, 29-0, in Kingston, Jamaica, in two rounds.
In September 1974, he stopped Ken Norton, 30-2, in Caracas, Venezuela. In October, he lost his title to former champion Muhammad Ali, 44-2, by stoppage in Zaire, Africa.
Foreman bounced back in one of the greatest heavyweight fights in January of 1976, stopping Ron Lyle, 31-3-1, for the NABF title that Ring Magazine called “Fight of the Year.” In June, in a rematch with Frazier, he stopped him in 5 rounds at the Nassau Coliseum, New York.
Four wins later, Foreman was upset by Philly’s Jimmy Young, 20-5-2, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His whole life was changed while in the dressing room when he saw a vision of Jesus which would eventually lead him to becoming a preacher.
In April of 1991, Foreman won 26 fights in a row after this before losing to champion Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield, 25-0, at Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Then won three in a row before losing to Tommy ‘The Duke’ Morrison, 35-1, in Las Vegas. In his next fight, he re-won the world title, knocking out champion Michael ‘Double M’ Moorer, 35-0, while behind on all cards, in ten rounds in Las Vegas. At age 45 he became the oldest boxer to ever win the title.
Foreman won a disputed majority decision to Germany’s Axel Schulz, 21-1-1, in April of 1995 in Las Vegas. Two fights and two years later, he defeated Lou Savarese, 35-0, in Atlantic City. He had been stripped of his title after refusing to give Schulz a rematch, winning the WBU title.
Next, in November of 1997, in what would be his last final fight, he lost a disputed majority decision to Shannon ‘The Cannon’ Briggs, 29-1, in Atlantic City and retired from boxing.
His final record was an impressive 76-5 with some 68 knockouts.
Foreman would go onto make millions in commercials for the “Foreman Grill”.
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