George Foreman

George Foreman is an American boxer born the January 10th 1949 with Marshall, Texas (the United States).

Biography

Boxing of heavy trucks categories, he in particular was Olympic champion (1968) and professional: WBA-WBC of 1973 to 1974, losing its title against Mohammed Ali at the time of a mythical combat with Kinshasa (Zaire), IBF-WBA of 1994 to 1995.

Foreman has a difficult childhood in the ghetto of Houston to the Texas when he discovers boxing. After a good career amateur (22 victories and 3 defeats) it represents the the United States with the Olympic Games of Mexico City in 1968 when it gains the gold medal in the category of the heavy ones. Just after its victory it remains on the boxing ring and holds up a small American flag. A few weeks after the media disorder of the sprinters Smith and Carlos who gold medal and of bronze, held up their fists in the air on the podium, the low head in sign of protest against the segregation in the USA, the gesture of Foreman is badly interpreted. The boxer will receive many criticisms.

He begins his professional path the following year. Pulled by Dick Sadler and the former champion of cruiser-weight archie Moore Foreman has a reputation quickly. This colossus with the powerful physique has a rather simple style which is based above all on its phenomenal deterrent force. Its guard of arm ahead seems not very correct but remains very effective (Mohammed Ali compared it with a mummy). Its hooks and its uppercuts carried out the most spectacular KB of the years 1970, but Foreman does not hesitate either to use its jab, less so much so that those of the other champions, it enables him nevertheless to cause heavy damage. Foreman is also characterized by its capacity to box the blows (it was put KB only once) and especially by its endurance, at the beginning its principal weak point which it will skilfully turn like one of its more serious advantages.

In 1969 it achieves 13 engagements, only 2 adversaries survive until the limit, the others are all KB before the 5th round. Goerge fights especially in New York and Houston, its stronghold. In 1970 Foreman continuous its progression by 12 victories including 11 KB. He faces for the first time Gregorio Peralta the only one to hold the distance against him during the year. George kills also George Chuvalo in 3 rounds, however famous for her chin, this one had resisted 15 rounds against Ali. In 1971 it gains 7 more engagements, all by KB, George once more beats Gregorio Peralta in California and makes a round through the Texas of which he became the best boxer. With the end of the year 1971, it is indicated world challenger n°1 by the authorities of boxing. It must have patience 1 year to meet the world champion. While waiting for this combat he faces 5 adversaries in 1972 qu ' he massacres all in 2 rounds, nobody does not resist his extraordinary deterrent force, but Foreman takes the bad habits of the expeditious victories and the short combat.

January 22nd, 1973 with Kingston in Jamaica it finds vis-a-vis the unconquered world champion Joe Frazier still haloed its famous victory against Mohammed Ali in 1971. Foreman fears its adversary and as of the first moment understands that left hook of the champion celebrates it can overcome it easily, Foreman will make all to put its adversary KB as soon as possible to hold remote Frazier, George pushes it with her two arms, thanks to its lengthening-piece superior, all his hooks reach their target. He sends " thus; Smokin Joe" on the ground with three recoveries. Frazier is saved by the gong and can recover, it takes again the imperturbable combat and Foreman adds some in the uppercuts devastators, Frazier takes off of the ground on a blow and is found with ground. The new ones upright it staggers and turns the back on the challenger who of a blow behind the head the references fifth once at the carpet, Frazier does not want to give up and a hook of the right completes it sixth once by making it fall down. Frazier, the mouth in blood rectifies himself and the referee puts an end to the combat. It is about the greatest victory of Foreman.

The new champion gives his title concerned on September 1st, 1973 to Tokyo against the poor Jose Roman whom it beats easily sending it him also to 3 recoveries on the ground as of the 1st round, but Roman contrary to Frazier is not raised. This championship of the world is fastest of the history of the heavy ones. March 25th, 1974 with Caracas with the Venezuela Foreman faces a more serious adversary: Ken Norton the challenger n°1. The first round is not very active and very careful Norton turns around Foreman without taking of risk. With the following round, the combat takes another turning, Norton undergoes the sequences devastators of the champion who understood that while letting last the combat, it is likely to be made beat with wear. Norton falls to the shift in the cords and the referee the account. It is raised and moved back, pitiless Foreman continues it to return it against the cords and the knees on the ground, but the surprised referee makes the error not count Norton. Foreman completes it of a splendid uppercut, the challenger is raised with difficulty, its trainer throws sponge. With this combat, Foreman reaches its apogee, like Joe Louis or Rocky Marciano it could have had a marked out long reign of many victories, but Mohammed Ali crossed her road.

The new promoter Don King organizes a championship of the world between Foreman and Ali with Kinshasa with the Zaire, the Rumble in the jungle is the first championship of the world to being organized in Africa, Mobutu Sese Seko the dictator of the country offers 5 million dollar to the two adversaries. Ali who contrary to Foreman always supported the cause of the blacks quickly becomes the favorite of the Zairean population. The Foreman considered as rough and more distant with the media (all opposite of its adversary) suffers from its lack of popularity and to be relegated in the role of “malicious”, whereas it holds the title. Ali must normally lose, his two only defeats, it owes them in Frazier and to Norton, one sent it on the ground, the other broke the jaw to him, if Ali succeeded in taking his revenge, it was at the point and with difficulty in both cases. When one sees what is occurred in Frazier and Norton after their meeting against Foreman, the press is not made an illusion on the chances of Ali, who seems on the decline, slower than front, gaining less by KB that formerly, at 32 years against young a 25 year old champion, Ali could make his last combat well according to certain journalists. Conscious of the situation, Ali studies the style of Foreman and its preceding victories, it understands that to beat this colossus it should not be attacked outset with aggressiveness under penalty of finishing KB in two rounds, but to oblige it with boxer more than 5 rounds to tire it, Foreman does not have the practice since it almost struck all his adversaries in less than 5 round, Ali for its part is accustomed to the combat which last in 12 or 15 rounds. Whereas Ali involves his endurance by traversing Kinshasa in race under the acclamations of the public, Foreman is simply involved to strike with the bag, persuaded which it will come to end easily from the growing old ex-champion. Ali launches a true operation of misinformation to the media while telling with which want to hear it that it “will dance” on the boxing ring like never and will beat Foreman by his exceptional speed and its mobility. Very few people notice that Ali lets itself lock up in the cords and strike hard by his sparrings partners to involve itself with the pain.

October 30th, 1974 in a stage filled of 100.000 Africans, Ali does not resist the hooks of the champion, wedged in the cords, the high guard it boxes. However with the third round it is still upright, its tactic appears then, it lets Foreman be tired, if this one bludgeons with power, all its blows finish in the arms and the gloves of Ali instead of reaching his chest and its face. All against of Ali make fly and it adds some in the provocations to irritate George. With the fourth round it breaks out but without any result, with the fifth round Ali takes the advantage, in the last minute it takes all the blows without retorting and in the 30 last seconds realizes a spectacular sequence while dodging all the blows of Foreman, from there, dominated Foreman continues to be tired stupidly, always dangerous it makes a success of some skilled but Ali sends it on the ground with the eighth round for the first time of his career. Exhausted, Foreman is raised one second too late, Ali puts an end to his brief but powerful reign two years.

Up to now unconquered with 40 victories, Foreman underwent its greater defeat, it will not never again be put KB, ironically it is there its most known combat of the public. Frustrated mockeries of Ali, George does not accept her defeat and shows her adversary to have made slacken the cords of the boxing ring and to have poisoned it, later he will recognize that Ali was higher to him. Depressing, Foreman does not make only one combat in 1975 but is devoted to some exhibitions.

In 1976 Foreman makes its return against Ron Lyle to Las Vegas, Lyle is like the ex-champion a very muscular boxer and violent one, this combat is above all a physical challenge between the two holders of the most important deterrent force of the years 1970. This combat seems dangerous for Foreman which has not boxed for one year and which seeks by this victory a chance to meet Ali with new. Ron Lyle seems to adapt better than him with the adversary, at the time of his meeting against Ali the year of front, the champion had used the same tactics that against Foreman, Lyle did not fall into the trap, kind Ali with boxer in the center and if it lost it were after having put Ali in difficulty. As of the first round, the tone is given, the two boxers strike in power. Violence is so much relentless between them that after three rounds they are in a critical condition, as if they had crossed 15 resumptions of at a stretch. To the fourth round, Lyle sends Foreman to the carpet, this one sends it on the ground in its turn under the acclamations of a public is delirious about it, at the end of the round, Foreman turns over on the ground, knees, the face by ground (where it leaves a trace of blood) Foreman seems well finished but finds this instinct of self-preservation which it missed in Africa and is raised. With the fifth round, Foreman strikes without stop without protecting itself and cuts down Lyle definitively. Elected official fights year by Ring magazine .

Foreman continues its career while hoping to take again its title, it will not have this chance, Ali who ages rather badly on the boxing ring refuses to grant a revenge to him. Foreman boxes three more adversaries during the year 1976, of which an useless revenge against Joe Frazier.

In 1977 he faces the very gifted Jimmy Young. This boxer lost at the points against Ali and Norton the previous year. Technically at the point it will subject to Foreman the second defeat of its career. Foreman is found on the ground but loses at the points. At the evening of the combat, George has a vision of Jesus, it then takes its retirement at 28 years and becomes priest. The journalists who find it too young to withdraw boxing rings are severe with him, but Foreman in démord not and changes personality. Formerly egoistic Foreman spends its fortune to build a center of assistance to the young person in difficulty in Houston, it builds also a church. With money course it makes its return in 1987 to 38 years, 10 years after its departure. For a few thousands of dollar he faces bad boxers. If its reflexes and its speed disappeared, its force is always there, its obesity will not cause him a problem, it will be enduring like never. Until 1990, nobody takes it with the serious one. It boxes through all America east becomes very popular, the shaved cranium, smiling, under the new nickname of " Big George" it obtains a reputation of “hero” whereas formerly it was regarded as “malicious”. The notoriety of Foreman is such as one thinks of opposing to him the world champion Mike Tyson to Beijing in 1989. The revolt coed of this time prevents the project from being concretized.

January 15th, 1990, Big George destroyed Gerry Cooney in two rounds like time of its apogee, this spectacular victory gives it to the front of the scene, its punch enables him to gain against no matter whom on only one blow. He asks Don King to face Mike Tyson which has just lost its title against James Douglas, but the promoter refuses, being wary of the force of Foreman.

Finally it can concretize its dream against Evander Holyfield on April 19th, 1991. Foreman loses at the point but at 42 years comes out grown from this combat and its reputation of collector is not any more to make.

In 1992 it beats Alex Stewart in a very violent combat, Foreman sends Stewart on the ground but finishes the combat with the risen face. In 1993 it tries to seize title WBO against Tommy Morrisson. A new defeat at the point against a poor adversary seems definitively to indicate the end of its career. Foreman always clings, if he seeks to become again champion it is before very exorcizing the memory of his defeat against Ali (he acknowledged to make nightmares of them) and that of his career with half-missed. In 1994 Foreman meets Michael Moorer with Las Vegas, there is little chance for Big George to beat the new champion with nearly 46 years. Archi-dominated and extremely slow, Foreman will succeed in with the tenth round on only one blow (simple direct) putting KB Moorer and to become again champion, he is currently the oldest boxer to have gained a championship. Almost 20 years after its combat in Africa, days for days, Foreman finally recovered from its defeat against Ali.

Foreman loses its titles while refusing to face certain challengers and continuous with boxer. Too much slow, it does not make only one any more KB and undergoes the fifth defeat of its career in 1997 against Shannon Briggs. Foreman is withdrawn then definitively.

Foreman is one of the 20 best boxers of the history of boxing and perhaps the ninth in the heavy truck. Second better boxer of the years 1970 behind Mohammed Ali, Olympic gold medal, double champion, with 81 engagements, 76 victories (68 KB) and 5 defeats (1KO), it is one of best the puncher of the history of this sport and fact left the very closed club of the champions who achieved more than 50 KB. Foreman is especially famous for its singular course, its surprising record of older champion and its come-back perfectly succeeds, father of a many family, it also became a prosperous head of undertaking which sold its very famous grill throughout the world (it also wrote some cookbooks).

Foreman appeared at the sides of Frazier, Ali, Norton and Holmes in documentary the Champions forever where it appears very modest and speaks with pleasure about anecdotes of his engagements.

In 2001 its engagements against Ali and Frazier are put in scene by Michael Mann in the film Ali where Will Smith incarnates Ali and James Toney Frazier.

Catalog of films

1975 : the Man who was worth 3 billion
1975: the Blow to remake ( Let' S C It Again ): Factory Worker
1993 : George (series TV): George Foster
1995: Walt Disney World Inside Out (TV): Co-Host
1996: Bad Dads (TV): Host

Rewards

Anecdotes

External bonds

Card IMDB

Random links: