George Foreman, 76, is an American former professional boxer who competed for 30 years, from 1967 to 1997. During his younger years, he was known as Big George. As a fighter, George won the heavyweight championship twice and was an Olympic gold medalist.
When he was 25 years old in 1974, he was the world’s unbeaten heavyweight champion until he faced the legendary Muhammed Ali in the legendary ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ and lost the title in the eighth round.
Nearly 20 years later, in November 1994, he wore the same red shorts at the age of 45, reclaiming the title he had lost. He knocked out Michael Moorer and regained the heavyweight world championship.
“Fifty years ago, the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ fought Muhammad Ali. Looking back on the best time of my life, celebrate with me with a slice of cake, as I relive the ‘Rope-a-Dope’,” said George on X, as he ate a chocolate cake. His fans did not hesitate to engage with him in the comment section. “Hello, Big George.
Did you ever engage in trash talking during your fighting career or become upset about it?” an X user inquired. “I never did trash talking, nor was I ever upset with anyone who did so,” says George. “Dear Mr. Foreman, I have always found your life story fascinating. Today, I watched Big George Foreman on Netflix and was moved to tears. You are an inspiration, sir. God Bless you! Regards from India,” wrote another X user.
George Foreman is currently an entrepreneur, minister, and author; however, his troubled childhood led him to take up amateur boxing in the 1960s. In the 1968 Summer Olympics, he won the gold medal in the heavyweight division.
In just a year after turning professional in 1969, he won the world heavyweight title with a stunning second-round knockout of Joe Frazier in 1973. His next fight with Muhammad Ali took place in Kinshasa, Zaire.
The historic bout, billed as ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ exceeded all expectations. During training in mid-September, Foreman suffered a cut above his eye, forcing the bout to be moved up a month.
On the other hand, Ali spent his time touring Zaire. When they finally met in the ring, Ali was aggressive towards Foreman and eventually outscored him with superior punching speed, resulting in Foreman losing his title to Ali.
George decided to take a decade off the ring and returned in 1987. He announced his comeback at the age of 38, but his motivation was to raise funds for a youth center he had founded. He had used the proceeds from previous fights to fund the center.
Among the potential opponents he considered was Mike Tyson; despite many believing that returning to the ring was a mistake, he demonstrated to them that age is not a barrier to achieving one’s goals.
That year, he won four bouts; the following year, in 1988, he won nine more. His last and final fight was on November 22, 1997; he lost and hung up his boxing gloves.
In his entire boxing career, he won 76 fights, 68 by knockout, 8 by decision, and lost 5 fights, one by knockout and the other four by decision. He continues to be a respected figure in society.