Travel Guide:George Foreman Fight
July 12th, 2009
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George Foreman is a household name with a long and storied career. He not only has the distinction of being pegged as one of the top 25 boxers of all time, he was also the oldest boxer to win a heavyweight title. A man of diverse talents, hes also an ordained Christian pastor with his own church, and an accomplished businessman in his own right.
He finished his amateur career with an incredible 27-0 record before turning professional in 1969. That year, he won a total of 12 fights, with 11 via knockout. The following year, he continued on in pursuit of the undisputed heavyweight title by winning every one of his 12 fights in 1970, again with 11 of them by knockout. In 1971, Foreman won seven more victories. He had earned a phenomenal record of 32-0 by then, and was considered by the WBC and WBA to be the top challenger. Foreman continued his victorious streak with an additional five victories in 1972. He won each of these victories in three rounds.
Foreman retained his heavyweight title until 1974 when he defended his title against Mohamed Ali, the former champion. This bout was known as “The Rumble in the Jungle” and was fought in Zaire. This was Foremans first defeat in his professional boxing career. After this defeat, Foreman remained inactive throughout 1975.
Foreman kept his heavyweight title until 1974, when he was pitted against the former heavyweight champion, Mohamed Ali. This bout, dubbed The Rumble in the Jungle was fought in Zaire. This match marked Foremans first defeat in his entire professional boxing career. Foreman disappeared from the boxing scene for the rest of 1975 in the face of this crushing defeat.
In 1976, Foreman made his comeback. He continued fighting until he experienced what he describes as a near death experience in Puerto Rico in 1977. Foreman described becoming suddenly and deathly ill in his dressing room after losing a match to Jimmy Young in a 12 round decision. He was terrified by this sudden illness, and turned to God for help. Foreman recounts that God asked him to change his ways, and Foreman became a devout, born again Christian. Foreman jokes that Jimmy Young literally knocked the devil out of him.
He has a large family, ten children, five boys, and five girls. He named all five of his sons George. In order of age they are George Jr., George III, George IV, George V and last but not least George VI.
Foreman is the father of a large family of ten children, including five boys and five girls. Each of Foremans sons is named George. From eldest to youngest, they are George Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and of course, George VI.
Foreman made a second comeback in 1988 after ten years away from the ring. He announced that he would be returning to boxing at the unheard of age of 38. His goal was to prove that age did not have to be a barrier to achieving ones dreams. That year, he went on to win eight fights, though none of his challengers were rated contenders. Foreman won a string of memorable victories, as well as some notable defeats.
Foreman went on to break two boxing records when he regained the heavyweight title after successfully challenging Michael Moorer in Las Vegas on November 5, 1994. He not only became the oldest boxer to win the world heavyweight title; he also broke the record for longest interval between championship wins. He kept boxing until his second retirement in 1999.
Foreman was named the ninth greatest puncher of all time in 2003, when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Foremans other notable business ventures include commercial appearances for Meineke Mufflers, and promoting his own George Foreman Grill. In 2004, he started marketing his brand of Big and Tall clothing through Casual Male.
In 1993, he starred in his own sitcom. Hes also been a judge on American Inventor, a TV reality series. Most recently, Foreman appeared in a July 2008 reality show titled Family Foreman which featured George and his family.
Foreman has authored four books, all of which detail his life experiences. Given Foremans many notable and interesting experiences, these books are likely to provide interesting reading.
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