"I didn't come back for the money. I just got sick of beating people up for free."
American boxer, born in 1949 in Marshall, Texas. He spent his youth as a general thug and nogoodnik, but joined the Job Corps in an attempt to turn his life around. There, he started boxing and was able to convert his strength and skill in the ring into a gold medal in heavyweight boxing in the Mexico City Olympics in 1968. He won his last three Olympic fights by either early knockouts or from the referee stopping the match. He often said he was most proud of his gold medal than any of his later titles.
Foreman started his professional boxing career in 1969. In 1973, during the Sunshine Showdown in Kingston, Jamaica, he obliterated the heavily favored Joe Frazier, knocking him to the mat six times before the referee ended the fight in the second round, earning Foreman his first heavyweight championship.
The next year, he took on Muhammad Ali in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire. Everyone expected Foreman to win easily -- in fact, Ali's entourage was terrified Foreman would kill him. Foreman was bigger, more powerful, more intimidating -- but he got out-strategized and out-lasted by Ali.
Foreman had troubles getting back into fighting shape after the match in Zaire. An exhibition match against five separate opponents wasn't the triumph he'd hoped for, especially after enduring taunts from Ali at ringside and losing to two of his less experienced opponents. He won several tough professional matches, including a rematch against Frazier and a brutal slugfest against Ron Lyle. After losing a 12-round decision to Jimmy Young in 1977, Foreman had a religious conversion in his dressing room. He didn't officially retire, but he became an ordained minister, preaching on street corners and transforming himself from a brooding, angry brawler into a happy and affectionate good guy. He preached on at least a semi-regular basis, at the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston, Texas.
Ten years later, trying to earn more money for a youth center he had founded, Foreman returned to the ring in 1987 and, against all expectations, at 38 years old, became a contender again. He went 12 rounds against Evander Holyfield in 1991 and, while he didn't win, the 40-year-old Foreman also didn't get humiliated, which is what many viewers were expecting. In 1993, he starred in a short-lived sitcom called "George," and in 1994, Foreman, then 45, fought 26-year-old Michael Moorer. After getting out-fought for most of the match, Foreman managed to knock Moorer out in the tenth round to regain the heavyweight title.
Foreman didn't retain the championship for long, but he continued to fight 'til 1996. In 2004, he announced he was training for another comeback -- at age 55! -- but the planned bout never happened, with rumors suggesting Foreman's wife told him to cool it. Still, holding the records for the oldest heavyweight champ, and the champ with the longest gap between his first and second championships, meant he was always going to be remembered as one of the greatest boxers.
In 1995, Foreman lent his name to the George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine and became its enthusiastic spokesman. He also transformed his love of food and cooking from a hobby to a minor career, writing several cookbooks and hosting a cooking show.
Foreman has been married a number of times. He has ten kids, five girls and five boys -- and yes, all of the boys are named George. Heck, one of the girls is named Georgette and another is named Freeda George. If you got a working formula, why change it, right?
In his 81 professional fights from 1971 to 1997, Foreman had 76 wins (with 68 knockouts) and only five losses.
Research from www.biggeorge.com