George Foreman facts for kids

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George Foreman

Foreman in 1973

Statistics

Real name

George Edward Foreman

Nickname(s)

Big George

Rated at

Heavyweight

Height

6 ft 3 in

Reach

78 in

Born

January 10, 1949
Marshall, Texas, U.S.

Died

March 21, 2025 (aged 76)

Stance

Orthodox

Boxing record

Total fights

Wins

Wins by KO

Losses

Medal record

Men's amateur boxing

Representing United States
Olympic Games
Gold	1968 Mexico City	Heavyweight

George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) was an amazing American boxer, businessman, minister, and author. In boxing, he was known as "Big George". He won the world heavyweight boxing championship twice and earned an Olympic gold medal. He is also famous for the George Foreman Grill.

After a tough childhood, Foreman started amateur boxing. He won a gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He became a professional boxer the next year. In 1973, he won his first world heavyweight title by knocking out Joe Frazier. He defended his title two times. Then, he lost to Muhammad Ali in a famous fight called the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974. Foreman retired from boxing in 1977 after another loss.

Ten years later, he made a surprising comeback to boxing. In 1994, at 45 years old, he won the world heavyweight championship again! He became the oldest world heavyweight champion in history. He retired for good in 1997, at age 48. His final record was 76 wins (68 by knockout) and 5 losses.

Foreman was added to the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Many experts consider him one of the greatest heavyweights ever. Outside of boxing, he became a very successful businessman. He is most famous for promoting the George Foreman Grill, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide.

Early Life and First Steps

George Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas, on January 10, 1949. He grew up in a community called Fifth Ward in Houston, Texas. He had six brothers and sisters. George admitted in his book that he was a troubled kid. He left school at 15 and spent some time mugging people.

At 16, George decided to change his life. He saw an ad for Job Corps on TV and convinced his mom to sign him up. Through Job Corps, he earned his high school diploma (GED). He also learned skills like carpentry and bricklaying. He moved to Pleasanton, California, and started training with the help of a supervisor. Foreman was interested in football but chose boxing instead.

Olympic Gold and Amateur Career

Foreman with President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968

Foreman won a gold medal in the heavyweight boxing division at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. In the final match, he fought Jonas Čepulis from the Soviet Union. The referee stopped the fight in the second round because Foreman was dominating. Čepulis was an experienced boxer, 10 years older than Foreman.

Here's how Foreman won his Olympic medal:

He beat Lucjan Trela (Poland) on points.
He defeated Ion Alexe (Romania) when the referee stopped the fight.
He knocked out Giorgio Bambini (Italy) in the second round.
In the final, he beat Jonas Čepulis (Soviet Union) when the referee stopped the fight.

After winning the gold medal, Foreman walked around the ring holding a small U.S. flag. He said that winning the Olympic gold was his proudest achievement in boxing.

Amateur Highlights

He won his first amateur fight on January 26, 1967, by knockout.
He won the San Francisco Examiner's Golden Gloves Tournament in 1967.
In 1968, he won the United States National Boxing Championships heavyweight title.
He sparred with former World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston in 1968. Foreman said Liston was the "scariest human being" he met in the ring.
Before the Olympics, his amateur record was 16 wins and 4 losses.
His final amateur record was 22 wins and 4 losses before he turned professional.

Professional Boxing Journey

Early Professional Fights

Foreman became a professional boxer in 1969. He won his first fight by knockout in New York City. That year, he had 13 fights and won all of them, mostly by knockout.

In 1970, Foreman continued winning. He won all 12 of his fights, with 11 knockouts. He beat tough opponents like Gregorio Peralta and George Chuvalo. By 1971, he had a perfect record of 32 wins and no losses, with 29 knockouts. This made him the top challenger for the world heavyweight title.

Becoming World Champion

Foreman vs. Frazier

In 1973, Foreman was ready to challenge the undefeated World Heavyweight Champion, Joe Frazier. Frazier was a strong champion, but Foreman was bigger and had a longer reach. Many people thought Frazier would win, but Foreman surprised everyone.

The fight happened on January 22, 1973, in Jamaica. Foreman completely dominated the fight. He knocked Frazier down six times in just two rounds! The referee stopped the fight, and Foreman became the new world champion.

Defending the Title

Foreman defended his title two times. His first defense was against José Roman in Tokyo. Foreman won by knockout in just two minutes, one of the fastest knockouts in a heavyweight championship fight.

His next defense was against Ken Norton in 1974. Norton was a very strong boxer who had even broken Muhammad Ali's jaw in a previous fight. Foreman knocked Norton down three times in the second round, and the referee stopped the fight. Foreman was still undefeated with a record of 40 wins and no losses.

The Rumble in the Jungle

A cut to Foreman's right eye on September 18, 1974, postponed the bout for a month

Foreman with trainer Archie Moore on September 10, 1974, on the way to Kinshasa for his fight with Muhammad Ali

On October 30, 1974, Foreman faced Muhammad Ali in a historic fight called "The Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire. Foreman was expected to win because he had easily beaten Joe Frazier and Ken Norton.

During training, Foreman got a cut above his eye, which delayed the fight for a month. This injury affected his training. Ali used this time to connect with the people of Zaire and tease Foreman.

Ali doing the "rope-a-dope" to avoid Foreman's formidable power

When the fight started, Ali surprised everyone by being very aggressive. But then, Ali used a clever strategy called "rope-a-dope". He leaned back on the ropes, covering his head, and let Foreman punch his body. Foreman hit Ali with many strong punches, but Ali protected his head. Foreman started to get tired because he was throwing so many punches.

As Foreman got exhausted, his punches lost power. Ali then started to hit Foreman with hard punches. In the eighth round, Ali hit Foreman with a powerful combination of punches. Foreman fell to the canvas for the first time in his career. Ali won the fight by knockout. Foreman later said, "it just wasn't my night."

Return to the Ring

Foreman vs. Lyle

In 1976, Foreman decided to return to boxing. His first big fight was against Ron Lyle. This fight was a brutal slugfest. In the fourth round, Lyle knocked Foreman down twice. But Foreman got back up and knocked Lyle down, winning the fight by knockout. This fight was named "The Fight of the Year."

Foreman vs. Frazier II

Foreman then fought Joe Frazier again. Because Foreman had won easily the first time, and Frazier had taken a lot of damage in other fights, few expected Frazier to win. Foreman knocked Frazier down twice in the fifth round, and the fight was stopped. Foreman continued to win more fights before his next big challenge.

Foreman vs. Young and Retirement

In 1977, Foreman fought Jimmy Young. Foreman got tired in the later rounds and was knocked down in the twelfth round. He lost the fight by decision.

After this fight, Foreman became very ill in his dressing room. He felt like he was dying and had a near-death experience. He said he felt God asking him to change his life. After this, Foreman became a born-again Christian. He stopped boxing and became an ordained minister, preaching and opening a youth center.

The Amazing Comeback

In 1987, after 10 years away from boxing, Foreman surprised everyone by announcing his comeback at age 38. He said he wanted to raise money for his youth center. He also wanted to show that age is not a barrier to achieving goals.

He weighed 267 pounds for his first comeback fight but slowly got into better shape. He won many fights, including a knockout win over former champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Foreman was still able to land powerful punches. He also found he had better stamina than when he was younger.

By 1989, Foreman became a friendly and cheerful person in public. He started advertising different products, including the famous George Foreman Grill. He became a celebrity outside of boxing.

Foreman vs. Cooney

In 1990, Foreman fought Gerry Cooney, another powerful puncher. Foreman won by knockout in the second round. He continued to win more fights, setting himself up for another shot at the world title.

World Title Challenges

Foreman vs. Holyfield

In 1991, Foreman, at 42 years old, got a chance to fight the undisputed heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield. Most experts thought Foreman had no chance. Foreman weighed 257 pounds but fought bravely. He took many punches from Holyfield but also landed some powerful shots. He surprised everyone by lasting all 12 rounds, though he lost the fight by decision.

Foreman vs. Moorer: Making History

In 1994, Foreman got another chance to fight for the world championship. This time, he faced Michael Moorer, who had beaten Holyfield. Foreman was 19 years older than Moorer and was not expected to win.

The fight took place on November 5 in Las Vegas. For nine rounds, Moorer easily outboxed Foreman. Foreman was behind on all the judges' scorecards. But in the 10th round, Foreman suddenly landed a short right hand punch that hit Moorer on the chin. Moorer collapsed to the canvas and was counted out.

Foreman had won the world title again, 20 years after losing it to Muhammad Ali! This historic victory broke three records:

At 45, he became the oldest fighter ever to win a world championship.
He had the longest time between his first and second world championships.
The age difference between him and Moorer (19 years) was the largest in a heavyweight title fight.

After the Title Win

After winning the title, Foreman had one successful defense against Axel Schulz in 1995. The fight was very close, and Foreman won by a controversial decision. He later gave up his titles rather than facing mandatory challengers.

Final Fights and Retirement

Foreman vs. Briggs

In 1997, Foreman fought Shannon Briggs in a fight to decide who would challenge for the WBC title. Many people watching thought Foreman won the fight, but the judges gave the win to Briggs by a controversial decision. This was Foreman's last fight, at the age of 48.

Foreman announced his final retirement from boxing after this loss. He had a great career and became a respected boxing analyst for HBO.

Life as a Minister

After his experience in the locker room in 1977, George Foreman became a born-again Christian. He decided to dedicate his life to God. He started preaching on street corners and later became the minister of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston in 1980.

Under his leadership, the church opened the George Foreman Youth and Community Center. This center helps children and teenagers in the area. Foreman often spoke about his faith on Christian TV shows. He believed that serving God was the most important thing in life.

Other Ventures

In 2022, Foreman appeared on The Masked Singer as "Venus Fly Trap." He was eliminated on "Hall of Fame Night."

Foreman also helped produce Big George Foreman, a 2023 movie based on his life story and spiritual journey.

Personal Life

Foreman speaking in Houston, Texas, in September 2009

George Foreman was married to Mary Joan Martelly from 1985. He had 12 children: five sons and seven daughters.

He named all five of his sons George Edward Foreman: George Jr., George III ("Monk"), George IV ("Big Wheel"), George V ("Red"), and George VI ("Little Joey"). He said he did this so they would always have something in common. His son George III also became a boxer and businessman.

His seven daughters are Natalia, Leola, Freeda, Michi, Georgetta, Isabella, and Courtney. Freeda was also a professional boxer for a short time.

The American Legion honored Foreman in 2013 for his patriotism and community service.

The George Foreman Grill

Foreman in 2016

When Foreman made his boxing comeback, he often talked about how healthy eating helped him. A company called Salton, Inc. asked him to be the spokesperson for their new fat-reducing grill.

The George Foreman Grill became incredibly popular. By 2009, over 100 million units had been sold worldwide. Foreman earned a lot of money from this endorsement. In 1999, Salton paid him $138 million just for the right to use his name. He earned much more from the grill than he ever did as a boxer.

Images for kids

Foreman in 1973
Foreman with President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968
A cut to Foreman's right eye on September 18, 1974, postponed the bout for a month
Foreman with trainer Archie Moore on September 10, 1974, on the way to Kinshasa for his fight with Muhammad Ali
Ali doing the "rope-a-dope" to avoid Foreman's formidable power
Foreman in 2009
Foreman speaking in Houston, Texas, in September 2009
Foreman in 2016