At the peak of his powers, George Foreman was one of, if not the most formidable heavyweight in boxing.
The dazzling career of ‘Big’ George spanned 30 years, where he captured the world heavyweight championship on two occasions. His crowning moment came in January 1973 when he knocked out Joe Frazier in the second round of their fight to claim the WBC and WBA titles.
Foreman was beaten by Muhammad Ali in the famous ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ battle in 1974, falling victim to Ali’s infamous ‘rope-a-dope’ style.
The second defeat of his career came three years later when he was outpointed by Jimmy Young in a big upset, leading to him taking a 10-year hiatus from boxing to pursue his career as a preacher.
‘Big’ George returned to the sport in 1987, kick-starting his journey to becoming the oldest world heavyweight champion in history when he stopped Michael Moorer in 1994 to capture the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles, a record that still stands today.
In a revelation on social media, Foreman spoke of how he believed he would never have been able to beat the late-great Ali, claiming one showdown with ‘The Greatest’ was plenty.
“Once in the ring with the great Ali was enough for me. If I’d changed my approach back then he’d [have] another plan. Nothing beats some fighters but time.”
Ali’s legacy is embedded deep into boxing history, with many believing he remains the greatest fighter of all time having defeated the likes of Ken Norton, Joe Frazier and Earnie Shavers during his tenure. After a long and brave battle with Parkinson’s Disease, ‘The Greatest’ sadly passed away in 2016.
