George Foreman remains the oldest world heavyweight champion in history.
After initialling competing throughout the 1970s and becoming undisputed champion, Foreman retired in 1977 after his epic battles against the likes of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
He returned a decade later, and after a number of years building back up to return to title contention, knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994 to win the WBA and IBF heavyweight straps.
‘Big George’ was then stripped of his WBA belt after choosing not to take on his mandatory challenger, and he has told Oxford Union that it was the correct decision.
“They tried to force me to fight Tony Tucker after I’d beaten Michael Moorer and I remember looking at Tony Tucker and saying ‘momma didn’t raise no fools’.
I’m not fighting him, and they took the titles. Some people I’m not going to fight. That’s the good reason, I didn’t want to fight him. Too tough. I’ve got to tell the truth.”
Tony Tucker began his career by compiling an unbeaten record of 34-0 with one no contest, picking up the IBF heavyweight title along the way.
He lost the belt by unanimous decision in a unification with Mike Tyson in 1987, but 14 straight wins earned him another crack at world honours, this time against Lennox Lewis, but Tucker came up short again as Lewis won the fight on points.
Foreman’s decision to allow the WBA to strip him of his belt meant that Tucker challenged Bruce Seldon for the vacant title in 1995, but he suffered a seventh round stoppage loss as Seldon claimed the win. Tucker would go on to retire in 1998 with a final record of 57 wins, 7 defeats and one no contest.
