George Foreman is in the history books as one of the greatest heavyweights to ever lace up the gloves.
Known for his thudding power, ‘Big George’ faced some of the biggest names in the sport during his incredible 28 year career, including the likes of Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and Evander Holyfield.
His most famous night came back in 1974 when he put his WBC and WBA titles on the line against Muhammad Ali. ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ saw Ali – who went in as the heavy underdog – use his famous rope-a-dope tactic to tire Foreman out and secure one of the greatest victories in heavyweight history.
Foreman retired just three years later but would go on to make a sensational comeback which would see him crowned the oldest heavyweight champion of all time when he knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994 to win the WBA and IBF belts.
It was the man he was ordered to defend those titles against that Foreman has now admitted to avoiding. Speaking to Oxford Union, he revealed that he refused to fight WBA mandatory challenger Tony Tucker, saying he would have been ‘too tough’ for him.
“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.”
Foreman would fight four more times, losing his last bout to Shannon Briggs before hanging up the gloves for good in 1997.
