Despite being one of the most formidable heavyweights in boxing history, ‘Big’ George Foreman revealed the one fighter he was ‘scared’ to face.
In a career that stretched 30-years, Foreman won the world heavyweight championship on two-occasions. The 75-year-old from Texas defeated Joe Frazier in January 1973 to capture the unified WBC and WBA heavyweight titles, which he would go on to lose just over 18-months later in the historic ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ battle against the late-great Muhammad Ali.
After a shock defeat to Jimmy Young in 1977, ‘Big’ George walked away from the sport to pursue his career as a preacher, but would go on to make a sensational return 10-years later which kick-started his route to becoming the oldest world heavyweight champion history when he defeated Michael Moorer in 1994.
Speaking on an interview with ABC Boston, Foreman spoke of his bout with Frazier, naming ‘Smokin Joe’ as the one fighter he was ‘truly afraid’ of.
“I fought Joe Frazier to become the heavyweight champ of the world for the first time, the great Joe Frazier, the only man I was truly afraid of and that’s why I knocked him down six times, I was scared he was gonna kill me.”
Similar to ‘Big’ George, Frazier is also regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. He became the first man to defeat Muhammad Ali when they fought in March 1971, despite going on to suffer two defeats at the hands of Ali in 1974 and 1975.
Smokin’ Joe’s legacy is undeniable, known for his crushing left-hand and and incredible strength, he was said to be a nightmare for many of the opponents he faced during his tenure. In 2011 at 67-years-old, Frazier sadly passed away after a battle with cancer.
