Heavyweight Facts About George Foreman, The Boxer Who Turned It Around

He Changed Completely 

Boxing legend George Foreman remarkably won the heavyweight title not once but twice. And even more surprising, there was more than a 20-year gap between the two. During that two-decade hiatus, Foreman went from an aloof, and rather scary, boxer to everyone’s favorite grill master. And what caused this dramatic life shift was an other-worldly experience—one that some may find utterly disturbing. 

1. He Was Born Poor

George Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas on January 10, 1949. His family soon moved to the impoverished Fifth Ward of Houston. Foreman was one of seven children, but there was something about him that made him different from his siblings. His brothers and sisters called him “Mo-head”—and it was for a cruel reason. 

 Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Fotopersbureau, Wikimedia Commons

2. He Was Different

At some point during his parent's marriage, Foreman's mother and father took some time apart. During that time, his mother had a relationship with a man named Leroy Moorehead and became pregnant. The result was George Foreman, and for this reason, his siblings called him “Mo-head”. 

But his nickname was the least of his worries. Foreman soon found himself on the wrong side of the law. 

 Bettmann, Getty Images

3. He Was A Thief 

According to Foreman himself, he had a troubling childhood. By the time he reached 15, he had dropped out of school and took up a life of crime, particularly as a mugger. But it didn't last. All it took was one particular ad on TV for Foreman to quickly realize that this was no life for him—and he made a bold move.

 Associated Press, Wikimedia Commons

4. He Needed A Way Out

Foreman saw a way out of this lawless life, and he asked his mother for help. He’d seen a TV ad for an organization called the Job Corps. Through this, he received his GED and then did some training for jobs like bricklaying and carpentry. Foreman had turned his life around, and he was now ready for greater things. 

 Bert Verhoeff / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

5. He Moved To A Better Place

Foreman continued changing his life by moving to an affluent neighborhood near San Francisco, California. Here he got a trainer and started regularly working out. At this time, he had his sights set on football, and his hero was Jim Brown. But that didn't last too long, either. 

 Bettmann, Getty Images

6. He Found His True Passion

Apparently, after catching a glimpse of an Ali fight against Floyd Patterson, something inside Foreman clicked, and he changed directions once again—this time, he chose boxing. And what a good choice it was. By 1968, he was ready for the Olympic games in Mexico City. 

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

7. He Conquered Europe

Foreman's boxing career took off quickly. Only a year after his first amateur fight, Foreman went on to represent the US in the 1968 Olympics. He fought his way through Poland, Romania and Italy. His final fight would be with a seasoned heavyweight boxer from the Soviet Union. 

This was going to be a tough battle, and admittedly, Foreman felt "scared".

 Bettmann, Getty Images

8. He Had A Scary Opponent 

Foreman’s opponent for the gold medal was Jonas Čepulis. He was 10 years older than Foreman and had 12 years under his belt as an amateur boxer. Foreman was not favored to win, but that didn’t stop him. By the end of the first round, Čepulis’ face was bleeding. In the second round, Čepulis was struggling, and the ref gave him a standing eight count. 

Foreman had the gold, and he later said it was his proudest moment. It was now time to go pro. 

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

9. He Beat One After Another 

After getting top honor on the world stage, Foreman was ready for a professional career. The first year after the Olympics, he had 13 fights and he won all of them. More surprising was that he won an astonishing 11 of these fights by knockout. The next year, he did pretty much the same thing. Winning another 11 by knockout. 

Foreman was becoming a phenomenon, and people were keeping track. 

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

10. He Was A King

For those counting, Foreman’s short career had resulted in some amazing stats. His record was 32 fights and no losses. Also, of his fights, only three were not by knockout. Foreman gained a reputation as a knockout king—but his biggest challenge hadn't happened yet. 

 Bettmann, Getty Images

11. He Faced A Formidable Opponent 

In 1972, still undefeated, Foreman met his match. Joe Frazier was also undefeated and a World Heavyweight Champion. Their fight would take place in Kingston, Jamaica and it was shaping up to be a very big deal. Foreman came out strong, but there was something very scary about how much he wanted to win. 
 Bettmann, Getty Images

12. He Dominated The Ring

 Before the fight, Frazier had 29–0 (25 KO) and Foreman had 37–0 (34 KO). And while many believed Foreman didn't stand a chance, he went on to dominate the ring, knocking Frazier down six times within two rounds. But after the second knockdown—things took a dark and dangerous turn.

 Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

13. He Warned Them

During the bout, Foreman noticed that he was seriously injuring Frazier, but he felt he couldn’t stop himself. At one point, he shouted over to Frazier’s trainer, Angelo Dundee, and said that they should end the match. If they didn’t, Foreman suggested that he might “kill” Frazier. Dundee had a decision to make. 

End the match or watch his boxer die. 

 John Mathew Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

14. He Was Third

Dundee saw what was happening and turned to the referee. He decided to save Frazier and pleaded for him to stop the fight. It was at the 1:35 second mark of round two and Foreman was the winner. He was now the third-youngest boxer in the heavyweight division to accomplish such a feat.

But something else memorable came from this bout.

 Bert Verhoeff / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

15. He Went Down In History

The Sunshine Showdown would go down in history as a great fight—in spite of it being very short. It also was the reason for ABC’s Howard Cosell to say the immortal words, "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!" Foreman was becoming a phenomenon and the world waited to see what he would do next. 

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

16. He Was Anti-Social

Of course, one thing a boxing champion needs is an adoring fan base. For some reason, Foreman didn’t do anything to help this along. Some called him antisocial, others called him aloof. And then they accused him of sneering. Of course, his fans and the media wanted to know what was up with this attitude—and his explanation was utterly bizarre. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

17. He Copied Someone

Foreman finally decided to tell the truth about why he was so aloof with fans and the media. He said that he was imitating someone. This was Sonny Liston who Foreman not only adored but also sparred with on occasion. Foreman had made his decision and saw no reason to get warm and cozy with the fans. 

We’ll soon see why this decision would come back to haunt him. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

18. He Only Needed Two Rounds

Next, Foreman traveled all the way to Tokyo, Japan only to take down Jose Roman in two minutes flat. His next opponent was more formidable. This was Ken Norton who was famous for breaking Muhammad Ali’s jaw. But, in true Foreman fashion, he took Norton down in the second round.

But the real surprise came after the fight. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

19. He Was Involved In A Caper

Foreman’s fight against Norton took place in Caracas, Venezuela and there was a special agreement with the government. Officials in the South American country had promised to give the fighters a break on the taxes. When the fight was over, so was the promise. For this reason, the fight received the nickname the “Caracas Caper”. 

With these wins, Foreman was making a name for himself. It was now time for his ultimate challenge. 

 Affirm Films, Big George Foreman (2023)

20. There Was A Huge Purse 

Eventually, Foreman was going to have to fight against Mohammad Ali. Everyone in the boxing world knew it and looked forward to this ultimate battle. Boxing promoter Don King really wanted to host the fight between Foreman and Ali, but he lacked one thing: money. He got both Foreman and Ali to sign on for a fight by offering a $5 million purse. 

Now all King had to do was find the cash he’d already promised. 

 Affirm Films, Big George Foreman (2023)

21. He Needed A Sponsor

King had a connection to the leader of Zaire—now called the Republic of Congo—and approached the dictator about hosting and sponsoring the event. The way King persuaded the dictator was to say that the match between Foreman and Ali would help his regime. Mobutu Sese Seko agreed, and they set a date of September 25, 1974, for this ultimate match. 

The world could not have been more ready for this extraordinary event. 

 Affirm Films, Big George Foreman (2023)

22. He Was Ready To Rumble 

The stage was set for the fight between Foreman and Ali and, because of its exotic location, it received the name "Rumble in the Jungle". Both Foreman and Ali went to Africa early to get used to the climate there, but things didn’t go as expected. Foreman soon became injured, and it threw a monkey wrench into the "Rumble in the Jungle".

 The Ring Magazine, Getty Images

23. He Got Injured

While training in Zaire for his match with Ali, Foreman’s sparring partner accidentally elbowed Foreman just above his eye, which resulted in Foreman needing 11 stitches. This was just eight days before the match was taking place, and it became very clear that Foreman would not be able to fight on September 25—but delaying it would present a whole new world of problems. 

 Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

24. They Had To Wait

Foreman couldn’t fight with his injury but postponing the fight was a challenge. You see, King had arranged for some entertainment to accompany the fight. He’d brought in performers like James Brown, the Pointer Sisters and BB King and they couldn’t exactly wait around for Foreman to heal. 

They needed a compromise. 

 Heinrich Klaffs, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

25. They Had Time On Their Hands 

The musical event went on without the fight, and King postponed the actual main event by five weeks because of Foreman’s injury. It was now set for October 30. Once the musicians had done their thing, Foreman and Ali had time on their hands until the big match—and they used this time in very different ways. 

 Affirm Films, Big George Foreman (2023)

26. He Couldn’t Practice

The worst thing about this postponement—for Foreman at least—was that with his injury he couldn't spar. He had to wait for his wound to heal. Ali on the other hand could get even more ready to face Foreman. But training wasn't Ali's only advantage. 

 Affirm Films, Big George Foreman (2023)

27. He Didn’t Win Anyone Over

While they were waiting out Foreman’s injury, Ali took a tour around Zaire. But his reason wasn’t just for sightseeing. He was winning the local population over. He wanted some supporters in the country, and he had the charm to do it. Ali was winning over fans, while the aloof Foreman wasn't winning over anyone. 

Ali seemed to be ahead even before they stepped into the ring. 

 Affirm Films, Big George Foreman (2023)

28. There Was A Secret Plan

Besides winning over the locals, Ali had another plan to help him win. With Foreman still being a fan favorite, Ali announced before the fight that he had a secret plan to undo what the public saw as Foreman’s strong points. Foreman was likely feeling good about this fight, but Ali’s secret plan was also troubling. 

 Affirm Films, Big George Foreman (2023)

29. He Got Taunted 

Ali’s secret plan was a new tactic in the ring—which he called "rope-a-dope". It involved leaning on the ropes, drawing in non-injuring offensive punches. This caused Foreman to waste his precious energy throwing punches that were not earning him any points. Ali made things worse by taunting Foreman, telling him to throw more punches. Foreman, in the heat of the moment, fell for Ali’s taunts. He threw more punches and became weaker.

The fight was not going in Foreman’s favor. 

 Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman Full Fight HD - Classic Bouts, PrestigeFights

30. He Didn’t Adapt

Ali's "Rope-a-dope" was working and by the eighth round, referee Zack Clayton had to stop the fight. When they read the scorecards there was no surprise. Ali won on all three. The press praised Ali for his ability to adapt to Foreman’s formidable power, while Foreman came across as a fighter who just relied on brute strength. 

But Foreman had another theory for why he lost this fight—a very shocking theory. 

 Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman Full Fight HD | Classic Bouts, PrestigeFights

31. It Was Spiked

Years later, Foreman had a theory as to why he lost against Ali on that fateful night. During the fight, his trainer passed him a water bottle and a very thirsty Foreman took a large gulp. Foreman’s first reaction to the water was that it tasted weird. He said it tasted like it had medicine in it. 

Foreman swallowed the water anyway and soon felt the effects. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

32. He Felt Exhausted 

Foreman claimed could still taste the "medicine" in the water he drank as he entered the ring to continue fighting Ali. He also said that, even though the bout was only in the third round, he felt like he was in the 15th. For this reason, he says he lost the fight to Ali. Strangely, Foreman never gave a reason why his own trainer would drug his water. And the alleged spiking had never been confirmed.

Still, Foreman knew he could beat Ali, he just needed a second chance. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

33. He Wanted Revenge

Some days, Foreman wouldn’t mention the spiked water theory and just admit that the night in Zaire just wasn’t his night. He did, however, still want a second chance with Ali. Strangely, Ali avoided arranging a rematch. It could be that Ali believed “rope-a-dope” wouldn’t work twice. Losing to Ali had hit Foreman hard, but he was far from finished.

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

34. He Wanted To Do Something Unheard Of 

After taking a year to lick his wounds, Foreman wanted back in the spotlight. To help fans forget about his loss to Ali, Foreman devised an unheard-of event. He was going to fight five different boxers all in the same night. This plan for his relaunch was spectacular but maybe not very well thought out.

Foreman ended up getting the opposite of what he wanted. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

35. He Chose Poorly

Foreman called this event Foreman vs Five, and its first problem was the choice of opponents. Fans soon realized that Foreman had chosen very inexperienced fighters as his opponents so he could have easy wins. Fans thought this was a cop-out, and when they got to the arena, they made their feelings very clear. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

36. They Booed Him

As Foreman entered the ring at Madison Square Gardens in Toronto, Canada, the crowd was already against him and greeted him with boos. To make matters worse, the spectators began a cruel chant. They started saying ‘Ali, Ali, Ali” to remind Foreman about his humiliation just one year ago. 

But there was something even more humiliating at Madison Square Gardens that day. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

37. His Rival Was There

Providing the ringside comments that evening was sportscaster Howard Cosell. By his side was none other than Foreman’s adversary Mohammad Ali. That’s right, the very man that Foreman was trying to forget was right there with a microphone at his disposal. Things were about to get very difficult for Foreman. 

 Unknown Artist, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

38. He Beat Them All 

Foreman had no problem coming out ahead of his first three opponents. Between them, he would go ringside and take some verbal swipes at Ali. Ali came back by yelling out advice to Foreman’s opponents. Even with Ali on the opposing side, Foreman ended up beating them all, three by knockout. 

Foreman was ready to receive the esteem of boxing fans and the media. But that didn’t happen. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

39. It Wasn’t What He Expected

Foreman vs Five failed to be the vehicle that would bolster Foreman’s popularity. After it, Foreman was maybe even less popular than he’d been before. He knew his life had gone downhill after losing to Ali, and he was beginning to think there was only one way to recover. He had to fight Ali—again.

But getting there would prove to be anything but easy.

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

40. He Went To A Dark Place

On the road to a rematch with Ali, Foreman faced off with Ron Lyle, Joe Frazier and Jimmy Young. Foreman easily took care of Lyle and Frazier, but with Young, he had a problem. Moments after exiting the ring after his unfortunate loss to Young, Foreman had a very scary experience in his dressing room. He was in a dark place where he saw the end of his life right before him. 

There was only one person who could help. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

41. He Talked To God

According to Foreman himself, he had a near-death experience that day. However, in his fear, he turned to God. Even though he was not yet a particularly religious man, Foreman told God that he would hand over his boxing prize money if only he could live. God’s answer took Foreman by surprise. He said that He didn’t want Foreman’s money, He wanted Foreman. Foreman said that Christ filled his body and brought him back to life. 

What followed afterward was miraculous. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

42. He Felt Love

The first thing the born-again Foreman did was take a shower. He then kissed all the people in the change room that were dear to him and told them all that he loved them. This was a huge turning point for the usually aloof Foreman. He was about to make a huge change in his life—a very unexpected change. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

43. He Returned To The Streets

Following his near-death experience after the bout with Young, Foreman became a born-again Christian. He became a minister and without a church, he began his preaching on street corners. Eventually, a church in Houston called Church of the Lord Jesus Christ took Foreman in as their minister. 

But being a minister didn’t mean he was through with boxing. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

44. He Got Back In

Part of Foreman’s work as a minister meant operating a youth center. When the center needed money, Foreman saw this as an opportunity to get back in the ring. It had been 10 years since he’d fought, and he was now 38 and somewhat out of shape. Many thought he was making a big mistake.

The truth would come out in only one place: the boxing ring. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

45. He Was Different This Time

Foreman started winning fights and he even started to lose some extra weight, but there was something else. Foreman seemed unusually happy. The aloofness that had plagued his career seemed to be gone. Strangely enough, Foreman had even given up on getting his rematch with Ali. 

In fact, his new attitude toward Ali became very public. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

46. He Was There For Him

In 1996, a film about Rumble in the Jungle called When We Were Kings, was up for an Academy Award. When the film won for Best Documentary Feature, Foreman and Ali went up on stage. When Ali had a problem with the stairs due to Parkinson’s Disease, it was Foreman who was there to give him a helping hand. 

Foreman seemed to be living an emotionally healthy life. But there was something else that had changed in his life. 

 Das Films, When We Were Kings (1996)

47. He Had Something To Prove 

Foreman went on to have an amazing post-40 career and was out to prove to everyone that age didn’t matter. One thing that Foreman said helped him was having a healthy diet. When a company that made cooking appliances heard this, they made Foreman an offer he couldn't refuse. 

 Ed Schipul, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

48. He Put His Name On It

Salton Inc had made a grill that would reduce the amount of fat in food, and they needed a spokesperson. They wanted Foreman—but not just as the spokesperson. They wanted his name right on the grill. Reports say that Salton Inc paid Foreman $138 million to call their grill The George Foreman Grill.

But it didn’t stop there. 

 Brenda Rocha - Blossom, Shutterstock

49. He Raked It In

Also, because Foreman made 40 percent of the profits of each sale, he earned an astonishing $4.5 million each month when the grill was at its selling peak. Strangely, he made more from the George Foreman Grill than he had ever made from boxing. With his smiling face, Foreman had finally become a popular figure in America. 

He was also popular in his home life. 

 Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

50. He Spread the Love

Throughout his lifetime, Foreman had five wives. From these various partners, he produced a grand total of 12 children. Strangely, all five sons have the same name: George Jr. He did this so all the boys would share each other’s highs and lows. Sadly, his daughter Freeda—who’d become a professional boxer like her Dad—took her own life at the age of 42. 

But there was more to Foreman than just boxing. 

 Triple Threat Television, Foreman (2017)

51. He Was A Triple Threat 

Besides boxing and grilled meat, Foreman’s other ventures include acting and singing. In 1993, Foreman appeared in the Tony Danza-produced sitcom George about a retired boxer who helps kids in trouble. In 2022, he appeared in The Masked Singer under the pseudonym “Venus Fly Trap”. 

It looked like Foreman had done it all. 

 FOX, The Masked Singer (2019 - 2025)

52. He Passed Peacefully

On March 21, 2025, at the age of 76, George Foreman quietly passed away in a Texas hospital surrounded by his loved ones. At this time, his family has chosen not to discuss the details surrounding his demise. 

As a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist, Foreman left this world with an astounding net worth of $300 million—most of which came from a grilling appliance.

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 Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8