Sports

Boxing great, grill entrepreneur and priest  

The careers of George Foreman, who passed away on Sunday, and the late Muhammad Ali were forever intertwined because of the memorable Rumble in the Jungle bout. Rivals in the boxing ring, friends outside of it – Ali and Foreman had one commonality – a vibrant life outside of boxing. Ali’s fame transcended the ring after he refused to be drafted into the US military for the Vietnam War and his conversion to Islam. But Foreman too went through multiple transformations and was viewed the American public as more than just a heavy hitter.
1 – George Foreman’s Pro boxing record stoods at 76-5 (68 wins knockouts, 1 loss knockout).
89.5% – George Foreman’s 68 career knockouts meant that he had an 89.5% knockout ratio. That number cements him as one of the hardest-hitting boxers in the hory of the sport. Foreman’s knockout ratio is better than Muhammad Ali’s (66.07%) and edges out Mike Tyson’s too (88%).
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20 – George Foreman has the record for the longest gap in title reigns. His first title came in 1973 and then he reclaimed his crown once again in 1994.
From boxer to priest: Before he started to box professionally, Foreman was known to commit crimes on the street as a teenager. Once he turned to boxing, he found instant success. But then a near-death experience in 1977, when he felt like he was going to die after a fight against Jimmy Young in Puerto Rico, saw the puncher turn to religion and put him on the path to becoming a Chrian miner. 
Grill ‘salesman’: Foreman may have fought more than most heavyweights ever do in their career but a majority of his money came from giving the rights of his name to a product. The George Foreman grill became a staple in American homes and the boxer reportedly made $138 million from selling his name’s rights.
5 George Foreman’s: George Foreman had 12 children. All of the five boys were named George Edward Foreman because the boxer felt his sons would carry his legacy forward.Story continues below this ad
Oldest heavyweight champion 
1968 Olympic Games: At 15, after a life on the streets, Foreman took to boxing and immediately made a mark. He was part of the United States of America team and won heavyweight gold defeating the USSR in the final. In an Olympic Games memorable for the Black Power Salute Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Foreman running around the ring with a USA flag made him the opposing answer to the Black National label that Ali had to contend with for most of his career.
Destruction of Frazier: Joe Frazier’s iconic trilogy with Ali had given him the status of a great boxer. But in his 1973 showdown with Foreman, who at the time had over 30 fights without a loss, Frazier was taken apart. Foreman knocked his storied opponent down six times within two rounds and the referee finally took Frazier out of the bout and presided over one of the most lopsided, high-profile heavyweight boxing title fights in the sport’s hory.
Age, just a number: After being out of the sport for over a decade in 1987, at 38, Foreman returned back to boxing. He made hory when he became the heavyweight champion of the world again at the age of 45 beating Michael Moorer and then defended his crown three times before losing in his final professional bout to Shannon Briggs.
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