Ringside Report Looks Back at Former Two Time Heavyweight Champion “Big” George Foreman Part I
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By Vinny “Glory Days” Lucci
There is an old boxing axiom which says, “Where goes the heavyweight division so goes boxing.” The simplistic meaning that with a dominant king on the heavyweight throne the world will follow in his footsteps as nothing captures the imagination better than a big man who can rule it. Juxtaposed, a lucky substitute who merely was at the right place at the right time will have fans marking their calendars for proposed length of stay before execution. History has shown us that when Sugar Ray Robinson beguiled every boxing fan while his “greatest of all time” tenure was in session; Joe Louis had every captivated the world’s attention regardless whether you followed the sport or not. Fast forward a few decades and Sugar Ray Leonard’s dazzling dominance still took a back seat to the wunderkind named Larry Holmes.
Of a special note, every generation has been treated to one heir extent who were so alarmingly stronger than the opponents on their hit parade it almost seemed unfair making the matches. Jack Johnson, Max Baer, Rocky Marciano and Sonny Liston were all feared demigods in the religion of power. The archaic assembly line of destruction eventually gave rise to one particular brute who most historians still believe is the hardest puncher to ever climb the three ring steps to mayhem. Enter “Big” George Foreman.”
Still signing autographs, the now 71-year-old icon from Marshall Texas is still the most recognized face of his illustrious division’s history. Ask fans and their ladies who George was and they will regale you in stories of splendor of his most epic battles. Many of the same brethren don’t know or care about today’s crop of super giants or care for their game of musical chairs every time someone makes a defense.
Foreman was raised in the Fifth Ward of Houston Texas which was a hard-working neighborhood blending of both Caucasians and Blacks at its inception. With the misappropriation of tax money allocated for municipalities the decades wore its fabric into a ghetto where young men get swallowed up by the streets often exchanging their names for shirt numbers. Young George dropped out of high school at 15 and was destined to become another statistic as the only available livelihood afforded the Ward’s youth were street crimes and Big George used his intimidating size to mug people. The following year George had a revelation after seeing a commercial for Job Corps and hounded his Mom to sign him up. The gesture turned out to be more of a life changing event as George found the inspiration behind hard work and began to apply it in his life. First up was earning his GED and then took up both carpentry and masonry as an admirable trade. Next move would be to greener pastures where George cut loose and moved to Pleasanton, California where under proper supervision he found his true calling inside a boxing ring.
In 1967 Foreman embarked on an amateur career that saw him quickly win the Las Vegas Golden Gloves and go on to win the National Boxing Championships which took him to the Olympics the following year. George won the gold medal in the Mexico City Olympic Games by crucifying the Soviet Union’s Jonas Cepulis in which the referee stopped the contest in the second round after already having issued a standing eight count to the bloody Lithuanian. Cepulis was a seasoned veteran in the amateur ranks being ten years Foreman’s senior and having participated in over 220 bouts. The notoriety closed the door on Foreman’s amateur career with a modest ledger of 22-4, but not before leaving the arena with the indelible image of him pulling out a tiny hand sized American flag and bowing in all four corners of the ring.
Big George entered the professional ranks in 1969 starting his meteoric ascension into the Ali/Frazier era with 13 wins, 11 coming by way of knockout. Incredibly the media was not focusing on the young man with granite knuckles who had given rise to the greatest era in heavyweight history. George spent the next two years wisely fighting useful opponents whose names are long forgotten among the galaxy of stars as he learned his trade. Fighting inside that duration Foreman would fight once a month all over the United States with Boone Kirkman, Gregorio Peralta and George Chuvalo his toughest tests on paper. His undefeated record of 37-0, 33 KO’s guaranteed him mandatory contender status for Joe Frazier’s undisputed crown. Frazier himself was undefeated but had worked himself up the ranks through the cream of the division minus stablemate and good friend Ken Norton.
With Muhammad Ali’s name on Frazier’s resume the well-established and beloved champion was instilled the favorite at “3 ½ to 1” Las Vegas betting odds. Making his fifth defense of title Frazier’s style was simply all wrong for the steel colossus in front of him. Frazier conceded four inches in height and over five inches in reach. His compact style of fighting out of a fireplug crouch allowed him win the first two minutes of round one until he made the fatal mistake of fighting tall and giving his adversary his head as a stationary target. Joe was quickly knocked down, again and again. Round two was a carbon copy with a prideful Frazier relentless picking himself up off the canvass three more times until hall of fame referee Arthur Mercante mercifully halted the execution which ushered in the Foreman reign of terror, and put Kingston Jamaica on the map. Foreman who idolized former champion Sonny Liston and sparred with him on several occasions had adopted the scowl of his hero and learned to intimidate his adversaries with the eyes of a predator and few words.
Foreman was now afforded the luxury of a rest for the first time in his career and took a seven-month hiatus while enjoying the celebrity of his new found status as undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. First up would be a sacrificial lamb disguised as a contender with a fifty-bout record named Jose “King” Roman. Foreman went after his adversary at the opening bell and gave up any pretense of boxing, electing to go to the body with a two-fisted assault that resembled a wrecking ball slammed against a tenement quickly collapsing it unto itself. Joe was knocked down three times and counted out at the two-minute mark of first round having landed only a single punch amid his own slaughter.
Foreman was criticized for taking a fourteen-month layoff before traveling to Caracas Venezuela to defend against the formidable challenge of number one contender Ken Norton. While Foreman was the slight favorite many gambling parlors were whispering an upset was possible as Ken matched up well to the champion in physical stature but was considered on another level in boxing abilities having gone 24 rounds with Muhammad Ali and a long-time sparring partner for Joe Frazier. The reality of how powerful the young champion truly was about to be put on display for the world’s amusement leaving no doubt that Frazier wasn’t damaged goods but simply was thrown under the Foreman express.
Ken stood eye to eye to George with same reach. Ali had predicted ringside Norton would expose George as a mindless robotic puncher and school him in route to dethroning the perceived one-dimensional fighter. The first round was rather even with both men landing. Kenny circles to his left behind a stiff jab and lead left hooks, occasionally landing one of his patented right hands. George played stalker constantly cutting off the ring making the challengers oval pattern a bit smaller on every clockwise pass. The difference in the boxer’s faces told the real story. Foreman’s steely stare was like his limo was parked out back in a no parking zone and Kenny had the bewildered look of disbelief every time he tasted leather. In the second round after a brief one and only clinch Norton threw a lead left hook that Foreman countered. The challenger lost presence of mind to keep moving taking momentum out of the champions wheel house becoming stationary and squared up inside the pocket. Foreman stunned Norton with a quick one-two that backed the challenger to the ropes and followed with four brutal right uppercuts that felled his adversary. Ken got up showing his resolve and took mandatory 8 count. In an instant Foreman was on him again sending him to the canvass where he was half entangled in the ropes which held him up. In the excitement referee Jimmy Rondeau failed to call it a knockdown and the carnage continued with Foreman instantly sending Norton to the canvass yet again. The challenger managed to rise on new born legs with glazed eyes at the count of nine. With Foreman inches away instead of a neutral corner and Kenny’s cornermen entering the ring the point of continuing was mute as Rondeau stopped the contest at two minute mark of second round leaving no doubt the division had an assassin that Muhammad Ali never dreamed of in his darkest nightmares as he was guaranteed a shot at the winner.
As a child George was raised by J.D. Foreman who married George’s mother when he was a small child. His biological father Leroy Moorehead become a forgotten footnote in Foreman’s legacy as his star now rose to mythical heights.
The Don King promoted ‘Rumble in the Jungle” was hosted in Kinshasa Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) on October 29, 1974 with Ali arriving early to train there ahead of schedule. He used the time wisely to tour the second largest country in Africa and endear himself to its people. Ali would do his road work with hundreds of followers running alongside him chanting “Ali Boom aye!” which means, “Ali kill him,” in Lingala. Ever the showman Muhammad would stir the crowds to fever pitch to the point the masses were against Big George before he ever stepped foot off the plane.
The fight had to be postponed when George sustained a cut on his eyebrow during sparring in the first week. His training camp had to cease sparring in fear the wound would reopen giving Ali precious time to sharpen his boxing skills. On fight night Ali had the live audience frantic with screaming overtures of “Ali Boom aye” echoing through the rafters of the “Stade du 20 Mai,” (May 20 Stadium) 80,000 strong. George entered the ring with a perfect 40-0 ledger as the undisputed WBA/WBC heavyweight champion of the world and the perceived villain of Shakespearean proportions. After the first round in which Muhammad used his speed and boxing skills, he decided to deploy a never before seen tactic which will forever be known as the “rope-a-dope.” Muhammad used every second of every round lying back on the ropes in a shell trying to deflect the murderous power shots and tire Foreman out while he continually picked away at his chin from inside the smothering onslaught. The truth has never been established whether Ali was forced to play Russian Roulette against Foreman’s sledge hammers or if this was orchestrated by design. Ali’s trainer Angelo Dundee could be heard screaming all night to “get off the ropes,” yet he is credited with having loosened the ring ropes hours before the first bell so Ali could lean back and take steam out of George’s haymakers. Either way, the tactic worked round after round as George’s persistent brutal assault rained in from two fisted thunder. George was unable to land the head shots he used to dispatch Ali’s best contemporaries Frazier and Norton but did bend Muhammad in half with body shots throughout the fight.
Ali would use every mind game in his arsenal often pulling down on George’s neck making him use precious strength to constantly free himself and continually whisper disparaging declarations in his ear like “Is that all you got George, you hit like a bitch.” Oddly referee Zach Clayton never warned the challenger about the constant fouls. By the sixth round Ali could sense his plan was working and knew Foreman was punching himself out. In the final seconds of the 8th round Ali as usual was pinned in a neutral corner fending off blows but now they simply had no sting or weight on them. Ali countered with a stinging right hand that hit George on the jaw. The challenger threw a combo of two sneaky right hands as Foremen leaned in catching him on the back of the head. Muhammad slid out of the corner to his left and exploded a four-punch salvo where he hit his target but capped off the final blow with a crippling right hand to the jaw which sent the off-balance champion pirouetting 180 degrees in midair until his back found the canvass. Zack Clayton reached the ten count as Foreman who had been watching his corner for the count finally made it to his feet ushering in the second reign of Ali. To this day it is still practically inconceivable how Ali endured so much punishment in 90-degree heat just to set the trap and turn the tables in what was the biggest heavyweight upset at the time.
Keep your eye out for part two: The comeback, sabbatical and resurrection of Big George Foreman.
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