George Foreman

The Puncher

• In 1973, George Foreman defeated Smokin’ Joe Frazier for the heavyweight boxing title of the world in just two rounds.  His record before the championship was 37 wins and no losses.
  
  
• In 1974, Foreman lost a match with Muhammad Ali (“The Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire) as well as his heavyweight title.
  
  
• In 1977, working his way back to another match with Ali, Foreman lost a match in Puerto Rico to Jimmy Young.  After that fight, Foreman had a life-changing spiritual experience in his locker room.  He retired shortly afterward to become a Christian evangelist and pastor.
  
  
• Foreman emerged from retirement ten years later, at age 37, with the goal of regaining his championship title.  He lost nearly 100 pounds, trained tirelessly, and acted as his own manager—slowly working his way to the top of the boxing world. 

• Seven years after emerging from retirement, Foreman’s record stood at 27 wins and 2 losses, with both defeats being for the heavyweight championship of the world. 
  
  
• In 1994, George Foreman became the oldest heavyweight boxing champion of all time, at the age of 45.  He defeated Michael Moorer in ten rounds.  After the championship, a Saturday night match, Foreman flew back to Houston to preach the next morning before his small congregation.
  
  
• In 1997, George retired from boxing the second time with a record of 76 wins, 5 losses, 69 knockouts. 

• George Foreman holds the title of boxer with the most time in between one world championship and the next—twenty years.
  
  
• In 2003, George Foreman was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and named the ninth greatest puncher of all time by Ring Magazine.
  
  
• In God in My Corner (available May 2007 from Thomas Nelson), George Foreman writes:
  “Don’t look at yourself as a “has-been.” The issue isn’t your age. Nor does public opinion make much difference. It doesn’t matter what people say about you, because all things are possible with God. All that really matters is what God says about you, and what you think and say about yourself. God can still use you to do great things. But you must first believe that the Lord wants to use you. You must say to yourself, “My best days are still ahead. I can do this.” Always see yourself as a person with a promising future.