American professional boxer (1949–2025)
He knocked out Joe Frazier to take the heavyweight crown at 24, lost it to Ali in Zaire, then came back two decades later — at 45 — and knocked out a man half his age to reclaim it. The oldest heavyweight champion in history also made more from a kitchen grill than he ever did in the ring.
After a troubled childhood, Foreman won heavyweight gold at the 1968 Summer Olympics and turned pro the next year. In 1973 he demolished the undefeated Joe Frazier in two rounds to become world champion, defended twice, then lost the title to Muhammad Ali in "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974. He retired in 1977 after a loss to Jimmy Young, became an ordained Christian minister following what he called a born again experience, and stayed out of the ring for a decade. He announced a comeback in 1987, and in 1994 — at age 45 — knocked out 26-year-old Michael Moorer to reclaim the unified heavywe…
Sourced, dated quotes from George Foreman
My life is much more than boxing — I've been knocked out more outside the ring than in the ring.
In boxing, I had a lot of fear. Fear was good. But, for the first time, in the bout with Muhammad Ali, I didn't have any fear. I thought, "This is easy.
It was like fighting a billy-goat, butt and run. I was saved by the jab. No jab and we would have lost it.
I don't even think about a retirement program because I'm working for the Lord, for the Almighty.
I want to keep fighting because it is the only thing that keeps me out of the hamburger joints. If I don't fight, I'll eat this planet.
The six component signals behind the Fame score, and their ranks across the leaderboards.
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