A TALE OF TWO GEORGES
KILLER INSTINCT After spending his youth as a street thug in Houston’s dangerous Fifth Ward neighborhood, young Foreman came into boxing with a killer instinct baked into him. He liked to batter opponents and humiliate them. He confessed in his memoir that he would stare at them thinking, “I’m going to kill you.” The more mature Foreman eschewed such vulgar behavior. He was out to win fights, not hand out concussions. Yet the mature Foreman’s lighthearted approach hampered him at times, particularly during his decision loss to Tommy Morrison. He would later say that he had grown to like Morrison and didn’t want to hurt him. And on a few occasions, Foreman had an opponent hurt only to let them off the hook. It appeared the old urge to knock a rival’s head off had been dampened by Foreman’s newfound love of humanity. This was great for him spiritually but may have worked against him in close fights. Winner: 1970s Foreman OPPOSITION No doubt, the 1970s were a golden era for heavyweights, and Foreman competed with the best. Along with Ali, Norton, Lyle, Young and Frazier (twice), Foreman faced such perennial contenders as George Chuvalo, Chuck Wepner and Scott LeDoux. Though the second edition of Foreman was often razzed for fighting so many washed-up journeymen, he did eventually meet some quality fighters, the best being Holyfield. Though he lost in that encounter, Foreman gained some satisfaction in beating Moorer, who’d defeated “The Real Deal.” The Clinton-era Foreman also defeated such solid opponents as Pierre Coetzer and Lou Savarese. Though the judges saw it differently, Foreman also gave a boxing lesson to Shannon Briggs in his final fight, just weeks prior to his
could overdo the ballyhoo. Later he blamed his loss to Holyfield on his spending too much time amusing reporters. “I didn’t know how to turn off the entertainer in me,” he wrote. Still, Holyfield-Foreman raked in $55 million and smashed all previous records for pay-per-view buys. It was Foreman, not Holyfield, who made the fight a must-see event. Since Holyfield was not a hot ticket item, Foreman knew it was up to him to sell the fight. And sell it he did, just as he would do with grills and mufflers. Winner: 1990s Foreman There you have it. Young George was more powerful, with more killer instinct, better opposition and a more impressive title reign, while Foreman redux was superior as far as defense, mental toughness, ringcraft and showmanship. They’re tied at four categories apiece. Of course, comparing 1970s Foreman to 1990s Foreman is just for amusement. They were different men with different strengths and weaknesses. Each was extraordinary. Foreman might be the only fighter who deserves two separate plaques at the International Boxing Hall of Fame, one for his younger self, and one for Foreman part II. Both incarnations of Foreman are worthy of enshrinement. Together, the two combined for one of the most amazing careers in boxing. Because his modesty wouldn’t allow it, there’d be no puffed-up proclamations from Foreman about where he stood among the great ones. He once told author Stephen Brunt that he had no interest in such things. “I liked winning, and I liked what I accomplished,” Foreman said, “but to put my name in there, to mess with Joe Louis and Muhammad and Archie Moore and all those guys, I don’t want anything to do with that.” Too late, George. You are one of the greats. Or maybe we should say two of the greats.
The young Foreman was downright awkward next to a social savant like Muhammad Ali.
Foreman’s second incarnation was a personable showman.
49th birthday. Still, Foreman’s later opponents didn’t compare to the greats he fought the first time around. Winner: 1970s Foreman TITLE REIGN A key to a fighter’s place in history is how he wins the championship and how he performs while he’s the champion. Foreman’s two title wins were both momentous events. His victory over Frazier in Jamaica was one of the most dramatic title changes in boxing history. Contemporary fans may not realize how Foreman’s win sent tremors across the sports world, or how shocking it was to see Foreman, an untested 3½-to-1 underdog, manhandle a phenomenal champion such as Frazier. Foreman followed with an easy first-round KO of Jose Roman in Japan and a two-round dusting of Norton in Venezuela. The way he won these bouts made Foreman seem like a leviathan. That’s why he
And though the 1990s Foreman was a regular face on television, young Foreman was hardly a wallflower, making cameo appearances on NBC’s Sanford and Son (where he was very funny and held his own with series star Redd Foxx), and ABC’s The Six Million Dollar Man. And what about that crazy afternoon in Toronto when Foreman took on five opponents? The press despised the carnival-like atmosphere, and some feared Foreman had lost his mind, but it showed that even back in the 1970s, Foreman was interested in selling himself and being a bit outrageous. Foreman later acknowledged the Toronto event was a misfire. “I meant it in good fun,” he wrote, but added that such a spectacle “was strictly Ali’s domain.” If 1970s Foreman was awkward at winning fans and influencing people, that changed in the 1990s. He became an expert. He played the press like a maestro. It was amazing to see. But even Foreman admitted that he
press saw Foreman not as a dominating champion but as a novelty. Foreman’s first reign may have been brief at 21 months, but it beat the confusing mess of his second term. Winner: 1970s Foreman SELF-PROMOTION This category might seem a landslide victory for late-period Foreman, but 1970s George was no slouch at putting himself over. In fact, when he emerged from the 1968 Summer Olympics, he presented himself as a wholesome character, espousing traditional American values. Even when he became a more truculent character, he occasionally showed a dry wit and could shut journalists down with brusque answers.
was favored over Ali when they fought in Africa. As short as it may have been, Foreman’s first reign as champion was highly impressive. Skip ahead to November 5, 1994, when 45-year-old Foreman KO’d Moorer for the IBF and WBA titles. Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight crown, which was the feel-good story of the year. Yet once the joy faded, Foreman’s second run as a titlist was problematic. His age showed more than ever. He struggled to win close decisions. When Foreman refused the demands of the IBF and WBA, he said goodbye to both alphabet belts. Lucrative fights with Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe and others fell through during negotiations. Despite being the lineal heavyweight king, fans and the
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