A GENTLE GIANT
In his first contest, Foreman defeated Polish southpaw Lucjan Trela, then took care of Romania’s Ion Alexe. In the semi-final, George was matched with the favorite, Giorgio Bambini of Italy. It was in round two that Foreman stopped the Italian with a tremendous right to the head. Then it was into the final against Russia’s Ionas Chepulis, who was defeated in two rounds when the referee halted matters due to the battering being taken by the Russian. [Editor’s note: Chepulis was from Lithuania, part of the Soviet Union at the time.] Then it was that George Foreman won his way into the hearts of his countrymen. At the medal presentation, Foreman began waving a miniature American flag, a patriotic gesture which thrilled millions back home who were watching on television. George’s display was the direct opposite of that put on by a few black militants at the Mexico City Games. “I did it, first because I’m an American,” explained George. “Second, because I’m George Foreman, and third because I was proud to be representing my country. I had on this old robe that I still wear that says on the back ‘George Foreman, The Fighting Corpsman.’ It was given to me by Doc Broadus. In the pockets I had my lucky beads and a little American flag. After the finals I just pulled out the little American flag. People saw it and applauded, so I waved it around. I didn’t look at it as a protest or anti-protest. It was just the way I felt at that moment.” Just as the Job Corps changed his life, so did the Olympic victory. Foreman decided to turn to professional boxing and signed with Dick Sadler, an old vaudeville song-and-dance man, who was very knowledgeable and had worked with such boxers as Archie Moore, Sonny Liston, Freddie Little and
Charley Shipes. It was on June 23, 1969, that Foreman made his pro debut. It was a preliminary bout at New York’s Madison Square Garden on the Joe Frazier-Jerry Quarry card. Foreman disposed of Don Waldhelm in three rounds. Six more quick kayos followed, among them a three-round stoppage of Chuck Wepner. “The title belongs to the people, not the individual.” It was on October 31 that George was taken the full distance for the first time, winning a decision from Roberto Davila in eight rounds in New York. Three more knockouts followed before George decisioned Levi Forte in 10 sessions at Miami Beach. Foreman closed out 1969 with a one-round stoppage of Gary Wilder, giving him 13 victories in his first pro year. George began 1970 with knockouts of Charley Polite and Jack O’Halloran before going the 10-round distance with Gregorio Peralta, a tough hombre from Argentina. Since then, Foreman has scored 22 straight knockouts including the Frazier bout – thus the Peralta bout was the last time George has gone the scheduled distance. All three contests, oddly enough, took place in New York. [Editor’s note: As mentioned earlier, one of those three decision wins took place in Florida.] George scored 12 times in ’70, among his other victims being James J. Woody in three; George Johnson in seven; George Chuvalo in three; and Boone Kirkman in two. Slowing down a bit in 1971, George was sent to the well by Sadler on seven occasions. His KO victims were Charlie Boston, Stamford Harris, Gregorio Peralta, Vic Scott, Leroy Caldwell, Ollie Wilson and Luis Pires. Peralta, who was
halted in the tenth, was the only one to last beyond four rounds. In 1972, Foreman racked up five two-round kayos, victimizing Joe Murphy Gordwin, Clarence Boone, Ted Gullick, Miguel Paez and Terry Sorrell. Thus, Frazier, in January of this year became Foreman’s sixth straight two- round kayo victim. George’s father, J.D., and his mother, Nancy, both live in Houston. George, who loves animals and likes to train dogs, recently became the proud father of a little girl named Michi, born to his wife, Adrienne, in Minneapolis. George and Adrienne met on a blind date two years ago. Foreman makes his home in Hayward, Calif., where Sadler also resides. George also has a home in Minneapolis, his wife’s hometown. Archie Moore, one of Foreman’s advisors and handlers, predicted Foreman would stop Frazier. Ol’ Arch says, “George is an excellent fighter. He just needs a little smoothing out.” Madison Square Garden matchmaker Teddy Brenner says, “Foreman is probably the strongest heavyweight champion since Sonny Liston. He’s stronger than Joe Louis. He doesn’t punch like Louis, but he’s stronger.” It is true that Foreman is a clubber. He wears his opponents down. Every punch George lands is a hurting punch. He’s game, very strong and he’s young. Scaling 6-3 and weighing in the neighborhood of 220, Foreman possesses a reach of 78½. If size, strength and determination alone are the vital factors, then George Foreman will be the heavyweight king for many years to come. George’s thoughts on the heavyweight title itself are very interesting. He knows he can’t hold it forever. “The title belongs to the people, not the individual,” he says. “When it’s my time to go, I’ll exit smiling.” If George keeps on fighting the way he did against Frazier, he’ll be around long after the other current pretenders are long gone.
The previously unbeaten Joe Frazier couldn’t withstand Foreman’s bombs.
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