What Was George Foreman’s Record?

At Big Fight Weekend, we are looking forward to the release of the much anticipated George Foreman biopic, set to be released in theatres on April 28. In preparation for its opening, we decided to examine the fight record of the Texas-born heavyweight, including some memorable highlights.

Big Fight Weekend Examines George Foreman’s Record

🤯 @GeorgeForeman did the unthinkable against Michael Moorer. pic.twitter.com/pOLisYdTXa

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) April 13, 2023

George Foreman’s Record

George Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas, on January 10, 1949. The Birth of Foreman was the start of a miraculous story that saw him navigate through a difficult childhood before discovering a love of boxing. Once he turned professional, “Big George” raced to a 40-0 record, including some impressive wins. Early in his career, he was renowned as a talented power puncher who knocked out many opponents, especially in those first 40 contests. 

Ken Norton and Joe Frazier

On January 22, 1973, Foreman went up against Smokin’ Joe Frazier, in what was dubbed The Sunshine Showdown in Kingston, Jamaica. It was an unexpectedly one-sided fight, with Foreman dominating Frazier with his come-forward style and brilliantly effective power punch combinations, which affected Frazier, who seemed uneasy on his feet after the first two knockdowns. Foreman ultimately won the fight by knocking down his opponent six times in the opening two rounds before the referee waved off the contest, awarding “Big George” a thoroughly deserved victory.

Also Read: 15 George Foreman Quotes That Highlight His Legacy

A little over a year later, Foreman put his WBA, WBC, and Ring heavyweight titles on the line – against one of the toughest fighters in the heavyweight division, Ken Norton. The Jacksonville-born fighter had previously scored a stunning victory over Muhammad Ali on March 31, 1973. Norton’s unorthodox, punch-from-below style gave Ali problems from the first bell. He constantly threw jabs from his waist, which Ali struggled to deal with, and resulted in Norton stunning the boxing world, winning via a 12-round split decision. Foreman proved too strong for his opponent and won the fight via TKO in the second round. His power proved too much for Norton, who was overwhelmed and on the verge of being seriously injured by the power of “Big George.” Beating Norton and Frazier had led to Foreman knocking out 37 opponents on the way to a 40-0 record.

Rumble in the Jungle

On October 30, 1974, arguably the most memorable boxing event in history occurred as the “Rumble in the Jungle” happened, with unbeaten Foreman taking on the legend Muhammad Ali. “Big George” was favoured by many due to his destruction of Norton and Frazier. But Ali showed exceptional speed from early on, which Foreman struggled to deal with. Ali adopted the much-famed rope-a-dope tactics, which involved him retreating to the slack ropes, which helped negate the vicious power from Foreman’s body shots. Ali wanted to take Foreman into the later rounds to tire the Texan heavyweight, and these tactics worked.

Also Read: 5 of the Biggest George Foreman Knockouts

By the middle of the contest, Foreman began to tire, and Ali left behind his rope-a-dope tactics to pummel Foreman with some heavy shots to the head. Ali won the fight with an eye-catching combination of left hooks and straight rights, which sent Foreman down for the first time in his career, and ultimately bought him his first defeat. Controversy ensued after the fight, with “Big George” claiming he was given a quick count by the referee. This theory was quickly disproved as when later examined, it became clear Foreman was on the canvas for approximately 11–12 seconds.

The Most Miraculous of Comebacks

After losing a unanimous points decision to Jimmy Young, Foreman experienced a spiritual awakening, which led to him retiring from boxing. He returned to the ring ten years later, racking up several easy KO wins. He looked slow and ponderous, but his punches still clearly carried power and plenty of spite. Foreman eventually earned a title shot against Evander Holyfield. His power troubled Holyfield, but “Big George” was outworked over 12 rounds by his younger opponent, who won via a unanimous decision.

Also Read: George Foreman Pummels Ken Norton

Following a defeat to Tommy Morrison, it appeared that the end was near for Foreman. However, there was to be one more miraculous twist for the Texas-born heavyweight. “Big George” wanted one last crack at the heavyweight title, and he got it, as he challenged Michael Moorer for the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. Moorer was incredibly efficient throughout the ten rounds, using his jab brilliantly and impressed with his shot selection.

Also Read: The 10 Most Memorable George Foreman Fights

Foreman was bruised and seemingly beaten in the 10th round before he landed a spiteful, thudding right hand that broke through Moorer’s guard, sending him crashing to the canvas – giving him a miraculous victory and making him at 45, the oldest world champion in the history of boxing. “Big George” retired at 48 following a controversial split decision defeat against Shannon Briggs, with a professional record of 76-5 from 81 fights, winning an incredible 68 by knockout.