How George Foreman transformed from the gruff, brooding bully of the 70s to a beloved hero and icon

Of all the adjectives that could best describe the impact that George Foreman had on professional boxing and popular culture over his 76 years, even his nickname of “Big” doesn’t quite do it justice. 

Foreman (76-5, 68 KOs), who died Friday in a Houston hospital, was larger than life in just about every sense of the word as a boxer, entrepreneur, minister, broadcaster, author and father of 12. Although no cause of death was initially revealed by his family, Foreman leaves behind a multi-tiered legacy full of triumphs, disasters, reinventions and an enduring message of joy, perseverance and inspirational hope. 

As a boxer, Foreman’s legacy is untouchable. He rose from poverty in the segregated south as a junior high school dropout who would go on to become an Olympic gold medalist in 1968 and a two-time heavyweight champion by essentially authoring two Hall-of-Fame careers in one over the span three decades. Foreman also completed one of the greatest comebacks in sports history in 1994 when, at the age of 45, he knocked out Michael Moorer to become the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history. 

If Foreman’s life journey sounds like the perfect script for a Hollywood biographical movie, he’s got one of those, too, with 2023’s “Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World.” And to generations of non-sports fans, Foreman was the celebrity pitchman behind the wildly successful “George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grill Machine,” which sold over 100 million units over three decades and reportedly netted Foreman upwards of $200 million. 

But the true legacy of Foreman, which intersects both his decorated sporting career and the massive impact he had on others, might have come through the dramatic transformation of his heart.

Growing up as a troubled youth as one of six siblings in the Fifth Ward section of Houston, Foreman was deceived by his mother for most of his youth regarding the true identity of his biological father. It was a turning point that not only added to the hard callous forming around Foreman’s heart but it led to him famously naming all five of his sons George so that none would ever be in doubt as to who the identity of their father was. 

It was that anger and bitterness to the rest of the world that paired destructively well with Foreman’s commanding size of a 6-foot-3 muscular frame and fists the size of canned hams to make him one of the most devastating punchers, to this day, that boxing has ever produced.

Foreman learned the ropes early in his professional career by being a sparring partner for former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, who embodied much of the bully personality both inside and out of the ring that Foreman would quickly become known for. As a menacing tank of a man who threw devastating, short punches with very little leverage or extension, Foreman would showcase that power in the two biggest wins of the first half of his career: scoring six knockdowns in a second-round demolition of Joe Frazier to capture the heavyweight title in 1973 and a title defense the following year against future Hall-of-Famer Ken Norton that would end just as quickly. 

But the gruff, resentful version of “Big George” would only have success for so long. Seven months after his knockout of Norton, Foreman succumbed to the rope-a-dope strategy of underdog Muhammad Ali in their 1974 “The Rumble in the Jungle” fight — arguably the most famous bout to ever take place — in the former African nation of Zaire, where an exhausted Foreman was stopped in Round 8. 

Although Foreman would bounce back from the loss by surviving an epic war of knockdowns with Ron Lyle before stopping Frazier in their rematch, it was a 1977 loss to Jimmy Young in Puerto Rico where Foreman’s life and career would forever change. Foreman survived a near-death experience in the locker room after the fight while suffering from exhaustion, heatstroke and hallucinations that would end with Foreman becoming a born-again Christian and retiring from the sport at age 28 to become an ordained minister. 

Ten years later, with his church struggling to keep the lights while badly in need of finances to fund a new youth center, Foreman set forth on a boxing comeback at age 38 that was met with nothing but apprehension and doubt by the general public. The comeback was also not an overnight success as Foreman would lose a 1991 title shot against unified champion Evander Holyfield and a vacant WBO title bout two years later to Tommy Morrison via disputed decision.

By the time Moorer, who upset Holyfield for the unified title, picked Foreman as his next opponent in 1994, it was looked at as a cherry pick of an old and tired name. Foreman, in the 30th bout of his comeback at the age of 45 years and 299 days, would go on to lose every second of their famous bout before stopping Moorer cold in Round 10 with a short and powerful 1-2 combination to dramatically regain the heavyweight crown. Foreman celebrated the upset win by instantly getting on his knees and praying in the corner.

The fact that Foreman defeated Moorer while wearing the exact trunks he donned in the loss to Ali 20 years earlier only added to a full-circle story of redemption that touched the hearts of so many within boxing and the world at large. Foreman had successfully transformed from the angry bully of old to a gregarious and humble salesman who, before turning his attention to peddling cooking grills, had successfully sold the idea to millions that age is just a number and anything is possible if you work hard, don’t give up and truly believe.

The George Foreman of the 1990s became so popular and beloved due to his “joyful grandfather” exterior that he even starred in his own short-lived ABC sitcom in 1993 titled “George” and simultaneously grew into one of the top boxing commentators during his long run on HBO Sports. And even though Foreman could be argumentative at times on air to get his point across, his humanity was always on display, including during the infamous 1996 post-fight brawl between Riddick Bowe and Andrew Golota that saw Foreman take off his headset during the melee and attempt to reason with those trying to enter the ring to stop. 

Foreman, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003, is still ranked (at worst) among the top 10 heavyweights in the sport’s history. Yet, to the millions who adored him and gained inspiration by his story, Foreman will be remembered for so much more. 

Everything George Foreman did, he did it “Big” and it was his big heart, massive smile and self-deprecating ways that made a man formerly known for his gruff exterior so approachable, relatable and, ultimately, unforgettable.

Rest easy, “Big” man.