| George Foreman | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
George in 2009 |
||||||||||
| Statistics | ||||||||||
| Real name | George Edward Foreman | |||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Big George The Heywood Giant[1] |
|||||||||
| Rated at | Heavyweight | |||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | |||||||||
| Reach | 82 in (208 cm) | |||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||
| Born | January 10, 1949 Marshall, Texas, United States |
|||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||
| Total fights | 81 | |||||||||
| Wins | 76 | |||||||||
| Wins by KO | 68 | |||||||||
| Losses | 5 | |||||||||
| Draws | 0 | |||||||||
| No contests | 0 | |||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||
George Edward Foreman (nicknamed "Big George"[2]) (born January 10, 1949) is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur. He is credited as being one of the hardest hitters in boxing history.
His most notable fights in his early career were his knockout (TKO-2) against Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica, on January 22, 1973 and his loss to Muhammad Ali (KO by 8) in "The Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974. He later became the oldest man to win a world championship when, at age 45, Foreman knocked out (KO-10) Michael Moorer, age 26, on November 5, 1994 to reclaim the title he held more than 20 years earlier. Foreman remains the oldest heavyweight, as Bernard Hopkins won the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship at age 46 in 2011. He has been named one of the 25 greatest fighters of all time by Ring magazine.[3] He is now a successful businessman and an ordained Christian minister who has his own church.
Foreman is ranked #9 on Ring magazine's list of "100 greatest punchers of all time". He is also well-known for the George Foreman Grill.
Contents |
George Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas. He grew up in the Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas, with six siblings.[4] Although reared by J.D. Foreman, whom his mother had married when George was a small child, his biological father was Leroy Moorehead. Foreman was interested in football and idolized Jim Brown, but gave it up for boxing. He won a gold medal in the boxing/heavyweight division at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. By his own admission in his autobiography George was a troubled youth.
Foreman had an amateur record of 22-4, losing twice to Clay Hodges (also defeated by Max Briggs in his first ever fight). Foreman turned professional in 1969 with a three-round knockout of Donald Walheim in New York. He had a total of 13 fights that year, winning all of them (11 by knockout).
In 1970, Foreman continued his march toward the undisputed heavyweight title, winning all 12 of his bouts (11 by knockout). Among the opponents he defeated were Gregorio Peralta, whom he decisioned at Madison Square Garden although Peralta gave a very good account of himself and showed George was vulnerable to fast counter punching mixed with an assertive boxing style. But the boxing world shuddered when George Chuvalo, was defeated by technical knockout (TKO) in three rounds. After this impressive win, Foreman defeated Charlie Polite in four rounds and Boone Kirkman in three.
In 1971, Foreman won seven more fights, winning all of them by knockout, including a rematch with Peralta, whom he defeated by knockout in the tenth and final round in Oakland, California, and a win over Leroy Caldwell, who was knocked out in the second round. After amassing a record of 32–0 (29 KO), Foreman was ranked as the number one challenger by the WBA and WBC.
In 1972, still undefeated, and with an impressive knockout record, Foreman was set to challenge undefeated and undisputed world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier. Despite boycotting a title elimination caused by the vacancy resulting from the championship being stripped from Muhammad Ali, Frazier had won the title from Jimmy Ellis and defended his title four times since, including a 15-round unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Ali in 1971 after Ali had beaten Oscar Bonavena and Jerry Quarry. Despite Foreman's superior size and reach, he was not expected to beat Frazier[5] and was a 3:1 underdog going into the fight.
The Sunshine Showdown took place on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica, with Foreman dominating the fight to win the championship by technical knockout in one of boxing's biggest upsets. In HBO Boxing's first broadcast, the call made by Howard Cosell became one of the most memorable in all of sports: "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!" Before the fight Frazier was 29–0 (25 KO) and Foreman was 37–0 (34 KO). Frazier was knocked down six times by Foreman within two rounds, with the three knockdowns rule being waived for this bout. After the second knockdown, Frazier's balance and mobility were impaired to the extent that he was unable to evade Foreman's combinations. Frazier managed to get to his feet for all six knockdowns, but referee Arthur Mercante eventually called an end to the one-sided bout.
Foreman was sometimes characterized by the media as an aloof and antisocial champion.[6] According to them, he always seemed to wear a sneer and was not often available to the press. Foreman would later attribute his demeanor during this time as an emulation of Sonny Liston, for whom he had been an occasional sparring partner.
Nevertheless, Foreman went on to defend his title successfully twice during his initial reign as champion. His first defense, in Tokyo, pitted him against Puerto Rican heavyweight champion José Roman. Roman was not regarded as a top contender, and it took Foreman only 2 minutes to end the fight, one of the fastest knockouts in a heavyweight championship bout.
Foreman's next defense was against a much tougher opponent. In 1974, in Caracas, Venezuela, he faced the highly regarded hall-of-famer Ken Norton who was 30–2, a boxer notorious for his awkward crossed-arm boxing style with crab-like defense plus heavy punch (a style Foreman would emulate in his second comeback), who had broken the jaw of Muhammad Ali while defeating Ali on points a year earlier. Norton had a good chin, never in trouble as such against Ali in two matches. He'd nearly won the second. Although nerves were known to make his determination suspect at times against really heavy hitters. But in an astonishing display of controlled aggression and punching power, Foreman picked his moment after staying out of range of a long offense and decked Ken with more or less his first real big punch he threw near the end of the first round. Norton rose on wobbly legs but clearly wasn't recovered for round two whereby he was down three times and stopped. "Ken was awesome when he got going. I didn't want him to get into the fight," George said when interviewed years later.
George had cruised past two of the top names in the rankings. The stunning win made Foreman an impressive 40–0 with 37 knockouts.
Foreman's next title defense, against Muhammad Ali, was historic. During the summer of 1974, Foreman traveled to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to defend his title against Ali. The bout was promoted as The Rumble in the Jungle.
During training in Zaire, Foreman suffered a cut above his eye, forcing postponement of the match for a month. The injury affected Foreman's training regimen, as it meant he couldn't spar in the build-up to the fight and risk the cut being re-opened. He later commented: "That was the best thing that happened to Ali when we were in Africa—the fact that I had to get ready for the fight without being able to box."[7] Foreman would later also claim he was drugged by his trainer prior to the bout.[8] Ali used this time to tour Zaire, endearing himself to the public while taunting Foreman at every opportunity. Foreman was favored, having knocked out both Joe Frazier and Ken Norton within two rounds.
When Foreman and Ali finally met in the ring, Ali began more aggressively than expected, outscoring Foreman with superior punching speed. This was deliberate to unsettle Foreman. However, he quickly realized that this approach required him to move much more than Foreman and would cause him to tire. Ali was never conventional stylewise. In the second round, Ali retreated to the ropes, shielding his head and hitting Foreman in the face at every opportunity. Foreman dug vicious body punches into Ali's sides; however, it quickly became clear that Foreman was unable to land a clean punch to Ali's head. The ring ropes, being much looser than usual, allowed Ali to lean back and away from Foreman's wild swings and then maul him in a clinch, forcing Foreman to expend much extra energy untangling himself. Ali also pushed down on Foreman's neck, getting away with a move the referee is expected to discourage. To this day, it is unclear whether Ali's pre-fight talk of using speed and movement against Foreman had been just a diversionary trick, or whether his use of what became known as the "Rope-a-dope" tactic was an improvisation necessitated by Foreman's constant pressure.
In either case, Ali was able to counter off the ropes with blows to the face, and was able to penetrate Foreman's defense. As the early rounds passed, Ali continued to take heavy punishment to the body, and occasionally a hard jolt to the head, but Foreman could not land his best punches directly on Ali's chin. Eventually, Foreman began to tire and his punches became increasingly wild, losing power in the process. An increasingly confident Ali taunted Foreman throughout the bout. "You picked the wrong place to get tired," he'd whisper. But Foreman's corner would tell him to "keep hitting Ali, he's tiring", which was not true; Ali had great reserves. Late in the eighth round, Ali began landing unreturned punches and sprang off the ropes with a sudden big flurry to Foreman's head, punctuated by a hard right cross that landed flush on Foreman's jaw. Foreman was definitely stunned and fell. He managed to regain his feet by the count of 8, but with a glazed look, and the referee waved the fight over. Foreman later said that he was not hurt but more shocked that an opponent had knocked him down, which had never previously happened to him. . It was Foreman's first defeat, and Muhammad Ali remains the only boxer ever to defeat him by knockout.
Foreman would later reflect that "it just wasn't my night." Though he sought one, he was unable to secure a rematch with Ali. It has been suggested in some quarters that Ali was ducking Foreman, as had rematches Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, and also fought low ranked opponents such as Chuck Wepner, Richard Dunn and Jean Pierre Coopman.[9] Ali on the other hand would never commit to a rematch, preferring to talk about retirement or make fights with lowly ranked fighters like Richard Dunn or Alfredo Evaneglista.
Foreman remained inactive during 1975. In 1976, he announced a comeback and stated his intention of securing a rematch with Ali. His first opponent was to be Ron Lyle, who had been defeated by Muhammad Ali in 1975, via 11-th round TKO. At the end of the first round, Lyle landed a hard left that sent Foreman staggering across the ring. In the second round, Foreman pounded Lyle against the ropes and might have scored a KO, but due to a timekeeping error the bell rang with a minute still remaining in the round , and Lyle survived. In the third, Foreman pressed forward, with Lyle waiting to counter off the ropes. In the fourth, a brutal slugfest erupted. A cluster of power punches from Lyle sent Foreman to the canvas. When Foreman got up, Lyle staggered him again, but just as Foreman seemed finished he retaliated with a hard right to the side of the head, knocking down Lyle. Lyle beat the count, then landed another brutal combination, knocking Foreman down for the second time. Again, Foreman beat the count. Foreman said later that he had never been hit so hard in a fight and remembered looking down at the canvas and seeing blood. In the fifth round, both fighters continued to ignore defense and traded their hardest punches looking crude. Each man staggered the other and each seemed almost out on his feet. Then, as if finally tired, Lyle stopped punching and Foreman delivered a dozen unanswered blows until Lyle collapsed. Lyle remained on the canvas and was counted out giving Foreman the KO victory. The fight was named by The Ring as "The Fight Of The Year."
For his next bout, Foreman chose to face Joe Frazier in a rematch. Because of the one-sided Foreman victory in their first fight, and the fact that Frazier had taken a tremendous amount of punishment from Ali in Manila a year earlier, few expected him to win. Frazier at this point was 32–3 and Foreman was 41–1. Surprisingly, the 2nd Foreman-Frazier fight was fairly competitive for its duration, as Frazier used quick head movements to make Foreman miss with his hardest punches. Frazier's health was deteriorating at this point and was wearing a contact lens for his vision which was knocked loose during the bout. After being unable to mount a significant offense, however, Frazier was eventually floored twice by Foreman in the fifth round and the fight was stopped. Next, Foreman knocked out Scott Ledoux in three and Dino Dennis in four to finish the year.
1977 would prove to be a life changing year for Foreman. After knocking out Pedro Agosto in four rounds at Pensacola, Florida, Foreman flew to Puerto Rico a day before the fight without giving himself time to acclimatise. His opponent was the skilled boxer Jimmy Young, who had beaten Ron Lyle and lost a very controversial decision to Muhammad Ali the previous year. Foreman fought cautiously early on, allowing Young to settle into the fight. Young constantly complained about Foreman pushing him, for which Foreman eventually had a point deducted by the referee, although Young was never warned for his persistent holding. Foreman badly hurt Young in round 7 but was unable to land a finishing blow. Foreman tired during the second half of the fight and even suffered a flash knockdown in round 12 en route to losing a decision.
Foreman became ill in his dressing room after the fight. He was suffering from exhaustion and heatstroke and believed he had a near death experience. He claimed he found himself in a hellish, frightening place of nothingness and despair. He began to plead with God to help him. He explained that he sensed God asking him to change his life and ways. After this experience, Foreman became a born-again Christian, dedicating his life for the next decade to God. Although he did not formally retire from boxing, Foreman stopped fighting, became an ordained minister of a church[10] in Houston, Texas, and devoted himself to his family and his congregation. He also opened a youth center[11] that bears his name. Foreman continues to share his conversion experience on Christian television broadcasts such as The 700 Club and the Trinity Broadcasting Network, and would later joke that Young had knocked the devil out of him.
In 1987, after 10 years away from the ring, Foreman surprised the boxing world by announcing a comeback at the age of 38. In his autobiography he stated that his primary motive was to raise money to fund the youth center he had created. His stated ambition was to fight Mike Tyson.[12] For his first fight, he went to Sacramento, California, where he beat journeyman Steve Zouski by a knockout in four rounds. Foreman weighed 267 lb (121 kg) for the fight, and looked badly out of shape. Although many thought his decision to return to the ring was a mistake, Foreman countered that he had returned to prove that age was not a barrier to people achieving their goals (as he would say later, he wanted to show that age 40 is not a "death sentence"). He won four more bouts that year, gradually slimming down and improving his fitness. In 1988, he won nine times. Perhaps his most notable win during this period was a seventh round knockout of former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi.
Having always been a deliberate fighter, Foreman had not lost much mobility in the ring since his first "retirement", although he found it harder to keep his balance after throwing big punches and could no longer throw rapid combinations. He was still capable of landing heavy, single blows, however. Ironically, the late-rounds fatigue that had plagued him in the ring as a young man now seemed to be gone, and he could comfortably compete for 12 rounds. Foreman attributed this to his new, relaxed fighting style (he has spoken of how, earlier in his career, his lack of stamina came from an enormous amount of nervous tension).
By 1989, while continuing his comeback, Foreman had sold his name and face for the advertising of various products, selling everything from grills to mufflers on TV. For this purpose his public persona was reinvented and the formerly aloof, ominous Foreman had been replaced by a smiling, friendly George. He and Ali had become friends, and he followed in Ali's footsteps by making himself a celebrity outside the boundaries of boxing.
Foreman continued his string of victories, winning five more fights, the most impressive being a three-round win over Bert Cooper, who would go on to contest the undisputed heavyweight title against Evander Holyfield.
In 1990, Foreman met former title challenger Gerry Cooney in Atlantic City. Cooney was coming off a long period of inactivity, but was well regarded for his punching power. Cooney wobbled Foreman in the first round, but Foreman landed several powerful punches in the second round. Cooney was knocked down twice, and Foreman had scored a devastating KO. Foreman went on to win four more fights that year.
Then, in 1991, Foreman was given the opportunity to challenge undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, who was in tremendous shape at 208 pounds, for the world title in a Pay Per View boxing event. Very few boxing experts gave the 42-year-old Foreman a chance of winning. Foreman, who weighed in at 257 pounds, began the contest by marching forward, absorbing several of Holyfield's best combinations and occasionally landing a powerful swing of his own. Holyfield proved too tough and agile to knock down, and was well ahead on points throughout the fight, but Foreman surprised many by lasting the full 12 rounds, losing his challenge on points. Round 7, in which Foreman knocked Holyfield off balance before being staggered by a powerful combination, was Ring Magazine's "Round of the Year."
A year later, Foreman fought journeyman Alex Stewart, who had previously been stopped in the first round by Mike Tyson. Foreman knocked down Stewart twice in the second round, but expended a lot of energy in doing so. He subsequently tired, and Stewart rebounded. By the end of the 10th and final round, Foreman's face was bloodied and swollen, but the judges awarded him a majority decision win.
In 1993, Foreman received another title shot, although this was for the vacant WBO championship, which most fans at the time saw as a second-tier version of the "real" heavyweight title, then being contested between Holyfield and Riddick Bowe. Foreman's opponent was Tommy Morrison, a young prospect known for his punching power. To the frustration of Foreman, and the disappointment of the booing crowd, Morrison retreated throughout the fight, refusing to trade toe-to-toe, and sometimes even turned his back on Foreman. The strategy paid off, however, as he outboxed Foreman from long range. Foreman was competitive throughout the match, but after 12 rounds Morrison won a unanimous decision. Though it seemed unlikely at the time, one more chance at the legitimate heavyweight crown was just around the corner for Foreman.
In 1994, Foreman once again sought to challenge for the world championship after Michael Moorer had beaten Holyfield for the IBF and WBA titles.
Having lost his last fight against Morrison, Foreman was unranked and in no position to demand another title shot. However, his relatively high profile made a title defense against Foreman, who was 19 years older than Moorer, a lucrative prospect at seemingly little risk for champion Moorer.
Foreman's title challenge against Moorer took place on November 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Foreman wearing the same red trunks he had worn in his title loss to Ali 20 years earlier. This time, however, Foreman was a substantial underdog. For nine rounds, Moorer easily outboxed him, hitting and moving away, while Foreman chugged forward, seemingly unable to "pull the trigger" on his punches. Entering the tenth round, Foreman was trailing on all scorecards. However, Foreman launched a comeback in the tenth round, and hit Moorer with a number of punches. Then a short right hand caught Moorer on the tip of his chin, gashing open his bottom lip, and he collapsed to the canvas. He lay flat on his back as the referee counted him out.
In an instant, Foreman had regained the title he had lost to Muhammad Ali two decades before. He went back to his corner and knelt in prayer as the arena erupted in cheers. With this historic victory, Foreman broke three records: he became, at age 45, the oldest fighter ever to win the world heavyweight crown; and, 20 years after losing his title for the first time, he broke the record for the fighter with the longest interval between his first and second world championships. The age spread of 19 years between the champion and challenger was also the largest of any heavweight boxing championship fight.
Shortly after the Moorer fight, Foreman began talking about a potential superfight against Mike Tyson (the youngest ever heavyweight champ). The WBA organization, however, demanded he fight their No. 1 challenger, who at the time was the competent but aging Tony Tucker. For reasons not clearly known, Foreman refused to fight Tucker, and allowed the WBA to strip him of that belt. He then went on to fight mid-level prospect Axel Schulz of Germany in defense of his remaining IBF title. Schulz was a major underdog. Schulz jabbed strongly from long range, and grew increasingly confident as the fight progressed. Foreman finished the fight with a swelling over one eye, but was awarded a controversial majority decision (two judges scored for Foreman, one called it even). The IBF ordered an immediate rematch to be held in Germany, but Foreman refused the terms and found himself stripped of his remaining title. However, Foreman continued to be recognized as the lineal heavyweight champion.
In 1996, Foreman returned to Tokyo, scoring an easy win over the unrated Crawford Grimsley by a 12-round decision. In 1997, he faced contender Lou Savarese, winning a close decision in a grueling, competitive encounter. Then, yet another opportunity came Foreman's way as the WBC decided to match him against Shannon Briggs in a 1997 "eliminator bout" for the right to face WBC champion Lennox Lewis. After 12 rounds, in which Foreman consistently rocked Briggs with power punches, almost everyone at ringside saw Foreman as the clear winner.[13] Once again there was a controversial decision—but this time it went in favor of Foreman's opponent, with Briggs awarded a points win. Foreman had fought for the last time, at the age of 48.
Foreman was gracious and philosophical in his loss to Briggs, but announced his "final" retirement shortly afterward. However, he did plan a return bout against Larry Holmes in 1999, scheduled to take place at the Houston Astrodome on pay per view. The fight was to be billed as "The Birthday Bash" due to both fighters' upcoming birthdays. Foreman was set to make $10 million and Holmes was to make $4 million, but negotiations fell through and the fight was cancelled. With a continuing affinity for the sport, Foreman became a respected boxing analyst for HBO.
Foreman said he had no plans to resume his career as a boxer, but then announced in February 2004 that he was training for one more comeback fight to demonstrate that the age of 55, like 40, is not a "death sentence." The bout, against an unspecified opponent (rumored to be the now late Trevor Berbick), never materialized (it was widely thought that Foreman's wife had been a major factor in the change of plans). Having severed his relationship with HBO to pursue other opportunities, George Foreman and the sport of boxing finally went their separate ways.
Foreman has 11 children, and each of his five sons is named George: George Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and George VI. His four younger sons are distinguished from one another by the nicknames "Monk", "Big Wheel", "Red", and "Little Joey". He has daughters, two daughters Natalia and Leola. He also has three daughters from a separate relationship, Michi, Freeda, and Georgetta. <, [14] He also adopted a daughter, Isabella Brandie Lilja (Foreman), in 2009.
When Foreman came back from retirement he argued that his success was due to his healthy eating which made him a perfect fit for Russell Hobbs Inc. who were looking for a spokesperson for their fat-reducing grill.
The George Foreman grill has resulted in sales of over 100 million units since it was first launched, a feat that was achieved in a little over 15 years. Although Foreman has never confirmed exactly how much he has earned from the endorsement, what is known is that Salton Inc paid him $137 million in 1999 in order to buy out the right to use his name. Previous to that he was being paid about 40% of the profits on each grill sold (earning him $4.5 million a month in payouts at its peak) so it is estimated he has made a total of over $200 million from the endorsement, a sum that is substantially more than he earned as a boxer.[15]
| 76 Wins (68 knockouts, 8 decisions), 5 Losses (1 knockout, 4 decisions), 0 Draws [1] | |||||||
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 76–5 | Shannon Briggs | MD | 12 | 22/11/1997 | Taj Majal Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Lost Lineal Heavyweight title. |
| Win | 76–4 | Lou Savarese | SD | 12 | 26/04/1997 | Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Retained Lineal heavyweight title. |
| Win | 75–4 | Crawford Grimsley | UD | 12 | 03/11/1996 | Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan | Retained Lineal heavyweight title. |
| Win | 74–4 | Axel Schulz | MD | 12 | 22/04/1995 | MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Retained Lineal, & IBF heavyweight titles. |
| Win | 73–4 | Michael Moorer | KO | 10 (12) | 05/11/1994 | MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won Lineal, WBA, & IBF heavyweight titles. |
| Loss | 72–4 | Tommy Morrison | UD | 12 | 07/06/1993 | Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For vacant WBO heavyweight title. |
| Win | 72–3 | Pierre Coetzer | TKO | 8 (10) | 16/01/1993 | Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 71–3 | Alex Stewart | MD | 10 | 11/04/1992 | Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 70–3 | Jimmy Ellis | TKO | 3 (10) | 07/12/1991 | Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 69–3 | Evander Holyfield | UD | 12 | 19/04/1991 | Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | For Lineal, WBC, WBA, & IBF heavyweight titles. |
| Win | 69–2 | Terry Anderson | KO | 1 (10) | 25/09/1990 | New London Arena, Millwall, London, England, United Kingdom | |
| Win | 68–2 | Ken Lakusta | KO | 3 (10) | 31/07/1990 | New London Arena, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | |
| Win | 67–2 | Adilson Rodrigues | KO | 2 (10) | 16/06/1990 | Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 66–2 | Mike Jameson | TKO | 4 (10) | 17/04/1990 | Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 65–2 | Gerry Cooney | TKO | 2 (10) | 15/01/1990 | Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 64–2 | Everett Martin | UD | 10 | 20/07/1989 | Convention Center, Tucson, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 63–2 | Bert Cooper | RTD | 2 (10) | 01/06/1989 | Pride Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 62–2 | J. B. Williamson | TKO | 5 (10) | 30/04/1989 | Moody Center, Galveston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 61–2 | Manoel De Almeida | TKO | 3 (10) | 16/02/1989 | Atlantis Theater, Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 60–2 | Mark Young | TKO | 7 (10) | 26/01/1989 | War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, New York, United States | |
| Win | 59–2 | David Jaco | TKO | 1 (10) | 28/12/1988 | Casa Royal Hotel, Bakersfield, California, United States | |
| Win | 58–2 | Tony Fulilangi | TKO | 2 (10) | 27/10/1988 | Civic Center, Marshall, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 57–2 | Bobby Hitz | TKO | 1 (10) | 10/09/1988 | The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States | |
| Win | 56–2 | Ladislao Mijangos | TKO | 2 (10) | 25/08/1988 | Lee Civic Center, Fort Myers, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 55–2 | Carlos Hernandez | TKO | 4 (10) | 26/06/1988 | Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 54–2 | Frank Lux | TKO | 3 (10) | 21/05/1988 | Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Alaska, United States | |
| Win | 53–2 | Dwight Muhammad Qawi | TKO | 7 (10) | 19/03/1988 | Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 52–2 | Guido Trane | TKO | 5 (10) | 05/02/1988 | Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 51–2 | Tom Trimm | KO | 1 (10) | 23/01/1988 | Sheraton Twin Towers, Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 50–2 | Rocky Sekorski | TKO | 3 (10) | 18/12/1987 | Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 49–2 | Tim Anderson | TKO | 4 (10) | 21/11/1987 | Sports Complex, Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 48–2 | Bobby Crabtree | TKO | 6 (10) | 15/09/1987 | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 47–2 | Charles Hostetter | KO | 3 (10) | 09/07/1987 | Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California, United States | |
| Win | 46–2 | Steve Zouski | TKO | 4 (10) | 09/03/1987 | Arco Arena, Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Loss | 45–2 | Jimmy Young | UD | 12 | 17/03/1977 | Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1977 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine. |
| Win | 45–1 | Pedro Agosto | TKO | 4 (10) | 22/01/1977 | Civic Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 44–1 | John Dino Denis | TKO | 4 (10) | 15/10/1976 | Sportatorium, Hollywood, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 43–1 | Scott LeDoux | TKO | 3 (10) | 14/08/1976 | Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, New York, United States | |
| Win | 42–1 | Joe Frazier | TKO | 5 (12) | 15/06/1976 | Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, United States | Retained NABF Heavyweight title. |
| Win | 41–1 | Ron Lyle | KO | 5 (12) | 24/01/1976 | Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won vacant NABF Heavyweight title. 1976 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine. |
| Loss | 40–1 | Muhammad Ali | KO | 8 (15) | 30/10/1974 | Stade du 20 Mai, Kinshasa, Zaire | Lost The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles. 1974 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine. |
| Win | 40–0 | Ken Norton | TKO | 2 (15) | 26/03/1974 | El Poliedro, Caracas, Venezuela | Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles. |
| Win | 39–0 | Jose Roman | KO | 1 (15) | 01/09/1973 | Nihon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan | Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles. |
| Win | 38–0 | Joe Frazier | TKO | 2 (15) | 22/01/1973 | National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica | Won The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles. 1973 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine. |
| Win | 37–0 | Terry Sorrell | KO | 2 (10) | 10/10/1972 | Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | |
| Win | 36–0 | Miguel Angel Paez | KO | 2 (10) | 11/05/1972 | Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California, United States | Won Pan American Heavyweight title. |
| Win | 35–0 | Ted Gullick | KO | 2 (10) | 10/04/1972 | Forum, Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Win | 34–0 | Clarence Boone | KO | 2 (10) | 07/03/1972 | Beaumont, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 33–0 | Joe Murphy Goodwin | KO | 2 (10) | 29/02/1972 | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 32–0 | Luis Faustino Pires | TKO | 5 (10) | 29/10/1971 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States | |
| Win | 31–0 | Ollie Wilson | KO | 2 (10) | 07/10/1971 | Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 30–0 | Leroy Caldwell | KO | 2 (10) | 21/09/1971 | Beaumont, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 29–0 | Vic Scott | KO | 1 (10) | 14/09/1971 | El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 28–0 | Gregorio Peralta | TKO | 10 (15) | 10/05/1971 | Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California, United States | Won vacant NABF Heavyweight title. |
| Win | 27–0 | Stamford Harris | KO | 2 (10) | 03/04/1971 | Playboy Club Hotel, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 26–0 | Charlie Boston | KO | 1 (10) | 08/02/1971 | Auditorium, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 25–0 | Mel Turnbow | TKO | 1 (10) | 18/12/1970 | Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, Washington, United States | |
| Win | 24–0 | Boone Kirkman | TKO | 2 (10) | 18/11/1970 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States | |
| Win | 23–0 | Lou Bailey | TKO | 3 (10) | 03/11/1970 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 22–0 | George Chuvalo | TKO | 3 (10) | 04/08/1970 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States | |
| Win | 21–0 | Roger Russell | KO | 1 (10) | 20/07/1970 | Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Win | 20–0 | George Johnson | TKO | 7 (10) | 16/05/1970 | Forum, Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Win | 19–0 | Aaron Eastling | TKO | 4 (10) | 29/04/1970 | Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 18–0 | James J. Woody | TKO | 3 (10) | 17/04/1970 | Felt Forum, New York, New York, United States | |
| Win | 17–0 | Rufus Brassell | TKO | 1 (10) | 31/03/1970 | Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 16–0 | Gregorio Peralta | UD | 10 | 16/02/1970 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States | |
| Win | 15–0 | Jack O'Halloran | KO | 5 (10) | 26/01/1970 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States | |
| Win | 14–0 | Charley Polite | KO | 4 (10) | 06/01/1970 | Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 13–0 | Gary Hobo Wiler | TKO | 1 (10) | 18/12/1969 | Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington, United States | |
| Win | 12–0 | Levi Forte | UD | 10 | 16/12/1969 | Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 11–0 | Bob Hazelton | TKO | 1 (6) | 06/12/1969 | International Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 10–0 | Max Martinez | KO | 2 (10) | 18/11/1969 | Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 9–0 | Leo Peterson | KO | 4 (8) | 05/11/1969 | Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Win | 8–0 | Roberto Davila | UD | 8 | 31/10/1969 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 | Vernon Clay | TKO | 2 (6) | 07/10/1969 | Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 | Roy Wallace | KO | 2 (6) | 23/09/1969 | Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 5–0 | Johnny Carroll | KO | 1 (8) | 18/09/1969 | Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Chuck Wepner | TKO | 3 (10) | 18/08/1969 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Sylvester Dullaire | TKO | 1 (6) | 14/07/1969 | Rosecroft Raceway, Oxon Hill, Maryland, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Fred Askew | KO | 1 (6) | 01/07/1969 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Don Waldheim | TKO | 3 (6) | 23/06/1969 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States | |
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Forest Ward |
United States Amateur Heavyweight Champion 1968 |
Succeeded by Earnie Shavers |
| Preceded by Joe Frazier |
World Heavyweight Champion January 22, 1973 – October 30, 1974 |
Succeeded by Muhammad Ali |
| Preceded by Michael Moorer |
IBF Heavyweight Champion November 5, 1994–1995 Stripped |
Succeeded by Michael Moorer Filled vacancy |
| WBA Heavyweight Champion November 5, 1994–1995 Stripped |
Succeeded by Bruce Seldon Filled vacancy |
|
| Preceded by Michael Moorer |
Lineal World Heavyweight Champion November 5, 1994 – November 22, 1997 |
Succeeded by Shannon Briggs |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Muhammad Ali |
Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year 1976 |
Succeeded by Carlos Zarate |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by Archie Moore |
Oldest boxer to win a world title November 25, 1994 – May 21, 2011 |
Succeeded by Bernard Hopkins |
|
||||||||