George Foreman’s lengthy career in boxing saw him share the ring with some of boxing’s leading heavyweight names across a number of generations.
After winning Olympic gold in 1968, Foreman embarked on an incredible professional career that saw him become heavyweight champion in 1973 after defeating Joe Frazier.
Foreman would lose his crown to Muhammad Ali in the legendary ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ bout the following year before walking away from boxing in 1977.
Returning to the sport ten years later, Foreman would once again become world champion in 1994 when stopping Michael Moorer.
He would retire in 1997 but what does the Texas puncher consider the best moment of his illustrious run?
“Everyone was so kind to me, and I used to think, ‘I wish I could be champion again because I should have been nicer to people.’” said Foreman when discussing his first reign with Boxing News.
“When I came back, I built my profile up again and I repaid all the people I had been unkind to. The comeback was my way of saying sorry for being so unkind the first time round. That was the best time of my whole boxing career, when I came back because I gave back.
“When I was in Reno, Nevada I couldn’t sign autographs or shake people’s hand because I had sprained my hand, so I just sat by a post and let anyone come over and talk or take a picture. They did.
“I was there for three hours, and it was the nicest time of my life as a boxer. Nothing compared to that moment. Not even beating Frazier, or being with Ali in Zaire.”