BE's look at Ringside with Brian Kenny and Bert Randolph Sugar: A profile of George Foreman's original boxing career.
In case you missed it, let's talk about it now. Coming to you from Gleason's Gym is Ringside on the ESPN Classic network. Hosted by Brian Kenny with Bert Randolph Sugar. Special guests included George Foreman, former Foreman opponent, Chuck Wepner and former Foreman trainer, Angelo Dundee.
As the story goes, Big George decided to become a boxer after a radio broadcast of Muhammad Ali (Then Cassius Clay) VS Floyd Patterson when someone said something to the effect of ''You think you're so smart? Why don't you become a boxer?''...so, he did.
Foreman VS Chepulis:
In case you missed it, let's talk about it now. Coming to you from Gleason's Gym is Ringside on the ESPN Classic network. Hosted by Brian Kenny with Bert Randolph Sugar. Special guests included George Foreman, former Foreman opponent, Chuck Wepner and former Foreman trainer, Angelo Dundee.
As the story goes, Big George decided to become a boxer after a radio broadcast of Muhammad Ali (Then Cassius Clay) VS Floyd Patterson when someone said something to the effect of ''You think you're so smart? Why don't you become a boxer?''...so, he did.
Foreman VS Chepulis:
Ringside takes a look at the 1968 Olympic Gold Medal Bout in Mexico City, Mexico between Foreman and Jonas Chepulis, the powerful Russian fighter. The fight was stopped by the ref, giving George the gold medal for the Heavyweight division in boxing. George famously held up the American flag in the center of the ring and walks it around a bit in patriotic celebration. George was nineteen years old and black power protests had been taking place at that time and George suffered flack from his own community for being patriotic at a time when change of the country was being forced by necessity from fellow black Americans. Two Olympic athletes had already been dismissed for raising their fists in protest. They speak of how George, even before the Olympics, was brought on to spar with Sonny Liston. Unlike other fighters with Olympic glory, Foreman really was destined for professional greatness.
Foreman VS Waldheim:
George's pro debut was in 1969 with Don Waldheim on the under card for Frazier VS Quarry. As was often the case, Howard Cosell commentated and screwed up one of the names. He calls Don Waldheim ''Waldhelm'' several times. George got a stoppage in the third round.
Foreman VS Wepner:
Foreman VS Wepner:
Chuck Wepner was then invited onstage at Ringside to talk about their bout together. In 1969, the officially 3-0 Foreman fights Wepner who is already an experienced veteran. Wepner, sitting next to a proud George calls his power ''Awesome''.
The inimitable Bert Sugar tells Chuck Wepner his best punch was a ''Left jaw to the right glove''. George's eyes squeeze shut when he laughs at this. I'm not sure if Wepner appreciated it but he agreed that he could certainly take a punch. The result, for those of you who don't know, was a third round stoppage because Chuck's eye was in horrible shape. He says his eye-bone was sticking out. His eye swelled so fast that the bone broke through, Chuck says.
The inimitable Bert Sugar tells Chuck Wepner his best punch was a ''Left jaw to the right glove''. George's eyes squeeze shut when he laughs at this. I'm not sure if Wepner appreciated it but he agreed that he could certainly take a punch. The result, for those of you who don't know, was a third round stoppage because Chuck's eye was in horrible shape. He says his eye-bone was sticking out. His eye swelled so fast that the bone broke through, Chuck says.
Foreman VS Peralta I:
In 1970, Foreman faces a highly underrated fighter in Greg Peralta. I remember this fight well and Howard Cosell couldn't pronounce Peralta's name to save his life. He called him Peralda, Peralla, Perallo, Perolo, Pair-alla. Once I picked up on the fact that it wasn't just a slip of the tongue and that he was incapable of pronouncing it, I laughed every time he said his name. They showed a lot of the fight but I fast forwarded, having just seen it a few months ago.
I'll say that Peralta was an excellent fighter from Argentina. How excellent? In 116 or so pro fights, he lost only 9 times, was only stopped three times, once in a rematch with the freakishly strong George Foreman. Peralta also scored 60 knockouts in his career at both light heavyweight and heavyweight. He was far from a pushover. I can't find the stats on it but I believe he was taller than George. Boxrec.com lists him at 6'0 tall but...if you've seen the fight, you know this isn't possible. Definitely incorrect. The crowd booed the decision against Peralta, possibly because towards the end, Peralta started using his right hand and trading like a slugger. The crowd's appreciation of this cannot change the dominant fight that Foreman put up.
Chuvalo VS Foreman:
Clips from an interview with the renowned Croatian Canadian tough man, George Chuvalo were on the show as he talked about his fight with George. Having fought both Foreman and Frazier, he says ''Joe Frazier's like a Pontiac car coming at you a hundred miles an hour and George Foreman, uh, is like a Mac Truck coming at you fifty miles an hour.''
I'd like to point out that his fight with Foreman was one of only two times Chuvalo was stopped. In 93 professional fights, George Chuvalo was stopped only twice. Once against Joe Frazier when he suffered a terrible eye injury as I recall and once against Foreman which was contested by an unshaken Chuvalo who was taking a lot of big shots but returning them. In none of his wins, losses and draws was he ever even knocked off of his feet. Considering that he fought Frazier, Foreman, Bonavena, Patterson and Ali, this is a hell of an achievement. Add to that, Chuvalo was a powerful puncher also, eventually knocking out over 60 opponents, making him part of an exclusive club-Foreman's club, actually. Chuvalo says the ref told him he was reacting to Chuvalo's manager, who was reacting to Chuvalo's terrified pregnant wife and stopped the fight. Of course, that's really not what a ref is paid to do but, hey, that's how it goes sometimes.
I'd like to point out that his fight with Foreman was one of only two times Chuvalo was stopped. In 93 professional fights, George Chuvalo was stopped only twice. Once against Joe Frazier when he suffered a terrible eye injury as I recall and once against Foreman which was contested by an unshaken Chuvalo who was taking a lot of big shots but returning them. In none of his wins, losses and draws was he ever even knocked off of his feet. Considering that he fought Frazier, Foreman, Bonavena, Patterson and Ali, this is a hell of an achievement. Add to that, Chuvalo was a powerful puncher also, eventually knocking out over 60 opponents, making him part of an exclusive club-Foreman's club, actually. Chuvalo says the ref told him he was reacting to Chuvalo's manager, who was reacting to Chuvalo's terrified pregnant wife and stopped the fight. Of course, that's really not what a ref is paid to do but, hey, that's how it goes sometimes.
Frazier VS Foreman I:
Now the first Frazier fight is discussed in the show and shown in its entirety. Frazier and Foreman come in at only a few pounds difference though Frazier was 5'11 and Foreman was 6'3 and a half. Both fighters were undefeated. Frazier is the champ. Foreman says his knees were shaking when he stared Frazier down before their first fight. Of course, Foreman annihilated Joe Frazier. Big George was carried out of the arena by happy fans and friends. Frazier had been knocked down before but nobody had ever beaten him up like that. After this fight, Foreman looked invincible. Foreman was now the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. He did it in two rounds, knocking the strong jawed Joe Frazier down six times!
Roman VS Foreman:
Seasoned veteran Jose-Joe ''King'' Roman taunted Foreman just before they went to neutral corners with what Cosell said was at least sticking his tongue out. I didn't see his tongue but the gesture was clear. He wasn't scared. Seconds later Roman was staggered and Foreman was ready to kill. Foreman landed a big right while Roman's butt was on the canvas. I doubt George could've stopped it. He was probably seeing red and had that punch ready to launch with no deactivation switch. George floors Roman again seconds after the fight resumed. Roman goes down again and is crumpled up on the canvas, dazed. George gets a KO victory in that first round. Roman doesn't look like he knows where he is for a bit. I'm sure he regretted that gesture just before it began.
Foreman VS Norton:
Next, Foreman fought the highly rated, but since historically underrated, Kenny Norton who helped make the 1970's what it was. In the 1970's HW division, you had to be a somebody just to be a relative nobody and Kenny was a somebody among somebodies. I say Ken Norton was perhaps the most all around gifted athlete to ever be the heavyweight champion of the world. He was a great football player, basketball player, track runner and fighter. Amazing. Norton was strong and almost as big and tall as George. Norton had previously beaten Muhammad Ali whose jaw he broke and lost a controversial decision to Ali afterwards as well.
Foreman viciously knocks out Norton in the second round. He took out the champ and another one of the best fighters of the era in a total of four consecutive rounds. By the time he faces Muhammad Ali he is 40-0. I'll add to Ringside's talk and say that only one of his previous 12 fights had gone beyond the second round and he's knocked every opponent out since Greg Peralta in 1970. Over four years of hard fighting and nobody has gone the distance with him. He's looking impossible to beat since he's matured as a fighter. 37 of his 40 total pro fights have come by way of knockout.
Next, Foreman fought the highly rated, but since historically underrated, Kenny Norton who helped make the 1970's what it was. In the 1970's HW division, you had to be a somebody just to be a relative nobody and Kenny was a somebody among somebodies. I say Ken Norton was perhaps the most all around gifted athlete to ever be the heavyweight champion of the world. He was a great football player, basketball player, track runner and fighter. Amazing. Norton was strong and almost as big and tall as George. Norton had previously beaten Muhammad Ali whose jaw he broke and lost a controversial decision to Ali afterwards as well.
Foreman viciously knocks out Norton in the second round. He took out the champ and another one of the best fighters of the era in a total of four consecutive rounds. By the time he faces Muhammad Ali he is 40-0. I'll add to Ringside's talk and say that only one of his previous 12 fights had gone beyond the second round and he's knocked every opponent out since Greg Peralta in 1970. Over four years of hard fighting and nobody has gone the distance with him. He's looking impossible to beat since he's matured as a fighter. 37 of his 40 total pro fights have come by way of knockout.
Foreman VS Ali:
Foreman says he never watched any tapes of Ali to study for the fight because he was so confident. He thought Ali would be even easier than Frazier and Norton. George threw everything he had at Ali, as the story goes and Ali bent back on loose ropes and fired the fast, accurate shots at George who slowed down and lost more power as each round went on. Before you know it, a George so tired he has no legs takes a good few punches, gets off balance and laid out on the canvas. The ref stops the fight and George takes his first loss and the lone knockout loss of his career, including his comeback. Ali shocked the world - again, and not for the last time. Echoes of the initial Liston fight were there. Once the powerful, frightening attacker, Liston was to fight the loudmouthed underdog named Clay (Ali), and the spectators thought Clay was volunteering to be executed. This time, as the elder fighter, Ali teased and taunted the powerful, frightening attacker who seemed even more invincible than Liston and beat him with much less dancing energy to work with. The spectators largely thought Ali was toast. But, he did it again.
Foreman Vs Lyle:
George sunk into a deep depression after this fight. His self esteem was shot and he'd wake up in the middle of the night trying to beat the count from the Ali fight. He eventually faced Ron Lyle in a classic clash of the titans. Trading knockdowns and knockout punches. My take is that those were two of the hardest hitters of the era. Foreman, however, unlike Lyle had a world class chin. Lyle had a good chin but that little difference in classification made the difference in the fight. Foreman said that he basically redeemed himself to himself after coming off the canvas to win that fight. Chasing the title again, he later lost to Jimmy Young via decision. Reportedly he was very dehydrated after going the distance with Young and hallucinated after the fight.
Foreman says he never watched any tapes of Ali to study for the fight because he was so confident. He thought Ali would be even easier than Frazier and Norton. George threw everything he had at Ali, as the story goes and Ali bent back on loose ropes and fired the fast, accurate shots at George who slowed down and lost more power as each round went on. Before you know it, a George so tired he has no legs takes a good few punches, gets off balance and laid out on the canvas. The ref stops the fight and George takes his first loss and the lone knockout loss of his career, including his comeback. Ali shocked the world - again, and not for the last time. Echoes of the initial Liston fight were there. Once the powerful, frightening attacker, Liston was to fight the loudmouthed underdog named Clay (Ali), and the spectators thought Clay was volunteering to be executed. This time, as the elder fighter, Ali teased and taunted the powerful, frightening attacker who seemed even more invincible than Liston and beat him with much less dancing energy to work with. The spectators largely thought Ali was toast. But, he did it again.
Foreman Vs Lyle:
George sunk into a deep depression after this fight. His self esteem was shot and he'd wake up in the middle of the night trying to beat the count from the Ali fight. He eventually faced Ron Lyle in a classic clash of the titans. Trading knockdowns and knockout punches. My take is that those were two of the hardest hitters of the era. Foreman, however, unlike Lyle had a world class chin. Lyle had a good chin but that little difference in classification made the difference in the fight. Foreman said that he basically redeemed himself to himself after coming off the canvas to win that fight. Chasing the title again, he later lost to Jimmy Young via decision. Reportedly he was very dehydrated after going the distance with Young and hallucinated after the fight.
George does not believe he hallucinated. To him, he'd had a very vivid and real religious experience that changed him for life. George speaks candidly on this subject without backing down to the scientific explanation. The man's convinced. God bless him. He was changed and the new George didn't want anything to do with fighting anymore so, he retired then in 1977 after the Young fight, only to make one of the biggest comebacks in athletic history and certainly in boxing history. Ten years later, he came back to the sport with far less killer instinct but a great desire to be the man again. About twenty years after his loss to Ali, he'd knock out Michael Moorer for the world heavyweight title and become the oldest man to do it -45. In between his retirement and his comeback, Foreman became a preacher. He suffered a bad decision loss to the inconsistent Shannon Briggs and retired again in 1997. He hasn't come back but ...he probably could.
Ringside does have another episode exploring Foreman's comeback, so keep an eye out for it.
Want to talk about Big George or argue with me on something? Take it to the comments section below the post.
2 comments:
I believe his name really was Waldhelm.
Doris Waldhelm
doris.waldhelm@gmail.com
Are you related to this man, Doris? Here is his boxrec page, stating 'Waldheim': http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:91 Also, the program had clearly written it as Waldheim, not Waldhelm. If you have some information I don't, please send me a link or source. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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