The late, great George Foreman made heavyweight boxing history before his retirement — launching one of the most infamous knockout wins in the entirety of combat sports.
A decorated heavyweight star during his time in the ring, George Foreman shared that same squared circle with the who’s who of the division during his prime in the sport.
- READ MORE — Top 5 boxing super fights that never happened including Mike Tyson’s near clash with George Foreman
Taking on the likes of the late Joe Frazier, as well as Ken Norton during his career, Foreman also fought both Muhammad Ali as well as former cruiserweight world champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi during his esteemed run.
And against another record-setting world heavyweight champion, Foreman enjoyed one final run around at the very top of the sport.
George Foreman’s heavyweight record win
Returning to the ring in 1994, Foreman was pitted against Michael Moorer — who is the first of just two southpaw fighters to win world heavyweight championships in the history of the sport.
And pitted against the defending WBA and IBF heavyweight champion atop a card billed as One for the Ages, Foreman set a heavyweight record which remains intact to this very day.
Lodging one of the most hellacious knockout wins in the sport’s long history, at the age of 45 years old, Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion, winning the WBA and IBF crowns with a crushing tenth round knockout in Las Vegas.
- READ MORE — Top 5 biggest knockouts in boxing history including Manny Pacquiao’s brutal win over British star
19 years older than the unbeaten champion Moorer, Foreman would carry his ferocious power until the very end of his career — uncorking a picture-perfect right hand, folding the titleholder to the canvas for a history-making knockout win.
With the win, too, Foreman would regain world heavyweight championships — a staggering 20 years after his last run as divisional gold holder.
George Foreman’s hellish power in the ring
Considered one of the most savage knockout punchers in the history of combat sports, over the course of his 81-fight professional career, Foreman stopped his opponents on a jaw-dropping 68 separate occasions.
With his title win over Moorer, Foreman would land the final stoppage win of his career, adding to a slew of prior victories by knockout earlier in his career.
Twice felling the above-mentioned Frazier in The Sunrise Showdown and The Battle of the Gladiators title clashes, Foreman also stopped the iconic Ken Norton and Qawi during his run earlier in his career.
Pitted against Gerry Cooney in a pairing of The Preacher and the Puncher at the turn of the 1990s, within just two rounds, Foreman had stopped the Manhattan striker with another brutal win.