By Evan Chan
www.boxingcinema.com

ecently the Boxing Cinema

was privileged enough to be

granted an interview with
the legendary two-time heavyweight
champion “Big George” Foreman,
who’s career highlights include
bouts with boxing legends George
Chuvalo and Joe Frazier, along with
a historic match against boxing icon
Muhammad Ali in the 1974 “Rumble
In The Jungle”.

Evan Chan: George, welcome to
the Boxing Cinema. it is an honour
to have you here. What is the latest
George Foreman news you want your
fans to know?

George Foreman: “Let George
Clean It” (www.letgeorgecleanit.
com). My heart and soul has gone
into this product. Good rot the
planet! Boxing gave me lots, trying
now to give back. No boxing, but
George III, Monk, has won seven
I think he can!

EC: That’s an awesome product;

bouts now...

I’m going to have to get some of that!
That’s good to hear about your son
George and his boxing career. How
involved are you with his training? I
read that he uses a lot of the same
methods you once used during your
career.

GF: My son Monk, George III,
is both managed and trained by me.

I might not be the best at it, but I
have the most belief in him. He does
have power, but it is my hope that he
integrates a lot of pure boxing into his
skills. Can’t out punch them all.

EC: How did you first gain an
interest in boxing, and what would
you say were your key ingredients to
the success that you have enjoyed in
the ring?

GF: Charles “Doc” Broadus, I
met in ‘66. I said to him I wanted
to be a boxer! Ina job corps center,

where I heard on radio, a young
Cassius Clay vs. (Floyd) Patterson...
this is where I first became interested.
He (Doc) told me to come down to
the gym. He never stopped hounding
me after that introduction. When
someone else believes in you as Doc
did me, it becomes contagious! His
trust in me enabled me to seek titles.
Someone counting on you gives you
endurance, stamina, and courage...
which are a must to obtain success.

EC: You eventually had a chance
to meet Cassius Clay, aka Muhammad
Ali. What was your first impression
of him?

GF: The first time I met
Muhammad Ali...
awe. Seldom does one meet a person,
who is all you think he should be! He
was tall, handsome, and had an air of
royalty that I had never seen before in
any person. He was so kind to me.

EC: What are some of the
memories that come to mind when
you remember all the hype leading
up to, and including, the legendary
“Rumble In The Jungle” fight?

GF: All of my memories of the
George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali
fight were pretty sober. The world
and the media had a ball...
to write about. “Classic Boxer vs.

I was in complete

so much

The Puncher”, old guy and the aging
warrior. I was untouched by the
hype. Africa itself was so far away.
Not a lot we could do or hear. There
was more hype in the USA than we
could get there. No big TV shows as
this was before.

EC: The Rumble In The Jungle
is often seen as part of the “Golden
Age of Boxing”, and it is responsible
for elevating boxing to the next
level. Looking at today’s boxing
stars, who would you say has the
ability to do what you and Ali did for
boxing during that fight? What are
your thoughts on today’s heavyweight
division?

 

GF: You do lots of fights, but
there is no sure way to choose which
will become “Rumble In The Jungle”
type. It is the folks themselves who
choose to make something that big.
Heavyweights for the time being
have no standout someone to make a
statement with their life. It has got
to be more than just a boxing match.
Next year maybe?

EC: Your first fight against
Smokin’ Joe Frazier was at “The
Sunshine Showdown” in Jamaica
where you won the WBC & WBA
heavyweight titles for the first time.
How would you compare Frazier’s
boxing style to today’s generation of
heavyweights?

GF: Joe Frazier’s close,
infighting style was a classic. He
took all the good stuff... from
Armstrong, Marciano, and the great
gym fighters of Philadelphia. With
this and his conditioning Joe Frazier
created a style that would overwhelm
any of the champions of today.

EC: I heard Joe Frazier say once
that you were the hardest puncher he
ever faced. If you had fought “Iron”
Mike Tyson in his prime, how would
that fight have gone down?

GF: I had no idea... I’d knocked
Joe Frazier down so many times!
Sadler (Foreman’s trainer) had
prepared me for knock-outs no matter
who I fought. Mike Tyson in his
prime would have faced the same
Foreman Frazier faced! I have no
idea if he would have beaten me or
not... cause I did not know I was

.&
as ont,

going to beat Frazier! The cards fell
for me that time.

EC: How would “Big George”
take on the two Klitschko brothers,
Vitali and Wladimir? They are
considered the most dominant in

     

the heavyweight division today, and
fans have compared you to the two
brothers.

GF: When you become the
heavyweight champ it is a feat no
matter who you are. The Klitschko
brothers are fine fighters, 1 wish them
the best. I had a chance early in my
amateur career to fight the tall guys
in Europe. I was successful with
straight right hand punching. I could
not try boxing... you had to punch.
But never face anyone as skilled as
these guys.

EC: George thanks much for
taking the time to do this interview
I know you are a busy man. Is there
anything you want to say to your fans
in closing?

GF: Nothing more, but it was
wonderful being pushed to recall
some very important moments in
my life. I do believe there were too
few interviews of Joe Louis, Archie
Moore, Ray Robinson, Marciano,
and the likes. So I enjoy the fact
that our words will out live us. Your
questions were great.

EC: Thank you very much for
your time George it has been fun!
I’m glad you enjoyed the questions
and I hope your son does as well as
you did!

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