March 22, 2025 • 11 mins
One of the great second acts in sports, American boxing legend George Foreman, has died at the age of 76.
Foreman famously reclaimed the world heavyweight title at 45, after coming out of retirement, and also became a celebrated product pitchman.
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn joined Piney to discuss Foreman's athletic legacy.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks, edb'.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Sadness in the Boxing World with legendary boxer George Foreman
passing away yesterday at the age of seventy six. The
big punching American heavyweight won Olympic gold at the nineteen
sixty eight Mexico Games when he was just nineteen, and
became world champion for the first time in nineteen seventy three,
(00:33):
stunning the then undefeated Joe Fraser, knocking him down six
times in the first two rounds.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I think he hurt Joe Fraser. I think Joe is hurt.
Angie dun Dili's trainer right next to me is saying
that you may hear him down. Goes Frasier, Down, goes Frasier, Down,
goes Fraser. The heavyweight champion is taking the mandatory eight
count and Farman is as poised as can be in
(01:01):
a new dral corner. It is over. It is over.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
It is over.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
In the second round, George Perman, it's the heavyweight champion.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Up, not round.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
You love the commentary. Then a couple of years later,
George Foreman lost to Muhammad Ali That was nineteen seventy four,
in the still iconic Rumble in the Jungle in Ziam.
Maybe this is a bit of tactic, go Bali to
let the man want him so board thirty seconds left
in round eight another.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Speaking right hand to stand, he worked over the shore
of Coman.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
George.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
That was Foreman's first professional loss to Muhammad Ali. He
retired George Foreman in nineteen seventy seven, but then in
one of the great comebacks, he returned to boxing, and
in nineteen ninety four, at the age of forty five,
he became the oldest world heavyweight champion in history, knocking
out twenty six year old Michael Mora.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Michael Moore, is that goes far on a right hand,
an unbelievably constant right hand shot. How it happens? It happened.
I can't believe it. You know, this is a two
(02:42):
to one faith But in my mind it was a
gazillion to one that George Foreman could ever win a.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Heavyweight championship again.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So some of the old power was still there, after.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
All, it wasn't a overall. George Foreman boasted and astonishing
seventy six wins, including sixty eight by knockout. That's almost
double the number of Muhammad Ali. British boxing giant and
chair of matchrom Boxing and the world's leading sports promoter,
Eddie Hearn is with us to remember George Foreman. Eddie,
(03:15):
thanks for joining us across New Zealand on weekend sport Hell.
Will you remember George Foreman?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yeah, I mean iconic really in so many ways. I think,
you know, for me growing up, it was more about
the comeback. You know, this giant of an older man
really who seemed to have dynamite in his fists, and
I think the remarkable thing was obviously for me the
second phase of the career and doing it at that age.
(03:42):
I mean, you know, the older generations, probably my dad
and people like that, would really talk about, you know,
the fights with Fraser, particularly the first one in Jamaica.
I mean that was you know, he went over there
really as an opponent and knocked out Fraser in his
homecoming in Jamaica. Obviously beat him twice, of course the
Rumble in the Jungle. But for me kind of like
(04:03):
the second phase, and I think people forget about that
route to become world heavyweight champion for the second time.
It wasn't that he just came back in the ring
and had one or two fights. He went on a
long run, you know, ten years out of the ring,
and then came back. Actually lost to Tommy Morrison in
the fight before Michael Mora when he become world heavyweight champion.
And I remember that fight so clearly watching that when
(04:25):
he knocked him out. I think Mara was twenty three
and a zero at the time. You know, he was
a a teddy at this fighter, very well regarded, and
he just flattened him with an uppercut and you know,
became a champion again. You know. Obviously people also know
him outside of the boxing world for his products and
his books, and he's grill and just just the sort
(04:46):
of big, cuddly bear really. But in the early days
of his career, he was a real beast of a fighter,
you know, a strong, strong man and you know, cuddly George,
you know, lovable George. I met him once and he
was just just had a huge smile on his face
all the time.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
How important is the history of boxing the iconic thing
is like George Foreman, like Fraser, like Ali In modern times,
how important is it that we still remember you know,
the great of the sport from those glory years of
the sixties and seventies.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Yeah, I mean, legacy is really only kind of evaluated
over time and unfortunately sometimes through passing. You know, I
think in current sporting terms, you don't really talk about
the effect that a player or a fighter, or a
sportsman or an athlete has had under sport. It's only
really when you reflect on them. And sometimes it's at
(05:39):
moments like this and you sort of go back over
the history of time and there's very few people who
can walk in in that group that Foreman has walked in,
and it is you know, I mean our league can
sometimes be a standout, but it is you know, frasier
and listening, and Foreman was beyond those guys. You know,
Foreman carried himself for a long period of time. Foreman
(05:59):
came back to to win you know, two heavyweight world championship.
He was an Olympic gold medalist as well, and you know,
he did a lot outside the ring as well. And
it'll be sadly missed as.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Far as coming back like he did. You alluded to
it before, but just how challenging must that have been
for him, How challenging. Is it for a forty five
year old to get back in the ring against much
younger men and win again?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Yeah, I think it's the only division you can do
it is the heavyweight division. But again, you've never seen it,
you know, you've never seen a guy who's been iconic
and regarded as the best heavyweight work, you know, in
the world of the prime and then come back ten
years later. I mean, I think I don't know the
exact time, but he didn't win the world championship ten
(06:45):
years after the comeback. The comeback was ten years later.
It took a good few years for him to challenge
for the world heavyweight title, and he did it off
the back of a defeat, which is quite rare, you know.
And again he went into that Michael morri fire that
they picked George Foreman as a name for that fight.
When he came back, it wasn't like he was the
best heavyweight in the world. People criticized his comeback actually,
(07:08):
you know, and said, why is this guy coming back
now he's forty odd years old. It's dangerous, it's this
and that, and his performances were that not of a
normal forty year old, but certainly of a forty year old.
And actually there were times where I remember watching him
thinking I don't want to see him by anymore, don't
see him take punishment. And they rolled him out against
(07:29):
Michael Mora as like, oh he's a good name, you know,
that would be good for the record, and he knocks
him out to win, and it was just such a
mad moment. And if you haven't seen it, watch it
back and sort look at his face. You know, he
didn't actually seem that surprise when he won that fight.
And yeah, it's never recommended to turn back to such
(07:50):
a dangerous boot at that age, but you know, he
did it, and what he did will always be remembered.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
You mentioned idiot met him once. What was he like
in person?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Just like a big sort of you know, big bear,
really like had time for everybody, you know, big smile
on his face, and one of those guys like it's
not I've been around boxing since I was eight. There's
very few people that I would look at and go,
oh my god, look there's George, you know, and ask
(08:20):
for a photo as well, And he's definitely one of them.
And there's probably that's probably a list of five or
six fighters that you could read off you know, Mike Tyson, Sugar,
Ray Leonard, probably Jeran Hagler, Lewis Lens Lewis, you know,
George Forman, Like there's a very slight risk for me
(08:41):
who around these people every day. But that was like,
oh my god, look there's George Foreman and that that
says it all.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Really, it does? It does. Can you see heavyweight box
and returning to those glamor days of the fighters you've
just reeled off?
Speaker 4 (08:54):
To be honest, I think when we talk about glamour
days again, that only comes when you look back. I
think we're actually in a wonderful period at the moment.
You know, we just had Fury, you sick twice. You know,
you had Dubois Joshua in front of ninety six six
thousand at Wembley, you know, but there's so many good
contenders now, Like you know, Caveat against Zang was great,
Joseph Parker's making a run. You know, I think during
(09:17):
that time when these guys are around, no one was
really saying, wow, this is a golden time. Wow that
like you just look back at those fights over history
in time and say what a period that was. It's
a bit like the Four Kings, you know, Hagler, Herns
and Leonard and Duran. At the time, no one was going,
oh what a time this is for box this is
a glory years. But then you look back at those
moments and say what a period that was, and we
(09:39):
get to do that with Foreman, and I think we
will do that for the heavyweight division now. But you know,
we've got to keep making sure the best fight.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
The best, and just to finis just while I've got
you with a New Zealand audience across our country, what
do you predict for Joseph Parker? I know, you know,
I'm well, this fight with Daniel Dubois didn't go ahead
last month. Will he get the chance to fight Usa
Kez ordered by the WBO? Do you think?
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I hope so? I mean he really deserves his shot.
I mean I'd love Joe in and out of the ring.
I think he's just a tremendous man and he's worked
so hard and when you look at his recent victories,
you know Zie Laisin Bakoli just recently as well Deonte Wilder,
how can you not give him a shot? I would
like to see him fight Daniel Duboit I mean that
fight was contracted, that fight was made, and Dubois pulled
(10:23):
out twenty four hours before the fight, So for me,
that fight should be rescheduled. And I think it can
beat Daniel dub Wat Whosik's a tougher ask. But Joe's
in great form, great spirits, physically, personally, emotion like you know,
and I think he could win the world heavyweight title.
So hopefully gets his shot.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Lie type. So yeah, he appreciate your A very busy
man with a very busy shoede. Oh Sydney, last night,
how did that go?
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Amazing? It was an amazing night, our first ever show
in Sydney. George Cambosa's returned for a young kid from
Queensland who just did not stop. I mean they had
an absolute war. And yeah, it was a great night
of boxing in Sydney. And now we're off on the
plane back to Manchester for a show on Friday.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
So it doesn't stop, it does not stop again. Thank
you so much for your time remembering George Foreman. Eddie
really appreciate you taking our call.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Thanks, take care you take care to Eddie.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Hearn the one and only on George Foreman and some
call comments at the end there about Joseph Parker as well.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks, edb'.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Sadness in the Boxing World with legendary boxer George Foreman
passing away yesterday at the age of seventy six. The
big punching American heavyweight won Olympic gold at the nineteen
sixty eight Mexico Games when he was just nineteen, and
became world champion for the first time in nineteen seventy three,
(00:33):
stunning the then undefeated Joe Fraser, knocking him down six
times in the first two rounds.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
I think he hurt Joe Fraser. I think Joe is hurt.
Angie dun Dili's trainer right next to me is saying
that you may hear him down. Goes Frasier, Down, goes Frasier, Down,
goes Fraser. The heavyweight champion is taking the mandatory eight
count and Farman is as poised as can be in
(01:01):
a new dral corner. It is over. It is over.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
It is over.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
In the second round, George Perman, it's the heavyweight champion.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Up, not round.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
You love the commentary. Then a couple of years later,
George Foreman lost to Muhammad Ali That was nineteen seventy four,
in the still iconic Rumble in the Jungle in Ziam.
Maybe this is a bit of tactic, go Bali to
let the man want him so board thirty seconds left
in round eight another.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Speaking right hand to stand, he worked over the shore
of Coman.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
George.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
That was Foreman's first professional loss to Muhammad Ali. He
retired George Foreman in nineteen seventy seven, but then in
one of the great comebacks, he returned to boxing, and
in nineteen ninety four, at the age of forty five,
he became the oldest world heavyweight champion in history, knocking
out twenty six year old Michael Mora.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Michael Moore, is that goes far on a right hand,
an unbelievably constant right hand shot. How it happens? It happened.
I can't believe it. You know, this is a two
(02:42):
to one faith But in my mind it was a
gazillion to one that George Foreman could ever win a.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Heavyweight championship again.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So some of the old power was still there, after.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
All, it wasn't a overall. George Foreman boasted and astonishing
seventy six wins, including sixty eight by knockout. That's almost
double the number of Muhammad Ali. British boxing giant and
chair of matchrom Boxing and the world's leading sports promoter,
Eddie Hearn is with us to remember George Foreman. Eddie,
(03:15):
thanks for joining us across New Zealand on weekend sport Hell.
Will you remember George Foreman?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yeah, I mean iconic really in so many ways. I think,
you know, for me growing up, it was more about
the comeback. You know, this giant of an older man
really who seemed to have dynamite in his fists, and
I think the remarkable thing was obviously for me the
second phase of the career and doing it at that age.
(03:42):
I mean, you know, the older generations, probably my dad
and people like that, would really talk about, you know,
the fights with Fraser, particularly the first one in Jamaica.
I mean that was you know, he went over there
really as an opponent and knocked out Fraser in his
homecoming in Jamaica. Obviously beat him twice, of course the
Rumble in the Jungle. But for me kind of like
(04:03):
the second phase, and I think people forget about that
route to become world heavyweight champion for the second time.
It wasn't that he just came back in the ring
and had one or two fights. He went on a
long run, you know, ten years out of the ring,
and then came back. Actually lost to Tommy Morrison in
the fight before Michael Mora when he become world heavyweight champion.
And I remember that fight so clearly watching that when
(04:25):
he knocked him out. I think Mara was twenty three
and a zero at the time. You know, he was
a a teddy at this fighter, very well regarded, and
he just flattened him with an uppercut and you know,
became a champion again. You know. Obviously people also know
him outside of the boxing world for his products and
his books, and he's grill and just just the sort
(04:46):
of big, cuddly bear really. But in the early days
of his career, he was a real beast of a fighter,
you know, a strong, strong man and you know, cuddly George,
you know, lovable George. I met him once and he
was just just had a huge smile on his face
all the time.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
How important is the history of boxing the iconic thing
is like George Foreman, like Fraser, like Ali In modern times,
how important is it that we still remember you know,
the great of the sport from those glory years of
the sixties and seventies.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Yeah, I mean, legacy is really only kind of evaluated
over time and unfortunately sometimes through passing. You know, I
think in current sporting terms, you don't really talk about
the effect that a player or a fighter, or a
sportsman or an athlete has had under sport. It's only
really when you reflect on them. And sometimes it's at
(05:39):
moments like this and you sort of go back over
the history of time and there's very few people who
can walk in in that group that Foreman has walked in,
and it is you know, I mean our league can
sometimes be a standout, but it is you know, frasier
and listening, and Foreman was beyond those guys. You know,
Foreman carried himself for a long period of time. Foreman
(05:59):
came back to to win you know, two heavyweight world championship.
He was an Olympic gold medalist as well, and you know,
he did a lot outside the ring as well. And
it'll be sadly missed as.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Far as coming back like he did. You alluded to
it before, but just how challenging must that have been
for him, How challenging. Is it for a forty five
year old to get back in the ring against much
younger men and win again?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Yeah, I think it's the only division you can do
it is the heavyweight division. But again, you've never seen it,
you know, you've never seen a guy who's been iconic
and regarded as the best heavyweight work, you know, in
the world of the prime and then come back ten
years later. I mean, I think I don't know the
exact time, but he didn't win the world championship ten
(06:45):
years after the comeback. The comeback was ten years later.
It took a good few years for him to challenge
for the world heavyweight title, and he did it off
the back of a defeat, which is quite rare, you know.
And again he went into that Michael morri fire that
they picked George Foreman as a name for that fight.
When he came back, it wasn't like he was the
best heavyweight in the world. People criticized his comeback actually,
(07:08):
you know, and said, why is this guy coming back
now he's forty odd years old. It's dangerous, it's this
and that, and his performances were that not of a
normal forty year old, but certainly of a forty year old.
And actually there were times where I remember watching him
thinking I don't want to see him by anymore, don't
see him take punishment. And they rolled him out against
(07:29):
Michael Mora as like, oh he's a good name, you know,
that would be good for the record, and he knocks
him out to win, and it was just such a
mad moment. And if you haven't seen it, watch it
back and sort look at his face. You know, he
didn't actually seem that surprise when he won that fight.
And yeah, it's never recommended to turn back to such
(07:50):
a dangerous boot at that age, but you know, he
did it, and what he did will always be remembered.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
You mentioned idiot met him once. What was he like
in person?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Just like a big sort of you know, big bear,
really like had time for everybody, you know, big smile
on his face, and one of those guys like it's
not I've been around boxing since I was eight. There's
very few people that I would look at and go,
oh my god, look there's George, you know, and ask
(08:20):
for a photo as well, And he's definitely one of them.
And there's probably that's probably a list of five or
six fighters that you could read off you know, Mike Tyson, Sugar,
Ray Leonard, probably Jeran Hagler, Lewis Lens Lewis, you know,
George Forman, Like there's a very slight risk for me
(08:41):
who around these people every day. But that was like,
oh my god, look there's George Foreman and that that
says it all.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Really, it does? It does. Can you see heavyweight box
and returning to those glamor days of the fighters you've
just reeled off?
Speaker 4 (08:54):
To be honest, I think when we talk about glamour
days again, that only comes when you look back. I
think we're actually in a wonderful period at the moment.
You know, we just had Fury, you sick twice. You know,
you had Dubois Joshua in front of ninety six six
thousand at Wembley, you know, but there's so many good
contenders now, Like you know, Caveat against Zang was great,
Joseph Parker's making a run. You know, I think during
(09:17):
that time when these guys are around, no one was
really saying, wow, this is a golden time. Wow that
like you just look back at those fights over history
in time and say what a period that was. It's
a bit like the Four Kings, you know, Hagler, Herns
and Leonard and Duran. At the time, no one was going,
oh what a time this is for box this is
a glory years. But then you look back at those
moments and say what a period that was, and we
(09:39):
get to do that with Foreman, and I think we
will do that for the heavyweight division now. But you know,
we've got to keep making sure the best fight.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
The best, and just to finis just while I've got
you with a New Zealand audience across our country, what
do you predict for Joseph Parker? I know, you know,
I'm well, this fight with Daniel Dubois didn't go ahead
last month. Will he get the chance to fight Usa
Kez ordered by the WBO? Do you think?
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I hope so? I mean he really deserves his shot.
I mean I'd love Joe in and out of the ring.
I think he's just a tremendous man and he's worked
so hard and when you look at his recent victories,
you know Zie Laisin Bakoli just recently as well Deonte Wilder,
how can you not give him a shot? I would
like to see him fight Daniel Duboit I mean that
fight was contracted, that fight was made, and Dubois pulled
(10:23):
out twenty four hours before the fight, So for me,
that fight should be rescheduled. And I think it can
beat Daniel dub Wat Whosik's a tougher ask. But Joe's
in great form, great spirits, physically, personally, emotion like you know,
and I think he could win the world heavyweight title.
So hopefully gets his shot.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Lie type. So yeah, he appreciate your A very busy
man with a very busy shoede. Oh Sydney, last night,
how did that go?
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Amazing? It was an amazing night, our first ever show
in Sydney. George Cambosa's returned for a young kid from
Queensland who just did not stop. I mean they had
an absolute war. And yeah, it was a great night
of boxing in Sydney. And now we're off on the
plane back to Manchester for a show on Friday.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
So it doesn't stop, it does not stop again. Thank
you so much for your time remembering George Foreman. Eddie
really appreciate you taking our call.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Thanks, take care you take care to Eddie.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Hearn the one and only on George Foreman and some
call comments at the end there about Joseph Parker as well.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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