The Best George Foreman Quotes

During two acts as a professional boxer, his years spent as a preacher, experiences gained as a boxing commentator and the face of the “George Foreman Grilling Machine,” the man born in January 1949 has picked up plenty of wisdom along the way.

Luckily for the rest of the world, George Foreman is not shy about sharing his thoughts. From growing up in poverty to the highs and lows of winning and losing in front of the eyes of the world, Big George uses the events that have shaped his time on earth to articulate his considerations on this thing we call life.

Whether in an interview, on the pages of books (an autobiography, a guide to life, and a spiritual memoir are all out there with George’s name on the cover), or said in the heat of the moment following a boxing match, Foreman has delivered some memorable quotes and advice for life over the years.

Some are serious, and some are said with plenty of humor intended. Below are some of George Foreman‘s best quotes over the years.

Boxing Related

“Boxing is the sport to which all other sports aspire.”

“Sure, the fight was fixed; I fixed it with a right hand!”

“Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it.”

“They call it the rope-a-dope. Well, I’m the dope. Ali just laid on the rope, and I, like a dope, kept punching until I got tired. But he was probably the most smart fighter I’ve ever gotten into the ring with.”

“I want to keep fighting because it’s the only thing that keeps me out of the hamburger joints. If I don’t fight, I’ll eat this planet.”

“In boxing, I had a lot of fear. Fear was good. But, for the first time, in the bout with Muhammad Ali, I didn’t have any fear. I thought, ‘This is easy. This is what I’ve been waiting for’. No fear at all. No nervousness. And I lost.”

“As you get better and better at working out, there’s no one who can keep up with you running. If you don’t have a good dog, it’s going to be the most lonesome training camp you’ll ever have.”

“In 1973, I became heavyweight champion of the world with 38 victories, no defeats as a professional. You get to a point where you think you cannot lose. I felt like I had the greatest power with my fists, I was the strongest man in the world.”

“We fought in 1974 – that was a long time ago. After 1981, we became the best of friends. By 1984, we loved each other. I am not closer to anyone else in this life than I am to Muhammad Ali. Why? We were forged by that first fight in Zaire, and our lives are indelibly linked by memories and photographs as young men and old men.”

“I’m a winner each and every time I go into the ring.”

General Life Observations

“Sports are sports. It’s all about how we carry ourselves out of the ring.”

“It’s great to reminisce about good memories of my past. It was enjoyable when it was today. So learning to enjoy today has two benefits: it gives me happiness right now, and it becomes a good memory later.”

“It’s very important that people know that I really enjoy everything that has happened to me. And I tell my kids… you’re not going to be the tallest, fastest, prettiest, the best track runner, but you can be the nicest human being that someone has ever met in their life. And I just want to leave that legacy that being nice is a true treasure.”

“So many of us have loved ones and people we really care about, and the only time we show affection is when they are gone. I have preached at funerals, and you see loved ones who didn’t even say hello to dear ones when they were alive. Give them hugs and kisses while they are alive and need it.”

“I teach kids that want to be tough that their fists are not the way.”

“Oh, there’s nothing more dangerous in life at getting hurt at than love itself. People are hurt in love affairs and never recover, more than a boxing match.”

“Money is a good thing, but every morning, you have to get up with something no one else in the world gets up with – that’s that image. That face you see in the mirror, you got to love it, and you better do some things that you feel good about inside of you. Of course, money is going to come, but make certain that you do some good with it.”

Miscellaneous

“All my sons are named George Foreman. They all know where they came from.”

“Just look at the great Nelson Mandela. He came out of prison and saved his entire country. Some of the best people in the world have spent time in prison.”

“Everybody wants to be somebody. The thing you have to do is give them confidence they can. You have to give a kid a dream.”

“Preaching is the most original thing I’ve ever done. There’s nothing familiar about it. You have to be brave.”

“As a child, I was sometimes so hungry that I used to dream that one day I’d get locked in a grocery store.”

“When I was a kid in Houston, we were so poor we couldn’t afford the last two letters, so we called ourselves po’.”

“Evil lurks where disappointment lodges.”

Colin Morrison

A boxing fan since his teenage years, Morrison began writing about the sport in July 2016. He appreciates all styles of boxing and has nothing but respect for those who get in the ring for our entertainment. Morrison is from Scotland and can be found on Twitter @Morrie1981.

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