During his long ring campaign, George Foreman entertained fans worldwide, compiling a record of 76-5. Of those 76 wins, 68 came by knockout. George’s 89% KO ratio saw him justifiably regarded as one of the hardest-punching heavyweights in the history of boxing. With two world title-winning nights and three title defenses on his record, Big George could fix any fight with his electrifying power.
Contesting bouts in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s, Foreman KO’d rivals across the decades. There are some very good compilations of his knockouts on YouTube, so check those out if you are interested in maybe watching them all.
This piece will list five of the big man’s best. A spectacular KO is a spectacular KO, but in putting this collection together, I have taken into account the explosiveness of the finishing punches, along with the quality of opposition and the meaningfulness of the fight. Enjoy the KOs!
5. Foreman vs. Adilson Rodrigues, June 16, 1990, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Having returned to boxing in 1987 after a ten-year hiatus, this contest was Foreman’s 22nd of his comeback run. Of the previous 21 opponents, only one had heard the final bell. George was KOing them all but knew he had to keep impressing to be granted a title shot.
Brazilian Adilson Rodrigues was the next man up. He entered the Caesars Palace ring with a respectable 36-3 record. 11 months prior to facing Foreman, Evander Holyfield had knocked out Rodrigues in the second round. Could Big George better that?
As it turned out, he could match it. Rodrigues tried to remain mobile to avoid harm’s way, but Foreman tracked him down near the end of the second session. A couple of short right hands had Rodrigues disorganized, and when he lowered his guard to throw something back, Foreman cleaned him out with a left hook. Rodrigues tried to get up, but he wasn’t the first or last to still be scrambling around on the deck helplessly when the referee reached ten, having felt the full force of a George Foreman punch on the chin.
4. Foreman vs. Gerry Cooney, January 15, 1990, Convention Center, Atlantic City
Foreman’s return to the ring was gathering pace when he was matched with former title challenger Gerry Cooney in early 1990. It had been eight years since Cooney had faced Larry Holmes for the title, and he had been inactive, but he was still a well-known name to hardcore and casual fans alike. At 28-2, Cooney’s record passed the eye test, and he still carried dangerous power.
However, the power Foreman detonated that night handed Cooney his third pro defeat. It was over quickly. After having some success with a left hook in the opening session, Cooney had his tail up. Foreman soon ended any hopes of a famous upset. Two left uppercuts followed by three right hands had Cooney on the canvas with 1:22 remaining in round two. Gerry managed to beat the count, and the fight continued.
The very next punch that landed was a bone-rattling left uppercut from Foreman, which had Cooney asleep on his feet. One more punch landed as Cooney fell to the mat before referee Joe Cortez waved the fight off. Cooney was out cold. You could watch knockouts on YouTube all day and not witness a better punch than the left uppercut from Foreman, which settled this particular argument. Cooney never boxed again.
3. Foreman vs. Ken Norton, March 26, 1974, El Poliedro, Caracas, Venezuela
Foreman made the second defense of his world crown against 30-2 Norton. Norton was well respected and regarded as a dangerous foe, having shared the ring twice with Ali at this point – one narrow win, one narrow loss.
On paper, it looked like a stern examination for Foreman, but he passed the test with flying colors. An even first round didn’t give any clues about what was imminent. In round two, Foreman teed off on Norton with a series of right hands, which staggered the challenger and had him using the ropes to stay up. The referee administered an eight count. When the action resumed, Norton was discombobulated and took a right to the body and a left to the head. He wobbled again, and the referee broke the fighters but quickly ordered the action to continue.
A left hand and a right uppercut from George sent Norton down heavily. He tried to get up, but his brain had been short-circuited. Norton’s corner requested the fight be stopped as the count was nearing ten. It was a wise move. Foreman had absolutely destroyed a future Hall of Famer.
2. Foreman vs. Frazier 1, January 22, 1973, National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica
This was the night George Foreman captured the heavyweight title for the first time. Joe Frazier was 29-0 and formidable. He was making the fifth defense of the title against Big George. It was one he wouldn’t survive. Frazier was down six times during the bout, which was halted in the second round. The second knockdown, a monstrous right uppercut, really sealed his fate as he struggled with his balance from that point.
After the sixth and final knockdown – there was no three-knockdown rule in place for this bout – the referee intervened, and Foreman was the world’s new champion. The seemingly unbeatable Frazier has been unceremoniously dispatched. Foreman utilized his entire arsenal in his destruction of Frazier. Combination punching, left hooks, and right uppercuts were to the fore as Big George shocked the world.
1. Foreman vs. Michael Moorer, November 5, 1994, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
The night Foreman regained the title he had lost 20 years earlier. This bout capped off Big George’s second act. It was fitting he sealed the deal with a big right hand. The right hand was needed, as Moorer was comfortably out-boxing Big George for most of the nine and a bit rounds that preceded it. Moorer, 19 years younger than Foreman, employed a hit-and-move strategy. 45-year-old George was struggling.
But all it takes is one moment. In round ten, Foreman was able to keep Moorer in the pocket a bit longer. Was Moorer tiring or becoming complacent? A jab stung the champion, and his chin was exposed momentarily. Using years of accumulated muscle memory, Foreman timed the right hand to perfection to send Moorer to the floor. The champion was flat on his back and would not beat the count.
George Foreman was once again the heavyweight champion of the world. When asked, years later, if the Moorer fight had been fixed, Big George quipped: “Sure it was fixed, I fixed it with a right hand!”
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