In memory of former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman.
WHEREAS, The life of a legendary boxing champion, minister,
and businessman drew to a close with the passing of George Foreman
on March 21, 2025, at the age of 76; and
WHEREAS, George Edward Foreman was born in Marshall on
January 10, 1949, the son of J. D. and Nancy Ree Foreman, and he
grew up in Houston’s Fifth Ward in a family that included six
siblings; after becoming involved in petty crime and dropping out
of school, he turned his life around by joining the Job Corps at age
16 and taking up boxing shortly thereafter; within a year and a half
of first lacing up the gloves, he won the heavyweight division gold
medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics; he then entered the pro ranks,
fighting as many as a dozen times per year; nicknamed “Big George”
for his six-foot, four-inch stature, he possessed fearsome punching
power and built an impressive record of 37 wins and 0 losses,
including 34 knockouts, before earning a shot at the world title in
January 1973; and
WHEREAS, Facing undisputed heavyweight champion Joe Frazier
in Kingston, Jamaica, Mr. Foreman dominated his opponent from the
opening bell, flooring him six times in the span of just one and a
half rounds in a bout that was immortalized by broadcaster Howard
Cosell’s call of “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”; claiming
the championship belt at age 24, Mr. Foreman went on to
successfully defend his title twice before entering the ring
against Muhammad Ali on October 30, 1974; billed as “the Rumble in
the Jungle” for its location in Kinshasa, Zaire, the fight was one
of the most-watched bouts in boxing history; Mr. Foreman was
favored, but Ali employed his famous “rope-a-dope” technique and
pulled off the upset via a knockout in the eighth round; over the
next few years, Mr. Foreman fought six times, winning five of the
contests, but after experiencing a spiritual awakening in 1977, he
retired from the ring from the first time; and
WHEREAS, For the next decade, Mr. Foreman focused on his work
as an ordained Christian minister in Houston and started the George
Foreman Youth and Community Center in the Aldine area; in 1987, he
returned to boxing with the goal of becoming champion again; he
reeled off 24 straight wins before dropping a title bout decision to
Evander Holyfield in 1991; three years later, he made history when
he knocked out defending champion Michael Moorer with a powerful
jab-cross combination, becoming, at age 45, the oldest person to
win the heavyweight title; he retired from boxing for good in 1997,
ending his hall of fame career with a record of 76-5, including 68
knockouts; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Foreman launched a second career as a commercial
pitchman in 1994, when he began endorsing the George Foreman Grill,
a hugely successful product that proved far more lucrative for him
than boxing; with his wide smile and gregarious personality, he
also appeared in other television ads and programs and briefly
starred in the sitcom George in the mid-1990s; a movie based on his
life, Big George Foreman, was released in 2023; he is survived by
his wife, Mary Joan Martelly, his five sons, all named George, his
six daughters, Natalie, Leola, Michi, Georgetta, Isabella, and
Courtney, and his 15 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, One of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time,
George Foreman was beloved for his warmth, humility, and sense of
purpose, and his myriad achievements, both in and out of the ring,
will continue to be remembered and admired for years to come; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of George Foreman and
extend sincere condolences to the members of his family; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of George
Foreman.
