06/14/2023
🥊 “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. George can’t hit what his eyes can’t see. Now you see me, now you don’t. He thinks he will, but I know he won’t. They tell me George is good, but I’m twice as nice. And I’m gonna stick to his butt like white on rice.”
speaking in 1974 prior to the ‘rumble in the jungle’ meeting in which Big George would be expected to defend his titles,both the WBC and WBA successfully for the third time. As we all know Muhammad would again shock the world with his victory,he would also claim back the titles he had never officially lost inside the squared ring. The loss would send Foreman into a downward spiral ultimately resulting in him walking away from boxing for a ten year hiatus during which time George would preach on street corners,give away all his riches and become an evangelist minister. He would return to boxing in 1987 with a completely different personality and outlook at life. A smiling happy George woukd firstly receive ridicule and then praise for his achievement in winning the heavyweight title at 45 years old in 1994. Redemption was complete both inside and out of the ring.
Years later Big George would say ‘I remember I was preaching on the street one night, many years ago. I’d gained pounds, cut off all my hair; no one recognised me, I was just a crazy man on the street corner. So I started to say, “Yes, this is George Foreman. I was the heavyweight world champion,” but people kept walking. Then I said, “I fought Muhammad Ali,” and they stopped. Right then I realised that this guy was helping me carry my message, that he was a real blessing — not because he beat me, but because he was in my life at all.
Ali and I spent so many years in opposite camps, then, all of a sudden, 32 years ago, we realised there was only ever one camp. Boy, we missed a lot of precious years, but for 32 years now we’ve been closer than white on rice.’ 👌🥊