Since his retirement former heavyweight boxing champ George Foreman has been a busy man. He’s promoted his ever-popular George Foreman grill, Meineke auto repair shops, became a minister and rancher and raised his family – including his five sons famously named George. (Jr, III, IV, V, V1). Three of his sons have joined him in the fight promotion business (called what else, Foreman Boys Productions) and this weekend in Dallas, one of their marquee events is about to take place. Undefeated WBO featherweight champ Mikey Garcia (31-0, 25 KO’s) will take on former WBO featherweight champ Juan Manuel Lopez (33-2, 30 KO’s) at the American Airlines Arena this Saturday night in the first “HBO After Dark” fight that to be broadcast from Dallas.
Foreman says no matter the outcome of the fight, life is good.
“I’m doing really good,” he told The Tom Joyner Morning Show. Joyner will attend Saturday’s fight with his sons in Foreman’s box. “Everything is going just fine. I like the idea of being on the opposite of the boxing ring – this time outside the ring. “HBO After Dark” will be there with George Foreman and his sons – George and George, but I told George to stay out of it. George is in it too, but three is enough plus me that’s four,” Foreman jokes. If it’s hard to keep up with all the Georges, it may also be hard to keep up with the punches as both men are known for their counterpunching and their dominant knockout records. ‘
“I’m really curious about this too,” Foreman says. “You live by the left hook, you get knocked out by the left hook. You put that thing out there, you expose your chin. Joe Frazier never stopped throwing that left hook in that fight [vs. Ali] finally he knocked him down but he got up, though. I like watching fighters who throw that left hook. It’s daring.”
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When Sybil questioned whether or not Black fighters were still dominant, Foreman gave his perspective.
“Everyone got accustomed to heavyweights, and for a long time George Forman, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and all of us were on the scene. But in the lighter weights, a lot of guys just don’t go in. You have to be a big guy – football type player to be a heavyweight. That’s where that distinction comes in. But we’ve had a lot of fighters from all over that weight division in the lighter weights. Sugar Ray Robinson ruled the welterweight division.”
While Foreman came back to win the heavyweight title at 45, becoming the oldest man to do so, it’s unlikely there will be another comeback. Foreman blew out 64 candles on his birthday cake this year. But he says he did consider it some years ago.
“I told my wife I was going back at 55 .I was all set, in the gym working out and just as I was about to go back, she said ‘You’re not going back into boxing.’ I said ‘No one tell me what to do.’ Well, I never went back. I told her I could still do it. And she said “That’s how you want to leave the sport, feeling like you can still do it.” I was really in some of the best condition of my life at that age, but once in a while somebody has to tell you ‘Do something new. You can’t do the same thing forever.’ Let me get on the radio, that’s what I want to do. I’m in training.”
The Garcia/Lopez fight will air on “HBO After Dark” on Saturday, June 15 starting at 10:45 p.m. Tickets for the fight at the American Airlines arena are still available here.
