George Foreman (January 10,1949-March 21,2025) was far more than an unforgettable, legendary boxer. He stood as an undeniable icon that was praised by many for his power in the ring, but also his tremendous success outside of the ring. Foreman skyrocketed to fame in the 1968 Olympics, where he ended up winning gold for the U.S. Foreman then went on to establish himself as the heavyweight champion of the world with an iconic knockout victory over Joe Frazier in 1973. Following a shocking loss when he squared up against Muhammad Ali in the notorious, “Rumble in the Jungle”, he took a step back from boxing, only to proceed to make a comeback in the 40s.
He reclaimed his heavyweight title in 1994. His achievements outside the ring involved his successful reinvention of himself as an avid entrepreneur, where he famously ended up lending his name to the George Foreman Grill. His epic journey from a widely feared fighter to a deeply loved businessman and also a preacher is a true testament to both his resilience and his ability to never stop with the profound process of reinventing himself. We’ll now take a look at some of the most memorable quotes that George Foreman left behind as part of his legacy.
1. On reminiscing about good past memories
“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.”
2. On heroes’ wounds
“Heroes always have their scars. Some you can see, some you read about later on.”
3. On shedding negativity
“That’s my gift. I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck’s back. If it’s not positive, I didn’t hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy.”
4. On fear and boxing
“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.”
5. On learning to sell
“If you learn to sell, it’s worth more than a degree. It’s worth more than the heavyweight championship of the world. It’s even more important than having a million dollars in the bank. Learn to sell, and you’ll never starve.”
6. On life passing you by
“It’s strange because you – your life goes so swiftly. You look up one day you’re a teenager, the next day you’re a grandfather and you want to decide, ‘I sure hope my kids don’t make the same mistakes.”
7. On valuing your name
“Put your name on something, it better be the best, you only get one shot.”
8. On forgiveness
“Forgiveness is that subtle thread that binds both love and friendship. Without forgiveness, you may not even have a child one day.”
9. On pigeons
“I love the pigeons. I just raise them, period, and feed them. Pigeons go away, and they always come back. You get a touch of freedom, and then they are free to come back to you. I love the idea of pigeons.”
10. On telling our loved ones we love them
“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, kisses while they are alive and need it.”
11. On raising children
“In raising children, life brings forth those things where you do what you should never have done and what I taught you never to do. And when my kids have done those things, I just kind of look at them and say, ‘Now you know life.”
12. On improving in working out
“As you get better and better 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.”
13. On how love can hurt
“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.”
14. On dreading handshakes
“I dread handshakes. I’ve got some problems with my hands, and everywhere I go, people want to impress me with their grip. To make it worse, now women are coming up with that firm shake.”
15. On leaving everything in the ring
“The fighters who give it all will be around for next year. Give it all you’ve got. Don’t save anything.”
16. On boxing needing a personality
“The sport needs a personality, not a fighter. We’ve got plenty of great fighters in the sport, but no personalities. No one is standing for anything. The last personality we had was Mike Tyson. He stood for something. It wasn’t much, but he stood for something.”
17. On the Olympic Gold medal in 1968
“The Olympic Gold medal in 1968 was definitely the highest moment of my career. It was a dream come true. I was a 19-year-old boy, and it was just amazing to be standing on top of the podium and hearing the National Anthem in the background.”
