By George: the autobiography of George Foreman

312 Pages·2016·36.49 MB·English

by  Foreman George

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE FOREMAN
AND JOEL ENGEL
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No athlete has captured America's dreams and imag-
ination as has George Foreman. When barely out of
his teens in 1968, he startled the world by winning
an Olympic gold medal in Mexico City. In his earlytwen-
ties, he brutally destroyed the seemingly invincible
Joe Frazier to capture boxing's heavyweight champi-
onship. Not long after, in Zaire, he was on the oppo-
site end of a startling upset, losing his crown to
Muhammad Ali. By 1977. Foreman had quit fighting,
undergone a religious conversion, and begun preach-
ing on Texas street corners.
Which is where George Foreman's story
doesn't end. but practically begins. A decade later, in
order to raise money for his beloved Houston youth
center, he shocked the sports community by return-
ing to the ring. They laughed at this large, middle-
aged man. but George Foreman turned their snickers
into awestruck cheers. In November 1994. at the age
of forty-five and against all odds, he recaptured box-
ing's crown.
Now, in By George. Foreman tells the incredi-
ble story of his triumphs, defeats, and comeback. He
writes openly of his troubled childhood, the rage
that fueled his early athletic triumphs, his many
marriages, and his communion with God. which has
so permeated his adulthood. How George Foreman
has not only survived but prevailed is one of*'i > ost
inspiring, unforgettable sagas of our time.
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Digitized by the Internet Archive
2010
in
http://www.archive.org/details/bygeorgeautobiogOOfore
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The
Autobiography
George Foreman
of
GEORGE
FOREMAN
and Engel
Joel
VILLARD BOOKS
NEW YORK
1995
Copyright© 1995 byGeorge Foreman
All rights reserved underInternational and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. Published in the United States byVillard Books, a division of
Random House, Inc., NewYork, and simultaneously in Canada by
Random House ofCanada Limited,Toronto.
Villard Books is a registered trademarkofRandom House, Inc.
Aleatherbound, signed firstedition ofthis book
has been published bythe Easton Press.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to DwarfMusic forpermission
to reprint fourlines fi-om "Rainy DayWomen 12 and 35" by Bob Dylan.
Copyright © 1966 by DwarfMusic. Reprinted bypermission.
LibraryofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Foreman, George
ByGeorge the autobiographyofGeorge Foreman /
:
by George Foreman and Joel Engel.
p. cm.
ISBN 0—-679-44394-0 (alk. paper) —
1. Foreman, Ge—orge Biography. 2. Boxers (Sports) United
States Biography. I. Engel, Joel. II. Tide.
GVI132.F65A3 1995
796.8'3'092—<lc20
[B] 95-7693
Manufacturedin the UnitedStatesofAmerica on acid-freepaper
24689753
FIRSTTRADE EDITION
Bookdesi£in byCaroleLowenstein
-%
9? Koreman
Foreman, George, 1949
By George
6/95
To my wife,Joan, who wastheanswerto myprayers.
She camealon^when Ineede—dher
and£iave me the bestreason ofallto live and to love life.
—
George Foreman
To myfather-in-law,Joe Blindman,
who on November5 celebratedhisfirstbirthdayawayfrom us
bycheeringfrom a ringsideseatin heaven.
—
Joel Engel