Maybe not the best technical fighter ever, but maybe the hardest hitting fighter of all-time. Foreman pretty much clubbed his opponents into submission and he was so powerful that often fighters could see his punches coming and try to block them but it was still like getting hit with a sledge hammer. Foreman cleaned some pretty good fighters clocks, such as Frazier but just happened to run into maybe the best and smartest boxer of all-time in Ali. He was a great fighter and deserves to be recognized as one of the best.

Best knockout puncher ever

Big George was actually two people with two separate careers and was the biggest, baddest puncher, and became heavyweight champion in both of them. The first George Foreman we got to know as the flag-toting heavyweight gold medalist at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Within a couple short years he was the terror of the heavyweight division, and a man with no friends and a tremendous chip on his shoulder. A long string one and two round knockouts set up a match with an admittedly out of shape, post-Ali at Madison Square Garden, Joe Frazier, that saw George, in all of his terror and ferocity, dribbling the once great champion off the campus like a basketball to earn his first title age of twenty four. When foreman did the same thing to the powerful ex-Marine Ken Norton, things did not look good for Muhammed Ali as he prepared for their fight in Zaire, South Africa in 1974. Although the only two loses in Ali's Career at that point came at the hands of the aforementioned Frazier and Norton, Ali again proved to be the giant killer by defeating Foreman and sending his mental state into a downward spiral. The bully defeated and his psyche savaged, George found Jesus in the dressing room after his loss to Jimmy Young, became a preacher, and wasn't heard from for another ten years. The "new" George emerged as an affible, smiling, super-sized portion, completely berift off his bully image and his fear of anything. He had God on his side and still possessed the power of a wrecking ball in his huge fists. George said that he was out to win back the title. We were bombarded with an avalanche of fat jokes and old jokes, but on his second try (after seriously challenging the rock hard Evander Holyfield for seven rounds, causing the champ to revert to hit and hold, hit and run tactics in order to preserve his title) knocked out Michael Moorer, fulfilling his profecy to become the oldest heavyweight champ at the age of 45. He later suffered two controversial loses including one to a very scared and suddenly fleet-footed Tommy Morrison which cost him his piece of the title, and was totally robbed in a decision after battering Shannon Briggs for twelve round while attempting to line up a shot at Lennox Lewis. George, sensing that something was rotton in the state of boxing, (What else is new?) traded in his gloves for a microphone and went on to earn millions selling his famous grill. As a heavyweight fighter, I'd have to rank George number two all time behind Ali. He could do extensive damage with either hand, and his later career saw him develop on of the hardest jabs in the history of the game to go along with his power punches. His chin was rarelt tested as Big George usually did most of the hitting, but he put on an awesome display of grit by remaining upright as Evander Holyfield landed nearly twenty unanswered uppercuts in one of the later rounds during their encounter. The big man could deliver a meaningful body blow merely by hitting his opponents on their arms, with the power registering Richter Scale like vibrations throughout the hapless victims body. Had George fought Mike Tyson, I can envision a replay of the Norton and Frazier fights, which was almost surely the vision Mike saw as he wisely chose to duck the big man. Simply put, Big George Foreman, in both of his careers, was the scariest man in the ring and the results of nearly all of his fights were the same; George standing over a beaten opponent, and the opponent thanking God that he was still able to breath.

We need to remember that Foreman initially claimed he was drugged by his manager when he lost to Ali. It sounds suspicious, given how crooked boxing can be.

I remember this guy fighting a championship match and winning, after the fight he was talking about his George Foreman Grill and how he would become a salesman. The guy was probably in his 40's. I'm not a big fan of Boxing but the guy has been around forever and still was great at what he did.

His longevity alone makes him a legend. I saw him fight first in his later, more comical years. I then saw him fight back in the day against Frazier in Jamaica. He was absolutely terrifying and had a mean streak that many boxers have but few perfect, only Sonny Liston was more intimidating. And those punches, no little arm snaps from George, every punch was a haymaker and he was especially punishing with those looping, club-like body shots. I'd give him a five alone for that, his second coming be damned.

he was a great puncher as most of his first 35 or so boxers he faced will tell you. I like how one guy here mentions that foreman barely got through the first 2 rounds with norton. norton was knocked senseless in the 2nd round. anyway completely mentally/physically destroyed by Ali. when he retired I would have judged him like Liston. A bully who got beat. his comeback made him a better boxer and person and him winning the title again and holding it for a couple of years. and therefor i rank him in the top 10 of heavyweights of all time

Im going to rate him high because of his intestinal fortitude. He came back after a 10 year layoff. Defied all the critics, his most landmark fight other than Moorer's was that gritty 12 rd decision loss against a prime real deal Holyfiend that solidified that Big George is back. I read someone say he is overrated. Yeah ok. Nice comment. What happens if he stays fighting and becomes a has been after his loss to Jimmy Young, we would no longer be having a Foreman conversation. Point is everyone can be upset and i most certainly would wanna be upset by Ali that Buster Sea Food Buffet Douglas. Ask Lennox Lewis why he ducked Foreman, he'll tell you some bogus story when it's really about his glass jaw. Ask any other heavyweight player why they never gave George a fight in the 1995 to 1997 range. Great fighter unbelievable heart.

Foreman's claim to fame is his raw punching power. Geroge is an extremely big boned fighter and this is what made him a decent heavyweight with lots of raw punching power. Ali showed that it takes more than raw power to be great . And Ali had the brains to dethrone George. George is one tough fighter.

SIZE AND POWER DOES MATTER. Long live Big George Foreman.

I used to rate Young Foreman a lot higher until I really started examining his record and watching a lot of his fights. Now I think he may have been a bit overrated. His prime really lasted exactly two fights - Frazier I and Norton. And in the Norton fight he didn't look very good, wasn't in great shape. It was his awesome punching power and Norton's suspect chin that got him through that fight in two rounds. That night he beat the crap out of Frazier in their first fight, if you take Foreman THAT night he probably beats any heavyweight in history except for Ali and maybe one or two others. But George Foreman never came close to rising to that level ever again. Since his prime was so short, I have knock him down a few pegs, though Old George Foreman moves him up a bit.

Great fighter. I would have loved to seen him kill Ali. He destroyed Joe Frazier. He is the best.

One of the greatest, worthy of mention with names like Holyfield and Holmes, after the Moorer fight, the head of that class. Let me be more specific, the fourth greatest Heavyweight of all-time (behind Ali, Louis, & Marciano), with Holyfield, Holmes, & Jack Johnson in a three way for fifth). Leaving Lewis, Walcott & Frazier at eight. Dempsey, Tyson, & Liston tied for eleven. Patterson at fourteen. Norton & Bowe round out my top 16 True Heavies w/ a tie for the 15. Moore & Jones, Jr. the greatest Light Heavies.

As a young headcase, he was beaten by Jimmy Young; possibly nobody in any field has ever equalled his comeback.

big george's only downfall is that ali was born. otherwise he would have the greatest!!!! look at him !! becoming the champ after 10 years off!!! and 46 or 48 years old !!! kinda makes ya think how great ali really was when he beat george in his prime !!?? scary thought for the guys he beat in the nineties eh? imagine if they had to face him in the seventies??

he had alot of strength i saw forman on tv when forman upercutted frazier and frazier was 6 inches off the ground he was powerful to bad he got beaten by ali or i would give him a five star instead of a four

all george forman had was power, but dammit he had a LOT of it! and all that power got foreman the heavyweight title twice (or was it three times? im not sure). and during the start and midpoint of his career, he was kind of moody and mean. but that changed along with his age. but his power did change one bit, and sometimes, just sometimes, a helluva lot of power is all u need to win, all u need to be on top, all u need to be one of the greatest. .... Sidenote: he beat the living hell out of joe frazier, with all respect due to mr. fazier.

Had raw power. If he knew how to fight, he might have been one of the best.

Foreman was a never a great fighter, as there was nothing special about him except his devastating punching power. Stopped Frazier [even though he was considerably younger than Frazier] in 2 rounds the first time round[as he would later KO Frazier in the 5th in 1976]. Then his fight record was 37-0 going into the "Rumble in the Jungle" with Muhammad Ali. Foreman went into the fight favourite and probably thought he was going to destroy him himself then Ali pulled off a miracle, he KO'd Foreman in the 8th round thanks to great ring tactics. Foreman was now inactive for the whole of 1975 then came back in 76 and 77 and then retired from 78-86 coming back to win the WBA and IBF off Micheal Moorer at a record breaking age of 47. Truly a champ. Long live George!.

Could you put another burger on George? He's contemplating a comeback at 55. Looking at the state of boxing today he might actually make a run. Ok, maybe a slow shuffle.

extremely staunch, no doubt

Hardest puncher next to mike tyson.he had punching power in both hands.wasnt the most skillful boxer.

Anytime great heavyweight are mentioned Foreman name will always be mentioned. His power dominated the heavyweight division like only a hand full of fighters in history. He was thought to be unbeatable. What he did in later years was unbelievable. The night he knocked out Frazier he was pretty scary.

Foreman should have beat Ali and he would have beat Ali in a rematch. Even though I like Holyfield as the best, I want to give Foreman a 5 as well.

I think he was a good fighter. Youve got the respect him coming back and winning the title!

would gave him 5 but a washed up Ali showed that it takes more than raw power to be great boxer ....but a all time legend he pumbled them all even at 40...they were scared of him

Best puncher of all time.

George wasnt just a bully he got up against Lyle to win losing to Young is no shame Ali almost lost to Young too then he came back to the 90s and gave the youngsters a run for their money theres a reason Tyson wanted no part of George even at 40+ All the 70s heavys were real fighters

he boxes too? and all this time I thought he was just a great BBQ cook....

I don't think Foreman hit any harder than Marciano, Liston, Shavers or Tyson. But his KO% is higher, so he found ways to get to difficult fighters the others didn't. But then there was Jimmy Young. You CANNOT assess the career of George Foreman and not mention what happened against Jimmy Young. Elusive, pitty-patting Jimmy Young not only beat Foreman but knocked him down. The Ali defeat showed Foreman was not invincible, and the Young fight proved this vulnerabilty was a glaring one, one that precludes him from being considered in the top ten heavies all time. And he was NOT a better fighter when he came back after a ten year layoff, although he used his jab and paced himself much better, his power was greatly diminished as was his speed, which had never been special anyway---he only looked better because he wasn't fighting the likes of Ali, Young and Lyle. George beats any fighter he can hit, so in his prime he beats Louis and he beats Marciano and he beats Liston and he beats Holyfield, but he loses to Johnson and Ali and Holmes, and probably even Tunney. George just could not box with the boxers, and what happened with Young was not an aberration, but defined who he was as a man and a prizefighter.

THE hardest puncher of all-time. More powerful than Sonny Liston, Mike Tyson, and Ernie Shavers. Foreman was a complete beast in the ring. One of the most intimidating boxers to enter the ring, who beat good opposition. Most significan victory was his demolishion of Joe Frazier. Completely overpowered the all-time great. Retired, then regained the heavyweight crown at the age of 45.

Was an ass as a young man and it proved to be his downfall. Limited school but was the firt true "Super Heavyweight" and could punch with anyone at anytime. Just ask Micheal Moorer.

Good boxer, great grill!!!!!

I remember when Foreman was starting his comeback I was a teenager - and while I had heard of him - I had never gotten the chance to see him in action. What most impressed me about this guy - even in his forties - was his raw punching power. I remember seeing this fat old guy whaling on someone 15 years his junior. With a Foreman punch, it doesn't matter if you block it or not... it still inflicts damage. A friend of mine compared the force of his blows to someone swinging a sledge hammer... just awesome, sick, power. I would have loved to see him back in the day...

He could hit with devastating force in the ring, yet he was a real gentleman, even when he was young. When he was into his forties, he got into the ring again and put on a good performance. He always seemed like more of a real man than that insufferable loud mouth, Cassius Clay/Ali.

Foreman may say some idiotic things for entertainment sake, but there was nothing goofy about the man when he was in the ring. He most likely would have dominated most eras other than his own. Great fighter in the 70's. The best thing I can say about his comeback was that he proved just how weak the era that saw Holyfield become champion really was. At his age they still couldn't hurt him. It was absurd.

awesome power, very good boxing skills, Incredible chin. He got better with age! I'm fortunate to have been around in his era and see him fight.

Give George props for longevity, and for pure punching power there aren't many that I'd put in the same league.

Very good during his prime -- even better as a senior citizen!