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Okla-homey
11/5/2009, 07:39 AM
November 5, 1994: George Foreman becomes oldest heavyweight champ in history

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/1296/forep1foreman0825.jpg

15 years ago today, on November 5, 1994, 45-year-old George Foreman knocks out 26-year-old Michael Moorer and becomes the oldest heavyweight champ in the history of boxing.

Foreman had been the champ once before, until Muhammed Ali took the belt from him in 1974’s "Rumble in the Jungle," but he’d taken 10 years off from boxing to become an evangelical preacher, pitchman for mufflers and hamburgers, and sitcom star.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9321/fore6a00d834517b5669e20.jpg
Foreman vs. Ali in 1974

Moorer, for his part, was a young lefty with a 35-0 record who expected to coast through the bout, collect a hefty paycheck and retire a champion. And he was coasting through the bout, until Foreman floored him in the 10th round. Though the older man was no longer the fighter he had once been, he was fighter enough: As one columnist observed, that day Moorer "floated like an elephant and got his trunk shoved down his throat."

The fight almost didn’t happen: At first, the World Boxing Association had refused to sanction it, mostly because of Foreman’s age but also in part because of his abysmal record in recent fights. Foreman’s promoter sued the W.B.A. and won, on the grounds that age discrimination is illegal, and the fight was allowed to proceed.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/172/foregeorgeforeman.jpg

When Foreman entered the ring at the M-G-M Grand in Las Vegas that night, he wore the same red velour shorts he’d worn in Zaire 20 years before. ("These are the shorts that I fought in when I was heavyweight champion of the world," he explained. "They are short and make you look a little chubby, but I fought Muhammed Ali in these shorts.")

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4310/foreboxgforemanmoorer30.jpg

Moorer, by contrast, wore a brand-new pair of shiny gold trunks. From the beginning of the fight, he seemed to have the advantage: He was 19 years younger, 28 pounds lighter and a whole lot quicker. On all three judges’ scorecards, he was in the lead for nine rounds, and he’d rattled Foreman with 259 sharp right jabs. (He threw 641 punches in all; Foreman threw only 369.)

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/172/foregeorgeforeman.jpg

But Foreman had a plan. He worried that if he knocked Moorer down too early in the fight, the younger man would have time to bounce back. So he bided his time, and in the 10th he got his chance: He clocked Moorer hard and straight on the chin with his right. Moorer was down for the count, and the middle-aged Foreman was the champ.

Today, the affable Foreman is still a minister and rancher in Texas and the father of five daughters and five sons named George. He’s also the spokesman for the incredibly popular line of George Foreman indoor grills.

TUSooner
11/5/2009, 08:38 AM
I've never understood why the man named all five sons George. I like George the Dad, but that's just screwy.

Partial Qualifier
11/5/2009, 10:39 AM
They had an overhead video camera that captured a great view of Moorer as he lay on the floor.. his eyes were open, but.. nobody was home

Sooner04
11/5/2009, 10:48 AM
I met my wife in 2002. She lived in Flower Mound, but she grew up in Kingwood, Texas. Anyhow, I'm talking to her Mom (my M-I-L now) one day and she mentioned how a friend of hers was George's interior decorator. My M-I-L got to go over to George's house many times with her friend and look around at the extravagant cars, carpeted garage and all that stuff.

Anyhow, at the end of the conversation she casually mentions that George flew her and her friend to Vegas for a fight one time because he was so happy with her work. The conversation went something like this:

M-I-L: Oh yeah, he flew us to Vegas to watch one of his fights too.

04: Which one?

M-I-L: I don't remember. All I know is that he wore his old shorts.

04: THE MICHAEL MOORER FIGHT?!?!

M-I-L: Yeah. That's the one.

04: [faints]


In 1994, you could listen to those PPV channels with a scrambled picture. So me, my 12-year-old self, is sitting there listening to Foreman just get stomped from one side of the ring to the other. But then.......the overhand right!

I'll never forget Jim Lampley's call. He was so stunned all he could keep saying was "IT HAPPENED! IT HAPPENED!"

I miss big-time boxing. I really do.

NormanPride
11/5/2009, 11:11 AM
I think boxing died that day for me. It was like "well, now we've seen it all".

Oh well.

TUSooner
11/5/2009, 11:14 AM
Youtube of the Moorer KO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0SONoA5L1g

As much as I disliked Muhammad Ali for several reasons, boxing was never the same without him.

Sooner04
11/5/2009, 11:56 AM
You can see Moorer get tipsy after the first combination. Then Big George peppered him with it again and flushed it right on the jaw.

KC//CRIMSON
11/5/2009, 12:29 PM
I met my wife in 2002. She lived in Flower Mound, but she grew up in Kingwood, Texas. Anyhow, I'm talking to her Mom (my M-I-L now) one day and she mentioned how a friend of hers was George's interior decorator. My M-I-L got to go over to George's house many times with her friend and look around at the extravagant cars, carpeted garage and all that stuff.

Anyhow, at the end of the conversation she casually mentions that George flew her and her friend to Vegas for a fight one time because he was so happy with her work. The conversation went something like this:

M-I-L: Oh yeah, he flew us to Vegas to watch one of his fights too.

04: Which one?

M-I-L: I don't remember. All I know is that he wore his old shorts.

04: THE MICHAEL MOORER FIGHT?!?!

M-I-L: Yeah. That's the one.

04: [faints]


In 1994, you could listen to those PPV channels with a scrambled picture. So me, my 12-year-old self, is sitting there listening to Foreman just get stomped from one side of the ring to the other. But then.......the overhand right!

I'll never forget Jim Lampley's call. He was so stunned all he could keep saying was "IT HAPPENED! IT HAPPENED!"

I miss big-time boxing. I really do.

Its not boxing, but you really need to watch/record Fedor Emelianenko fight this Saturday night on CBS. The guy is the best in the world and absolutely unbelievable.

Sooner04
11/5/2009, 02:12 PM
Its not boxing, (<------) but you really need to watch/record Fedor Emelianenko fight this Saturday night on CBS. The guy is the best in the world and absolutely unbelievable.
If you'll look at the arrow above you'll notice the PRECISE moment you lost me.

:)

I've just got no use for the MMA stuff. Tried it, hated it.

KC//CRIMSON
11/5/2009, 02:24 PM
That's cool, its not for everyone. See you on the flipside, Holmes.

royalfan5
11/5/2009, 06:21 PM
In Teddy Atlas's book, the chapter on this fight is fantastic. George had Moorer psyched out from from the first press conference. Foreman slowly shortened his jab all night to suck Moorer in, and fought solely for the knock-out and it worked perfectly. Moorer was tailor-made for Foreman to take out. I was crushed when this happened as I was a huge Moorer fan. It's too bad Moorer was such a head case, as he was exceptionally talented.

Rogue
11/5/2009, 10:04 PM
Heh. I wish boxing would make a comeback. The first and last PPV fight we got in college was the Tyson-earbiting-Holyfield fight. The sweet science is for real. Watching Floyd Mayweather dismantle guys these days is still pretty good entertainment. Besides being a lightning fast puncher, watching him dodge, juke and jive faster than most guys can punch is just amazing.

Rogue
11/5/2009, 10:04 PM
And that...was 10k.

stoopified
11/6/2009, 04:00 PM
I got all excited for nothing.I thought I was going to see a photo of a certain fat,liberal slug stretched out unconcious after pi$$ing off the Grill Man.

hellogoodbye
11/6/2009, 04:12 PM
Incredible the amount of punishment he could take in that fight. I know he had a reason for it, but seeing him stand there in the corner in between rounds - freaky.

Rogue
11/7/2009, 12:12 AM
Went to a MMA dealio at the local all purpose venue tonight.
Meh.
I much prefer boxing.