Talk about following in big, big shoes. George Foreman III, who was given the nickname “Monk” by his legendary father (“Big George” famously having five sons, all of whom he named George; each having a special nickname), gave it a shot in the ring. Going pro in June of 2009, this after zero amateur fights, 26 year old Foreman III won 16 fights on the spin, all but one of them by KO or stoppage. And then he walked away. He was done.
A bright guy, Foreman III, a university grad in business and management, opened up a series of gyms entitled “Everybody Fights.” But how far might “Monk” have gone had he carried on with his ring career? In truth, as powerfully built and physically imposing as he was (a dead ringer for the 1970s incarnation of his father), Foreman III was matched quite safely. Going about his pro career the way his father had done, with a quantity-over-quality approach, Foreman III fought club fighters and journeymen. Only one man went more than three rounds with him, this being a guy named James Johnson, who made it all the way to the bell after six rounds, this in 2010.
Foreman III quit the ring with a perfect 16-0(15) record in late 2012. But again, if Foreman III had had to fight to avoid a life of poverty the way his globally celebrated father had to, with no obvious options other than the ring open to him, how far might he have got? Hunger as we know can bring out some very real heart, desire, and, well, hunger in a fighter.
Foreman III amassed those 16 wins inside a three-and-a-half-year period, and then he was done. As a result, we will never know how far “Monk” might have gone.
But the Foreman III story is an interesting one nonetheless. Like his father, the young George pulled a jeep along as he did his roadwork, with Foreman III also chopping wood, digging holes, and using other old-school methods in training camp. George was kind enough to speak with this writer at a time when he was in the middle of his ring career.
“There is always pressure being my dad’s son,” Foreman III said at the time. “He was great at so many things, from boxing, to talking, to being a minister, even to eating! Even when I sit down at the dinner table, people expect me to be a great eater. I have a lot to live up to. Some people, the fans, can be impatient [with the speed of progression of my ring career]. But you must remember, I had no amateur fights at all. I turned pro late. But my father fought until he was 50, so I figure I’ve got around 20 years in which to get it right.
“Me and my father spar, and we spar hard, even though it is learning sparring. He hits me with more than just jabs! If I had my way, I’d fight every two months. You learn in the gym of course, but the only place to put things into practice is in the ring with thousands of people watching. I have plenty of time. Right now, I’m happy to be in there doing what I’m doing. This really is a dream come true for me.”
But then the dream ended, by Foreman III’s design. Maybe the young George was content with having given it a go in the ring, and maybe he knew his limitations. Still, one cannot help but wonder how much more progress Foreman III may have made had he stuck at it. Quite a few “Boxing Juniors” did manage to emulate the achievements of their fathers, after all.
Then again, George Foreman really is a true one-off. Has there ever been another heavyweight quite like “Big George?”
