20.04.06 – By James Slater: Big George Foreman was one year removed from his superb effort against heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. George had proven all the sceptics wrong as he’d gone the full twelve rounds with Evander and although he’d lost – by only three points on one scorecard – he’d given the much younger and faster man all the trouble he could handle. Foreman gave a performance that all people aged forty and over could be very proud of.
He became universally popular, even loved, as a result. From the Holyfield fight on, George would be cherished as not only as a boxer who also happened to be a preacher, but as a latter day folk hero. The way he had gone twelve toe-to-toe rounds with an undefeated twenty eight year old while aged forty two himself was something hardly anyone had thought he was capable of doing beforehand. Now, for the first time, it started to dawn on everyone just what a unique and incredible man George Foreman was. As one newspaper’s headline said- Foreman was a fighter capable of defying all logic.
Almost exactly twelve months later, after a meaningless blow-out of club fighter Jimmy Ellis – a fight for which George was paid a staggering seven million dollars! – Big George lined up fringe contender Alex Stewart as his next opponent. Stewart was a reasonable fighter who had been in with the likes of Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer and Evander Holyfield. Apart from the Tyson fight in which he completely froze and was despatched in a single round, Stewart had shown heart and bravery and given an honest effort. He particularly gave Holyfield a tough fight, back in 1989, when he’d hurt Evander early on but was later stopped on cuts. So he was a capable fighter without doubt, Alex’s problem, however, was that he seemed to be a fighter who could lack self belief. If a fighter jumped right on him at the sound of the first bell there was a very good chance they could wipe him out. Tyson had done just that and Moorer almost did the same. But, if Alex was allowed to warm to the fight and make it to the later rounds, he could become quite dangerous, as Holyfield had discovered in November of 1989. Unfortunately for George Foreman, this would be the Alex Stewart he would find himself in the ring with at The Thomas and Mack centre, Las Vegas.
Foreman came in weighing 259 pounds and though this wasn’t much higher than he’d scaled for the Holyfield fight, this time his body was no way near as toned. It was clear he hadn’t trained like he should have. Evidently he expected to get a quick and relatively easy victory.
In the first round it looked as though he would have no problems with Stewart as he controlled the session with his jab while Alex, seemingly in compliant mood, fired hardly anything back himself. Then, in round two a sure-fire and swift win looked imminent for George. He decked Alex twice and although the first knockdown was almost certainly helped along by a hard low blow from George, Stewart’s second trip to the canvas was courtesy of a classic right hand shot from “The Punchin’ Preacher”. But then Stewart did something unexpected – he started fighting back! He beat the count for the second time and then returned fire as George, knowing he was only one knockdown away from an easy victory on the three knockdown rule, threw everything at him. Then came the bell.
Already George started to breathe heavily. Even at this stage in the fight it looked to some- Larry Merchant for one – that Stewart just might give Foreman a severe test. In the third round George’s face started to swell. His mouth was reddened first, then his eyes began to swell shut and later still George’s cheeks began to balloon. It was quite disturbing seeing him like this. Angelo Dundee, who had been Foreman’s corner-man from the Holyfield fight on, went to work as best he could on his fighter’s eyes. Things got worse for George though, much worse.
Both men battled it out throughout the middle rounds as the fans were witness to a gruelling slugfest. George’s face was a complete mess by round eight and then he started to bleed too. A bad cut inside his mouth, along with a bleeding nose, finished off the transformation George was undergoing. From the cuddly and smiling George we all knew, Foreman was now a grotesque and unrecognisable mess. It really was quite disturbing, never before had he looked like this. What a beating he was taking! Angelo, knowing all too well that George was having trouble seeing the target because of his eyes- they were barely slits now- instructed him to fire the uppercut when up close to Stewart. Foreman heeded this advice and, once again showing tremendous heart, managed to clobber Stewart with a thunderous shot. But Alex remained upright. He was showing great courage too, in fact this punch was more than likely a more punishing shot than the ones that had floored him earlier. Stewart had definitely warmed into this fight!
The two weary heavyweights slugged it out through the final two rounds and it was lucky for George that this had been a ten round scheduled bout and not a twelve rounder. He had nothing left and was stumbling around the ring, practically blind and struggling for his breath. This so alarmed the ringside doctor that at one point late in the fight he came to George’s corner and asked him if he could breathe out there. George told him he could and the fight was permitted to go on. To add one more problem to the many he already had, Foreman was docked a point for a low blow at a time when it looked, somewhat miraculously, as though the cards would in fact be needed after all. No-one would have complained too loudly had this fight been stopped due to foreman’s facial atrocities. This deduction by referee Richard Steele tightened things up to a desperately close degree on the score cards. Not long after this incident the bell at last rang, bringing George’s torment to an end.
Who had done enough to be given the decision? Somewhat charitably in some eyes, George was given a razor thin majority verdict. The two knockdowns he had scored in round two gave him a 10-7 round and this was enough to pull him through for a win. Stewart was badly disappointed afterwards and felt he should have been given a draw at the very least. Indeed, he had fought with great courage and in tribute to this courage Larry Merchant claimed he would never again question his heart.
The big question was what now for George? He had won yes, but the whole image he had formed for himself in his amazing comeback was one of a guy who was having fun the second time around and one of a man who now saw his sport as the boxing game. He had made people smile more than anything in his return to boxing, as he’d put some of the fun back into the sport. But there had been nothing to smile about during this fight, neither for George or for his fans. No-one could have possibly enjoyed seeing a man in his mid forties being put through such an ordeal. It looked as though retirement was the only sane option.
What words can one use to adequately explain the seemingly impossible achievement that George went on to accomplish some two and a half years after the nightmare fight with Alex Stewart? If ever a fighter had been practically ordered to retire – not only by the experts and fans, but by his own wife also- it was George after the face rearranging he’d been subject to in April of 1992. But no, he still clung to his dream of regaining the title. We all know what happened as a result of this incredible willpower and complete refusal to give up. George made his incredible feat of going the distance with Evander look like nothing in comparison to what he did against Michael Moorer in November 1994. Did I say George became a folk hero after his bout with Holyfield? What his logic defying accomplishment against Moorer made him, the Lord alone knows! – miracle worker perhaps?
Who could have even entertained the thought of watching George Foreman fight again after the horror show he starred in against Stewart that disturbing night in April? I myself was hoping with everything I had that he would call it a day afterwards. After what happened against Moorer I feel somewhat ashamed that I gave up on George’s dream, but I’m also proud of the fact that he himself never did so.