By Joseph Green-Bishop
Arise Rejoice News Service
Former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman spent a considerable amount of his personal fortune paying for homes, new cars, medical bills and other expenses of residents of Houston’s Fifth Ward, according to friends and members of his family.
The former mayor of Houston, Lee P. Brown, called Foreman, who died last Friday at the age of 76, an “exceptional Houstonian who did not have a selfish bone in his body.”
“When I was running for my second term as mayor I received a phone call from George Foreman,” Mayor Brown said. “We met for lunch and he said that he wanted to host a fundraiser for me. We had never met prior to that.”
Mayor Brown said that the fundraiser was a huge financial success and that the former champion did not ask for a “single thing in return.”
A graduate of the Job Corps, Foreman won a gold medal in boxing at the 1968 Mexico Summer Olympics Games in Mexico City.
He secured the heavyweight title in 1973 by dethroning Joe Frazier, the
much-feared title holder.
He lost his title belt to Muhammad Ali in an epic title match held in Zaire in 1974. It was watched by millions of viewers throughout the world and was known as the “Rumble in the Jungle.”
In 1977, Foreman retired from boxing and became a minister in Houston and opened up a youth center for boys and girls. Many there know him for passionate sermons and community service.
Ten years later he returned to boxing. In 1994 at 45, he reclaimed the heavyweight title by knocking out Michael Moorer.
That same year, Foreman became a spokesperson for a company that manufactured barbecue grills. He made more than 100 million dollars when he agreed to lend his name to the product.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Joan, six daughters, five sons and a brother. The first name of each of his son’s is George.
