Muhammad Ali's Amazing Triumph Over the Seemingly Indestructible George Foreman

George Foreman was never a likable fellow during his first stint as champion. He was sullen and brooding. He would scowl and frown, and he would revel in his toughness and his menacing aura. Every fight that he had he was like a predator stalking its prey; George's idea of fine boxing skill was to knock his opponent senseless. If a fight happened to go the distance and Foreman had to settle for a decision win, he was disappointed and felt as though he had lost. He loved the knockout. And boy, did he score some spectacular ones along the way. Who can forget the two-round annihilation of Joe Frazier, a fight in which Foreman sent Frazier to the canvas six times in two rounds, in Kingston, Jamaica in 1973. Joe Frazier entered the arena that night as undisputed champion, but less than six minutes after the fight started, he was a former champion; losing his title and his aura of invincibility to the heavy-handed Foreman. Then there was Foreman's blowout of highly-ranked Ken Norton in Caracas, Venezuela; a fight that ended after two rounds and left Norton in a heap wondering what day it was. And Norton was no pushover; he fought the great Muhammad Ali twice, breaking Ali's jaw and winning a decision in their first fight, and then losing a very close and hotly-contested rematch. Norton was formidable and George made him look like a tomato can. To those in the know, it appeared that George Foreman could reign as champion for as long as he cared to; he appeared that unbeatable.