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G eorge Foreman , the second wealthiest boxer of all time , is a household name today , but he didn ’ t become one easily . To truly understand and appreciate his resilience , you must look back at his life and the obstacles he ’ s faced .
The two-time heavyweight champion , Olympic gold medalist , record-busting salesman , author , and serial entrepreneur had a troubled youth in Texas .
Foreman ’ s father abandoned him , his mother , and his six siblings when Foreman was only 5 years old . Often roaming the streets as a youth , he got into trouble and didn ’ t like school . Bigger and stronger than most kids his age , he got into fights , lived in abandoned houses , and robbed people . At 15 , he dropped out of school . He was street smart , but he could barely read and write .
After being chased by police , he awakened to the truth about the destructive path he was headed down . The next day he signed up for the Job Corps . “ I ’ d heard a commercial with Jimmy Brown and Johnny Unitas ,” Foreman said . “ They were great football players , and they said , ‘ If you ’ re looking for a second chance , join the Job Corps .’” There he learned bricklaying , forestry , and carpentry as well as how to read and write . He sent money to his mom each month to help support his family . He took up boxing as a challenge after listening on the radio to the heavyweight title match when Cassius Clay fought against Floyd Patterson . “ I was always trying to be a tough guy and kept getting into fights ,” Foreman said . “ All the guys in the day room ( at Job Corps ) said , ‘ George , you ’ re always picking on people , bullying people ; if you ’ re so tough , why don ’ t you become a boxer ?’”
He moved to California , met a boxing coach for the first time , and started learning how to box at the gym . After a couple of weeks , the coach matched him up with a light heavyweight . “ The guy was so skinny , and I told every friend I had to please come down and watch me ,” Foreman said . Expecting to win , instead , he was humiliated and decided to quit boxing . “ The kids at the gym just laughed me out ,” Foreman said . A few weeks later , the trainer ran into Foreman on the street , asking him where he ’ d been . Not wanting to admit the real reason , he made up an excuse that he didn ’ t have shoes to box in . After the trainer gave him a pair of boxing shoes , Foreman had no more excuses and returned to the boxing gym .
Only 20 months after his first boxing match , Foreman won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City . He caused controversy among African American civil rights activists after winning when he waved an American flag around the ring . The activists saw this as a way of appeasing the oppressive , white-run society . Foreman told Ebony ’ s Hans Massaquoi , “ I was so proud that I had won . I wanted the world to know that I was from America .”
Hurt by the reaction , Foreman adopted a surly , tough-guy image and became known for his mean facial expressions , which made him unpopular and rejected by the public . Foreman fought
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