George Foreman Quotes & Sayings

Money is a good thing, but every morning you have to get up with something no one else in the world gets up with - that's that image. That face you see in the mirror, you got to love it, and you better do some things that you feel good about inside of you. Of course, money is going to come, but make certain that you do some good with it. — George Foreman

Nobody can do everything well, so learn how to delegate responsibility to other winners and then hold them accountable for their decisions. — George Foreman

When I found Jesus Christ, I learned to be a better athlete. I didn't have to go out there and knock them out in the first round. I've learned to be patient, skillful in the ring. At the same time, I wanted to prove to other boxers that you can take off this killer instinct stuff, you can be a great athlete, a great boxer, and love your brother. — George Foreman

Oh, there's nothing more dangerous in life at getting hurt at than love itself. People are hurt in love affairs and never recover, more than a boxing match. — George Foreman

I hope to have one more boxing match at the age of 55. Given that demographic at the age of 55 to 65, you've got to make a statement with your life. Otherwise, you are just existing. — George Foreman

Put your name on something, it better be the best ... you only get one shot. — George Foreman

I know from experience that you should never give up on yourself or others, no matter what. — George Foreman

I'm a winner each and every time I go into the ring. — George Foreman

The greatest asset, even in this country, is not oil and gas. It's integrity. Everyone is searching for it, asking, 'Who can I do business with that I can trust?' — George Foreman

If I could take a punch like that, I might have been able to think up a name besides George for all my sons. — George Foreman

Everybody wants to be somebody. The thing you have to do is give them confidence they can. You have to give a kid a dream. — George Foreman

You wouldn't meet a Joe Frazier down today and then up tomorrow, said hello to big shots then ignore someone on the lower level; he was the most consistent human being. What you see is what you get. — George Foreman

I got a strength coach. My wife. She gets big chains, and at night she puts them around the refrigerator. They are so strong, I can't break them. — George Foreman

Sonny Liston stood up to me and actually made me give ground. No one has ever done that to me before or since. — George Foreman

The fighters who give it all will be around for next year. Give it all you've got. Don't save anything. — George Foreman

Let the other guy have whatever he wants before the fight. Once the bell rings he's gonna be disappointed anyway. — George Foreman

There are a lot of guys who are successful, they make a lot of big money, I mean millions overnight with a contract, and they don't understand the evaporation. It evaporates. You're always back to square one. I found that out, so integrity is how I do business. That's my main asset. — George Foreman

I want to keep fighting because it is the only thing that keeps me out of the hamburger joints. If I don't fight, I'll eat this planet. — George Foreman

When I was a boxer, I wanted to be champion of the world, not the richest man in the world. — George Foreman

Frazier was not a big man at all. Frazier was about 5'9, but he would make anyone run. Put up your dukes and cover up because he's coming. He never backed up from anyone. — George Foreman

I don't even think about a retirement program because I'm working for the Lord, for the Almighty. And even thought the Lord's pay isn't very high, his retirement program is, you might say, out of this world. — George Foreman

I love the UFC. I love it. If they had had that back when I was coming up, in 1966, it would have been my sport. Man, I love it. And you know what? Nobody would have pulled the rope-a-dope on me. — George Foreman

Forgiveness is that subtle thread that binds both love and friendship. Without forgiveness, you may not even have a child one day. — George Foreman

When you speak to a lot of kids, as I've done over the years, you know what to say, keep them laughing, good illustrations and learn to read. — George Foreman

The world is full of people who want to play it safe, people who have tremendous potential but never use it. Somewhere deep inside them, they know that they could do more in life, be more, and have more
if only they were willing to take a few risks. — George Foreman

Everything America should be, Muhammad Ali is. — George Foreman

As long as I'm reading, I'm at home. — George Foreman

There's never been a boxer better than Joe Louis. You'd take one shot from him and you were sure he'd have seven or eight more coming for you. Certainly Muhammad Ali was the greatest man ever to fight, but not the greatest boxer. — George Foreman

To succeed in business, you need somebody in your corner who cares enough to challenge you and is courageous enough to tell you the truth, especially when the pressure is on. — George Foreman

I started a youth center in Houston. The kids would come in and want to learn to box; they wanted to tear up the world, beat up the world. And I'd try to show them they didn't need anger. They didn't need all that killing instinct they'd read about. You can be a human being and pursue boxing as a sport. — George Foreman

Generally when there's a lot of smoke ... there's just a whole lot more smoke. — George Foreman

You want to leave something; you really do. I mean, in the end, statues and all those things, that doesn't mean anything. Leave something that we're all going to benefit from. I think that's what I'd like to do. — George Foreman

Boxing has been the most difficult thing I've ever done. The biggest challenge in my life. I was a boxer. That was hard. Everything else is pretty easy. — George Foreman

The integration of a headgear in professional boxing would do so much to make it safer for young men. They could go into the sport, make a lot of money and then come out and be good grandfathers. — George Foreman

If you can maintain that integrity in whatever you do, you can't go wrong. That's what I tell my kids, anyway. — George Foreman

As bad as your situation may be, someone else always has it worse than you. — George Foreman

We, too, need to be patient, especially when it comes to reaching new goals. — George Foreman

You don't have to try to hurt people and be angry to be an athlete. — George Foreman

As an entrepreneur, don't follow the crowd; let them follow you. — George Foreman

They say I don't fight guys unless they're on a respirator. That's incorrect. They have to be at least 3 days off a respirator. — George Foreman

The referee is going to be the most important person in the ring tonight besides the fighters. — George Foreman

The Internal Revenue Service is the real undefeated heavyweight champion. — George Foreman

Filling a need is not merely good business; it's a basic attitude towards life. If you see a need, do whatever you can to meet that need. — George Foreman

Getting up to Zaire - getting ready to fight Muhammad Ali - I thought this will be a matter of just a little exercise. I'll probably knock him out in three rounds. Two, three - maybe three and a half rounds. That was the most confidence I had in my whole life. — George Foreman

I respect that you want to protect your niece. You know, I didn't want my daughter to become a boxer. Neither did Mohammad. But Joe Frazier, on the other hand, he had his baby girl boxing in the crib. — George Foreman

Don't be afraid to employ people who will force you out of your comfort zone. — George Foreman

You never help others by allowing them to getaway with giving less than their best efforts. — George Foreman

Anybody going into boxing already has brain damage. — George Foreman

Read the Bible; it is your roadmap through life. — George Foreman

There's never been a great fight without the writers taking on and finding an identity for it. That's probably what has happened boxing. Writers are not writing about us big boys anymore and I tell you right, however you feel, take something, find it, and use it because American needs something to read about. Not to see on television, but to read about. Let the writers take over. — George Foreman

I get up in the morning looking for an adventure. — George Foreman

There's more to boxing than hitting. There's not getting hit, for instance. — George Foreman

You live and learn. Then you die and forget it all. — George Foreman

Sure the fight was fixed. I fixed it with a right hand. — George Foreman

The Rope a Dope would not have existed without the Big Dope. — George Foreman

No doubt about it, in my career Ron Lyle hit me the hardest. One time he hit me so hard I didn't see it until I saw it on film when I woke up! — George Foreman

They call it the rope-a-dope. Well, I'm the dope. Ali just laid on the rope and I, like a dope, kept punching until I got tired. But he was probably the most smart fighter I've ever gotten into the ring with. — George Foreman

I dread handshakes. I've got some problems with my hands, and everywhere I go, people want to impress me with their grip. To make it worse, now women are coming up with that firm shake. So I'll say, 'Gimme five!' If a boy wants a handshake, I'll just give him a hug. — George Foreman

A Jack Russell terrier? My god. He'll burn you up. They never stop. A German shepherd, you can only go so many miles. — George Foreman

As a matter of fact, there was a period of time, especially in my first career, when that's the only one who would work out with me: my dogs. As you get better and better working out, there's no one who can keep up with you running. — George Foreman

I was a tiger, a good fighter, in good shape, but I was always nervous before boxing matches. — George Foreman

When I left boxing in 1977 to be a preacher, I couldn't make a fist after I learned about Jesus Christ. — George Foreman

Evil lurks where disappointment lodges. — George Foreman

If you want to be obsessed to be your best, you must get ride of the negative things that are weighing you down. — George Foreman

My favorite drink is water - the bland one: Evian. I stick with that. I celebrate in the evening sometimes with Perrier. That's why I love coming to California. They're always talking to you about bottled water. — George Foreman

Just take one step at a time, trusting that God still has a plan for you, and He will make the best out of your situation. — George Foreman

The Olympic Gold medal in 1968 was definitely the highest moment of my career. It was a dream come true. I was a 19-year-old boy, and it was just amazing to be standing on top of the podium and hearing the National Anthem in the background. — George Foreman

We'd always said boxers shouldn't lift weights. Now I realize some champion boxer started that rumor. I noticed if I did weights a couple of times a week, I would be able to hit that jab a lot longer. After sparring, everybody's gone, and I sneak into the weight room. Spend 40 minutes in there lifting weights. — George Foreman

I didn't come back for the money. I just got sick of beating people up for free. — George Foreman

Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Just learn from the guys who have already done it well. You need a mentor, a seasoned coach who is willing to share his wisdom and experience with you. Ask someone who has already been successful to guide you. — George Foreman

To be successful in life, you must get in the habit of turning negatives into positives. — George Foreman

You don't know what it is to be heavyweight champ of the world until you become the heavyweight champ of the world. — George Foreman

So many of us have loved ones and people we really care about, and the only time we show affection is when they are gone. I have preached at funerals, and you see loved ones who didn't even say hello to dear ones when they were alive. Give them hugs, kisses while they are alive and need it. — George Foreman

If you don't dream, you might as well be dead. — George Foreman

Boxing is the sport to which all other sports aspire. — George Foreman

Anytime I can sneak in a moment to fish and ride horses, I'm a happy camper. — George Foreman

When I was a kid in Houston, we were so poor we couldn't afford the last 2 letters, so we called ourselves po'. — George Foreman

Being angry and resentful of someone is like letting them live rent-free in your head. — George Foreman

When problems arise, you will usually find two types of people: whiners and winners. Whiners obstruct progress; they spend hours complaining about this point or that, without offering positive solutions. Winners acknowledge the existence of the problem, but they try to offer practical ideas that can help resolve the matter in a manner that is satisfactory to both parties. — George Foreman

The wealthy class often looks down on the poor as "those people." And deprived people view the rich as cold and heartless. The way to break down the barrier between the rich and poor is to asociate with each other and to help one another. Make a connection. If you can break down the barrier, it may pave the way to recovery for some person, a family, maybe an entire community. — George Foreman

One of my goals is to inspire everyone I meet to become a better person. — George Foreman

I think sleeping was my problem in school. If school had started at 4:00 in the afternoon, I'd be a college graduate today. — George Foreman

Today the biggest decisions I make aren't related to the heavyweight title. They are whether I visit McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, or Jack-in-the-Box. — George Foreman

The age of 40 is not a death sentence. — George Foreman

Heroes always have their scars. Some you can see, some you read about later on. — George Foreman

I feel that I had been rescued from the gutter by America. One day I was under the gutter, chased by police, thinking dogs were going to get me. I laid there listening to the dogs and the gutter. The next day, there I am standing on the Olympic platform, and you hear the anthem. I was proud. — George Foreman

George Foreman. A miracle. A mystery to myself. Who am I? The mirror says back. The George you was always meant to be. Wasn't always like that. Used to look in the mirror and cried a river. — George Foreman

I always carried a small American flag red white and blue with me so people would know I was from America. — George Foreman

I love the pigeons. I just raise them, period, and feed them. Pigeons go away, and they always come back. You get a touch of freedom, and then they are free to come back to you. I love the idea of pigeons. — George Foreman

I'd have to say losing the title to Ali in '74 was the lowest moment in sports for me. It was the most devastating thing in my boxing career, and it still hurts to this day. — George Foreman

When it gets to the part in life where you're more afraid of what your wife is going to do to you than if you box, say, Mike Tyson, you've got to get a new profession. You don't get to be a family. I know why boxers never quit, some of them. They don't have wives. — George Foreman

If you learn to sell, it's worth more than a degree. It's worth more than the heavyweight championship of the world. It's even more important than having a million dollars in the bank. Learn to sell, and you'll never starve. — George Foreman

There ain't nothing like being in the corner, and the trainer is whispering in your ear and another guy is putting in your mouthpiece. Five seconds to go, the boom! The bell. It's more exciting than looking down a cliff. — George Foreman

You may not realize initially how many other opportunities are wrapped up inside the first one. After you go through the first door, you'll then discover more doors automatically opening behind that one. One door leads you to another door, which leads to another door, and so one. It's like ten other boxes packed inside one box. The initial door that God opens is your access to more opportunities. But you must be willing to walk through the first one to get to the other good things God has for you. — George Foreman

I teach kids that want to be tough that their fists are not the way. — George Foreman

A hero is someone right who doesn't change. — George Foreman

It's strange because you - your life goes so swiftly. You look up one day you're a teenager, the next day you're a grandfather and you want to decide, 'I sure hope my kids don't make the same mistakes.' — George Foreman

My mother was watching on television and she doesn't want me to hurt anyone. — George Foreman

They'll take everything, even your tears. — George Foreman

I want to tell everybody that there is really a living God. — George Foreman