INTERVIEW WITH FREEDA GEORGE FOREMAN

Jarosław Drozd: Many thanks, Freeda, for devoting some of your time for the Polish website www.bokser.org. I hope our readers will enjoy this interview just as much as I enjoy doing it. Do you have any immediate associations regarding Poland and/or Polish people?

Freeda George Foreman: Poland is a place I hope to visit in the near future, and have a taste of all the great food!

JD: Your full name is Freeda George Foreman. Did having a, no two words about it, masculine middle name ever feel like a burden?

FGF: My father gave me George as my middle name so I could never forget my root. I has been an honor having a man that represents so many good things be part f my name.

 

JD: You're one of nine children (from five marriages) of the 'Big' George Foreman. Are you a single, large family? What role does your father play in this troop, so to say?

FGF: I am one of 10 children. My father has raised us very close, we are one of the biggeist happiest families you'll ever find!

 

 

JD: You have five brothers (as a side note - each of them a George Edward), but you were the only one to follow in father's footsteps. How come you began to box?

FGF: All of my fathers' children have followed in his footsteps one way or another. My father is so many things outside of a boxer, however, I identified more with boxing than anything else at that time in my life!

 

JD: Your professional boxing career lasted for a mere 17 months, ending with a points loss to Evelyn Rodriguez. Why did you throw in the towel for good?

FGF: My professional boxing career lasted more than 24 months, and I made the very hard decision not to return to the ring because I realized I was more of an asset outside the ring.

 

JD: Do you regret not being given a chance to face in the ring the daughters of your father's rivals, Laila Ali and Jackie Frazier-Lyde?

FGF: Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier are not my fathers rivals, he loves those men like his own flesh and blood. Laila and Jackie are two powerful women as far as I'm concerned, and I was just proud to be named among them.

 

JD: Your father is an unavoidable presence in this interview. A day before you were born, George Foreman dispatched John Dino Denis with a fourth round KO. Was he in such a hurry to be in the hospital on time?

FGF: As my parents tell me… My father immediately jumped on a plane after his fight, and he made it to the hospital just in time to take me home!

 

JD: While you were a little kid, your father took an extended leave from boxing, so to speak. What was the atmosphere in your home at the time? Were George's recent successes a frequent and favored topic of conversation?

FGF: Nothing changed much from the time my father took an LOA from the ring until he returned. He has always kept busy!

 

JD: Did you watch all your father's fights (taped or live)? Which ones do you consider his best, and why?

FGF: I have never watched my father fight live, but I watched him on television when he fought Michael Moore. It was one of the scariest things I've experienced to date. I didn't like my father taking those blows, and I had the biggest crush on Michael Moore at the time.

 

JD: Powerful punch was 'Big George's' trademark, often used with devastating effect on many a tough opponent. What do you rate the highest among your father's boxing abilities? And which weapons from his arsenal did you try and employ in the ring yourself?

FGF: My fathers' biggest asset in the ring was his heart and passion, no one could beat him at that, andthat is all I have ever tried to take from him in and out the square ring!

 

JD: Do you recall the circumstances of George's comeback to pro boxing in 1987? Did you fear for him then? Were you perhaps afraid that some young muscleman may cause some serius damage?

FGF: I was a kid, I did not understand that stuff. The only thing I worried about was him not losing, so I would not get picked on at school!

 

JD: How would you compare the two stages in your father's boxing career? Was George Foreman a changed fighter in the second installment of his career?

FGF: In my opinion, the only difference in my fathers' boxing career when he made a comeback; he was smarter and wiser!

 

JD: How does one balance ministry and pro boxing?

FGF: You would have to ask my father how one balances ministry and pro boxing; I've never been a minister!

 

JD: I recall George saying he would keep on fighting until 65. When did he realize it was, after all, time to quit?

FGF: My father isn't 65, and I do not recall him making a PA stating he has quit boxing!

 

JD: How is his physical condition nowadays? Does he still visit gyms or boxing training rooms? After all, we all know he likes his food...

FGF: My father has an appetite for healthy eating, and he lives in the gym!

 

JD: You are active also as a promoter, with the Boxing Classics of America project to your credit. Do you have any large-scale plans for the future in this area?

FGF: I do have a promotional company, and I am currently working with a few investors for event in 2008!

 

JD: Would you be interested in promoting Polish pro boxers? Are there any Polish boxers that you heard of?

FGF: A boxer is not defined by his nationality, but by his ability. I would promote any fighter from anywhere!

 

JD: Reggie Johnson told me that you are a boxing connoisseur and a really knowledgeable one, too. You have seen many fantastic boxers fight in the ring. Who made the greatest impression on you?

FGF: David Reid!!!

 

JD: Thank you for the interview, also on the behalf of our readers at www.bokser.org. This is, in a sense, the first step in reminding Polish boxing fans of the fantastic sportsman and great person that is George Foreman, as hopefully an interview with him will also be presented at our website in the nearest future.

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