One of George Foreman’s greatest performances came despite the fight being in jeopardy the day of the bout.
In January 1973, ‘Big George’ became a world champion for the first time on his way to becoming one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Foreman had an incredible win over Joe Frazier to claim the WBA and WBC World Heavyweight titles as the two met in Jamaica.
Defending his titles in Japan against Jose Roman, Foreman defeated the challenger via first-round knockout in September 1973.
Now with a record of 39-0, Foreman would look to defend his heavyweight crown against Ken Norton, who was coming off a win and a loss over Muhammad Ali. However, the bout almost didn’t happen.
George Foreman vs Ken Norton was in jeopardy due to knee injury
Foreman and Norton were scheduled to fight in March 1994 in Caracas, Venezuela, as the challenger went into the bout with a 30-2 record.
However, it was understood that on the morning of the fight, Foreman suffered an injury to his knee, and was in the hospital which led people to believe the fight may not happen.
The alleged injury was a pinched nerve or sprain in his right knee, causing doubt that he would be able to perform in the heavyweight title bout. However, when it was time for the fight, Foreman entered the ring without problems.
The fight week had included back-and-forth between Foreman and Norton’s teams, as they were unable to agree with who would be officiating of the fight. Foreman’s team wanted an American referee, while Norton and the Venezuelan boxing commission wanted a local official.
However, American referee Jimmy Rondeau would eventually be the man in charge of the bout, with the decision being made after Foreman’s injury.
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George Foreman had a dominant win over Ken Norton
After rumours of the fight being canceled, the two would finally share the ring with one another. However, it was not to be a competitive world title fight.
In what was a slow start for Foreman, he was seemingly taking a patient approach against Norton. However, as the first round went on, he began to push more and more.
Then, in the second round, ‘Big George’ would go for the kill.
The round would see Norton get knocked down three times brutally in quick succession. Following the third time hitting the canvas, the fight would be stopped.
The win would mean Foreman retained his world title, as he went on to fight Ali in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in his next bout.