H.R. No. 677

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The life of a legendary boxing champion, minister,
	and businessman drew to a close with the passing of George Foreman
	on March 21, 2025, at the age of 76; and
	WHEREAS, George Edward Foreman was born in Marshall on
	January 10, 1949, the son of J. D. and Nancy Ree Foreman, and he
	grew up in Houston's Fifth Ward in a family that included six
	siblings; after becoming involved in petty crime and dropping out
	of school, he turned his life around by joining the Job Corps at age
	16 and taking up boxing shortly thereafter; within a year and a half
	of first lacing up the gloves, he won the heavyweight division gold
	medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics; he then entered the pro ranks,
	fighting as many as a dozen times per year; nicknamed "Big George"
	for his six-foot, four-inch stature, he possessed fearsome punching
	power and built an impressive record of 37 wins and 0 losses,
	including 34 knockouts, before earning a shot at the world title in
	January 1973; and
	WHEREAS, Facing undisputed heavyweight champion Joe Frazier
	in Kingston, Jamaica, Mr. Foreman dominated his opponent from the
	opening bell, flooring him six times in the span of just one and a
	half rounds in a bout that was immortalized by broadcaster Howard
	Cosell's call of "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!"; claiming
	the championship belt at age 24, Mr. Foreman went on to
	successfully defend his title twice before entering the ring
	against Muhammad Ali on October 30, 1974; billed as "the Rumble in
	the Jungle" for its location in Kinshasa, Zaire, the fight was one
	of the most-watched bouts in boxing history; Mr. Foreman was
	favored, but Ali employed his famous "rope-a-dope" technique and
	pulled off the upset via a knockout in the eighth round; over the
	next few years, Mr. Foreman fought six times, winning five of the
	contests, but after experiencing a spiritual awakening in 1977, he
	retired from the ring from the first time; and
	WHEREAS, For the next decade, Mr. Foreman focused on his work
	as an ordained Christian minister in Houston and started the George
	Foreman Youth and Community Center in the Aldine area; in 1987, he
	returned to boxing with the goal of becoming champion again; he
	reeled off 24 straight wins before dropping a title bout decision to
	Evander Holyfield in 1991; three years later, he made history when
	he knocked out defending champion Michael Moorer with a powerful
	jab-cross combination, becoming, at age 45, the oldest person to
	win the heavyweight title; he retired from boxing for good in 1997,
	ending his hall of fame career with a record of 76-5, including 68
	knockouts; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Foreman launched a second career as a commercial
	pitchman in 1994, when he began endorsing the George Foreman Grill,
	a hugely successful product that proved far more lucrative for him
	than boxing; with his wide smile and gregarious personality, he
	also appeared in other television ads and programs and briefly
	starred in the sitcom George in the mid-1990s; a movie based on his
	life, Big George Foreman, was released in 2023; he is survived by
	his wife, Mary Joan Martelly, his five sons, all named George, his
	six daughters, Natalie, Leola, Michi, Georgetta, Isabella, and
	Courtney, and his 15 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren; and
	WHEREAS, One of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time,
	George Foreman was beloved for his warmth, humility, and sense of
	purpose, and his myriad achievements, both in and out of the ring,
	will continue to be remembered and admired for years to come; now,
	therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of George Foreman and
	extend sincere condolences to the members of his family; and, be it
	further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of George
	Foreman.
	Dutton
	Burrows Guerra Morales Shaw
	Alders Guillen Morgan
	Allen Harless Muñoz
	Anchía Harris Noble
	Ashby Harris Davila Olcott
	Barry Harrison Oliverson
	Bell of Kaufman Hayes Ordaz
	Bell of Montgomery Hefner Orr
	Bernal Hernandez Patterson
	Bhojani Hickland Paul
	Bonnen Hinojosa Perez of El Paso
	Bowers Holt Perez of Harris
	Bryant Hopper Phelan
	Buckley Howard Pierson
	Bucy Hull Plesa
	Bumgarner Hunter Raymond
	Button Isaac Reynolds
	Cain Johnson Richardson
	Campos Jones of Dallas Rodríguez Ramos
	Canales Jones of Harris Romero
	Capriglione Kerwin Rose
	Cole King Rosenthal
	Collier Kitzman Schatzline
	Cook LaHood Schofield
	Cortez Lalani Schoolcraft
	Craddick Lambert Shaheen
	Cunningham Landgraf Shofner
	Curry Leach Simmons
	Darby Leo Wilson Slawson
	A. Davis of Dallas Little Smithee
	Y. Davis of Dallas Longoria Spiller
	Dean Lopez of Bexar Swanson
	DeAyala Lopez of Cameron Talarico
	Dorazio Louderback Tepper
	Dutton Lowe Thompson
	Dyson Lozano Tinderholt
	Fairly Lujan Toth
	Flores Luther Troxclair
	Frank Manuel Turner
	Gámez Martinez VanDeaver
	Garcia of Bexar Martinez Fischer Vasut
	Garcia of Dallas McLaughlin Villalobos
	Garcia Hernandez McQueeney Virdell
	Gates Metcalf Vo
	Gerdes Meyer Walle
	Geren Meza Ward Johnson
	Gervin-Hawkins Money Wharton
	González of Dallas Moody Wilson
	González of El Paso Morales of Harris Wu
	Goodwin Morales of Maverick Zwiener
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 677 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on March 27, 2025.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House