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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The life of a legendary boxing champion, minister, |
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and businessman drew to a close with the passing of George Foreman |
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on March 21, 2025, at the age of 76; and |
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WHEREAS, George Edward Foreman was born in Marshall on |
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January 10, 1949, the son of J. D. and Nancy Ree Foreman, and he |
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grew up in Houston's Fifth Ward in a family that included six |
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siblings; after becoming involved in petty crime and dropping out |
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of school, he turned his life around by joining the Job Corps at age |
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16 and taking up boxing shortly thereafter; within a year and a half |
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of first lacing up the gloves, he won the heavyweight division gold |
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medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics; he then entered the pro ranks, |
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fighting as many as a dozen times per year; nicknamed "Big George" |
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for his six-foot, four-inch stature, he possessed fearsome punching |
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power and built an impressive record of 37 wins and 0 losses, |
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including 34 knockouts, before earning a shot at the world title in |
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January 1973; and |
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WHEREAS, Facing undisputed heavyweight champion Joe Frazier |
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in Kingston, Jamaica, Mr. Foreman dominated his opponent from the |
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opening bell, flooring him six times in the span of just one and a |
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half rounds in a bout that was immortalized by broadcaster Howard |
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Cosell's call of "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!"; claiming |
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the championship belt at age 24, Mr. Foreman went on to |
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successfully defend his title twice before entering the ring |
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against Muhammad Ali on October 30, 1974; billed as "the Rumble in |
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the Jungle" for its location in Kinshasa, Zaire, the fight was one |
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of the most-watched bouts in boxing history; Mr. Foreman was |
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favored, but Ali employed his famous "rope-a-dope" technique and |
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pulled off the upset via a knockout in the eighth round; over the |
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next few years, Mr. Foreman fought six times, winning five of the |
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contests, but after experiencing a spiritual awakening in 1977, he |
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retired from the ring from the first time; and |
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WHEREAS, For the next decade, Mr. Foreman focused on his work |
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as an ordained Christian minister in Houston and started the George |
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Foreman Youth and Community Center in the Aldine area; in 1987, he |
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returned to boxing with the goal of becoming champion again; he |
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reeled off 24 straight wins before dropping a title bout decision to |
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Evander Holyfield in 1991; three years later, he made history when |
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he knocked out defending champion Michael Moorer with a powerful |
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jab-cross combination, becoming, at age 45, the oldest person to |
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win the heavyweight title; he retired from boxing for good in 1997, |
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ending his hall of fame career with a record of 76-5, including 68 |
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knockouts; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Foreman launched a second career as a commercial |
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pitchman in 1994, when he began endorsing the George Foreman Grill, |
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a hugely successful product that proved far more lucrative for him |
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than boxing; with his wide smile and gregarious personality, he |
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also appeared in other television ads and programs and briefly |
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starred in the sitcom George in the mid-1990s; a movie based on his |
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life, Big George Foreman, was released in 2023; he is survived by |
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his wife, Mary Joan Martelly, his five sons, all named George, his |
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six daughters, Natalie, Leola, Michi, Georgetta, Isabella, and |
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Courtney, and his 15 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, |
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George Foreman was beloved for his warmth, humility, and sense of |
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purpose, and his myriad achievements, both in and out of the ring, |
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will continue to be remembered and admired for years to come; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of George Foreman and |
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extend sincere condolences to the members of his family; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of George |
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Foreman. |