Last Friday in Austin, Texas, former two-time world heavyweight champion and boxing legend “Big” George Foreman watched his son, George “Monk” Foreman III score a first-round technical knockout. After the event, fans waited around to catch a glimpse of one of the most recognizable faces in boxing. In typical Foreman style, he came out of the dressing room and made it a point to pose for pictures with the excited admirers. After Big George mingled with fans, Boxingtalk got a chance to speak with him.
Boxingtalk: First off, can I get your opinion of your son’s performance? He is now 11-0.
George Foreman: It was good. He has to have hours and hours in the ring. Tonight though, he put it all together. We do want guys (opponents) to stick around (for more rounds) for more experience. That opposition eventually will come.
BT: What is your opinion of the heavyweight division right now?
GF: I think it’s wide open right now. There’s not much to the heavyweight division right now. All you need is one fighter that can come in there and truly fight. He cannot buy his way into it, he is truly going to have to fight, and if he does, he is gonna be heavyweight champion of the world for a long time. We don’t have anyone– that’s sad I’m not proud of it. The heavyweight division is dried up. Right now, [Manny] Pacquiao is the only thing worth watching in boxing. He’s got the whole thing on his shoulders there. He will fight anyone at anytime. You make the match and he’ll fight, and that’s all you can ask of of any fighter. The other guy he was trying to do the ultimate match with, [Floyd] Mayweather, but Mayweather just scandalized it, trying to say he was taking dope or something instead of fighting him. I don’t care if someone was taking coal, oil, gasoline, or diesel, offer me twenty million, I’ll fight ’em. He could be drinking fire, swallowing fire, I’d fight him (laughing). Whatever they take, the better.
BT: Who do you think is the best heavyweight besides the Klitschko brothers?
GF: There aren’t any good heavyweights around, I am going to be honest with you. Even Klitschko is a good, a fair heavyweight. He just stands in there and jabs and moves around and jabs, but there is no one fighting him. There should be a Joe Frazier, or a Mike Tyson, or an Evander Holyfield, a Sonny Liston or anything. They’re just not around. There should be, man you don’t have anything.
BT: What is the best fight in the heavyweight division that you would like to see?
GF: In the heavyweight division? There is not a heavyweight fight I would like to see. All of it is just wash-out.
BT: What is the best non-heavyweight fight out there?
GF: Oh, I would like to see Pacquiao fight. He has got one interesting fight coming up with Shane Mosley, a master boxer. I really wanna see that. He is a master boxer, Moslyy. I wanna see that fight. I would [also] like to see Paul Williams get back on his feet.
BT: Do you think he(Williams) can come back from the knockout [by Sergio Martinez] though?
GF: Yes I do, [but] he has got to take a year off.
BT: Last question… how long until you think your son is ready for a title shot?
GF: A year and a half, one year, six (counting), seven, eight which means in ten fights. That means he is going to have a total of twenty-two or twenty-three fights. One thing Daddy cannot buy for him is a fight He is gonna have to keep fighting until he fights. Sooner or later, well we were in Arkansas, in a six rounder, we were in there with a guy with not much of a record [James Johnson, 23-42-3 and], he [George III] had to fight him every round. He had to win a decision. He got under punches, rabbit punches, he had to fight his way out of there. I thought this guy [Johnson] was gonna fight him, but I guess not.
