George Foreman fought, Joe Fraizer, Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield but says he was ‘ashamed’ of KOing opponents because it felt like ‘slaughtering’

George Foreman, during his prime, was arguably the most feared fighter on the planet due to his incredible knockout ability.

In a career spanning almost 30 years, Foreman scored 68 knockouts in his 81 professional bouts, becoming a two-time heavyweight world champion and retiring with a record of 76-5

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And he even scared himself with his power, feeling guilty for the damage he inflicted on opponents who dared square up to him.

“Two things I will never forget about my boxing career; How hard I could hit and how hard they punched me.” Foreman told World Boxing News.

“I heard bells and whistles while bodies collapsed.

“The first time around [1967 to 1977], I hit so hard. I’d wake up ashamed of what I had done to [those] good people.

“I felt like they were boxing, and I was slaughtering.”

“My gift was recklessness. I didn’t care if I broke my shoulder, arm, or knuckles or if I flew out of the ring.

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“I had to get a KO or fall down myself.”

One of the rare occasions in which Foreman was unable to stop his opponent was when he came up against Muhammad Ali in a fight billed as ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ in 1974.

During the fight, Ali adopted his infamous rope-a-dope tactic, as he allowed Foreman to unleash his power while he dodged oncoming punches, leaning against the ropes.

It was clear that Ali was not intimidated by Foreman’s power in the slightest, as Foreman even admitted years later that ‘The Greatest’ was taunting him mid-fight.

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“All I thought was, ‘Should I be merciful or not?’ I thought he was just one more knockout victim until about the seventh round.” Foreman said.

“I hit him hard to the jaw and he held me and whispered in my ear, ‘That all you got, George?’ I realised that this ain’t what I thought it was.”

Ali went on to win the fight by knockout in the eighth round and he remains the only man to have ever stopped Foreman in the ring.