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George Foreman Grill History
by Contributing Writer
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Overview
When the George Foreman grill hit the market in the mid 1990s, it sold reasonably well via informercials. Sales increased dramatically when Foreman forged an alliance with the QVC network in the late 1990s. The sincerity of Foreman's affable persona was appealing, to say nothing of his mighty appetite. He not only showed people how to make hamburgers using his grill, but he hungrily ate them right afterword. Salton Inc. soon bought the rights to George's name for $137.5 million. In 2007, Applica acquired Salton along with the Foreman brand name that has sold an estimated 95 million grills (see Resources). Yet behind the entrepreneurial stardom of this "Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine" lies the success story of a man whose arguably greatest feat was the ability to overcome the demons of his past.
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History
Foreman grew up in poverty on the outskirts of Houston. His size and aggressiveness made him a good sparring partner for heavyweight boxers, including the one-time champ Sunny Liston, who mentored Foreman as a young man. After winning gold in the 1968 Olympics, Foreman tore through the professional ranks, accumulating a 37 and 0 record prior to his brutal defeat of Joe Frazier in 1973 to gain the heavyweight championship belt. At 24, Foreman seemed an indomitable force in the ring (see Resources).
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Rumbled in the Jungle
Foreman's first major loss became a turning point in his career. In October of 1974, he faced Muhammed Ali in Zaire to defend his title against the former champion who had been stripped of his belt for evading the Vietnam draft. The encounter has gone down in boxing history as "The Rumble in the Jungle," a bout lucidly captured in Leon Gast's "When We Were Kings" (1996). Although Foreman looked unstoppable, Ali's "rope-a-dope" tactics proved too much for the young and powerful phenomenon. Following the defeat, Foreman fell into a two-year long depression.
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Significance
Although Foreman briefly staged a successful comeback after the Ali fight (defeating five top contenders including a second win over Joe Frazier), he took it upon himself to throw in his own towel at the age of 28. On March 17, 1977, following a loss to Jimmy Young in Puerto Rico, Foreman claims to have had a religious experience. AARP's Frank Gannon describes it this way: "He left the shower and kissed everyone in the room, telling them he loved them. He said he heard the voice of God. Whatever it was that happened, the sullen, scary, bitter George Foreman was dead. The loveable George Foreman was born."
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Effects
After the Young fight, Foreman quit boxing and became an ordained minister at The Church of Lord Jesus Christ in Houston. His spiritual memoir, "God in My Corner" (2007), retells this conversion story in some detail. In addition to his new-found faith, however, Foreman had put on an extra 100 pounds.
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Size
In 1987, he mounted a comeback at the age of 38, racking up 24 wins over the next 3 years in the lead up to a title shot against Evander Holyfield. At the age of 42, and at a slimmed down 257 pounds, Foreman shocked many boxing experts by going the distance. Although Holyfield won a unanimous decision, George scored a moral victory in the minds of forty-somethings worldwide.
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Considerations
Foreman's crowning moment came in another title shot against Michael Moorer, who had defeated Holyfield for the belt. On November 5, 1994, Foreman scored a tenth round knockout to regain the title. At 45 years old, Foreman became the oldest champion in boxing history. Though his belt was stripped from him soon after, the message he sent to the world that night was clear: mind can overcome matter.
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Theories/Speculation
There are some 20 styles of the George Foreman grill, each designed to "knockout" the fat of ordinary cooking and promote healthier living. Foreman himself, of course, is living proof that such knockouts can happen. All marketing schemes aside, Foreman remains, in the popular imagination at least, a symbol of persistence, determination, and will power.
