George foreman quotes

Many people fail not so much because of their mistakes; they fail because they are afraid to try.

Don't let any opportunity lead you away from serving God. That's a price that's too high to pay.

Klitschko has had a good career. A lot of his fights have been out of the country as though he hasn't even been invited into the real heavyweight picture in the United States. He's a good fighter. You can't talk about him unless you can beat him and it doesn't seem that there's anyone around who can truly beat him.

As long as I'm reading, I'm at home.

If I could take a punch like that, I might have been able to think up a name besides George for all my sons.

The age of 40 is not a death sentence.

Choose wise and Godly people to advise you.

Being angry and resentful of someone is like letting them live rent-free in your head.

When I was a kid in Houston, we were so poor we couldn't afford the last 2 letters, so we called ourselves po'.

The world is full of people who want to play it safe, people who have tremendous potential but never use it. Somewhere deep inside them, they know that they could do more in life, be more, and have more -- if only they were willing to take a few risks.

My whole family likes to play basketball. George II plays for his high school team and George III and George IV and George V are going to be good players. One day we're going to have a team and call it Georgetown.

It embarrasses me to think of all those years I was buying silk suits and alligator shoes that were hurting my feet; cars that I just parked, and the dust would just build up on them.

I want to keep fighting because it's the only thing that keeps me out of the hamburger joints. If I don't fight, I'll eat this planet.

The boxing promotion part is really interesting, because I got the chance to do something with my sons. They carry their own weight, and I get a chance to listen to them and see what they have on their minds. I don't have to hand out things to do, and now they have things for me to do. It's an amazing privilege to get the opportunity to work with your children.

You live and learn. Then you die and forget it all.

As a child I was sometimes so hungry that I used to dream that one day I'd get locked in a grocery store.

Just look at the great Nelson Mandela. He came out of prison and saved his entire country. Some of the best people in the world have spent time in prison.

Anytime I can sneak in a moment to fish and ride horses, I'm a happy camper!

Sure the fight was fixed. I fixed it with a right hand.

You have to keep your goal in mind and never lose sight of it. I envisioned myself winning the heavyweight title for ten years before I actually captured it. If you're not driven to do your best, you'll never reach the level of excellence in your life.

I didn't come back for the money. I just got sick of beating people up for free.

I don't even think about a retirement program because I'm working for the Lord, for the Almighty. And even thought the Lord's pay isn't very high, his retirement program is, you might say, out of this world.

As a matter of fact, there was a period of time, especially in my first career, when that's the only one who would work out with me: my dogs. As you get better and better working out, there's no one who can keep up with you running.

When I found Jesus Christ, I learned to be a better athlete. I didn't have to go out there and knock them out in the first round. I've learned to be patient, skillful in the ring. At the same time, I wanted to prove to other boxers that you can take off this killer instinct stuff, you can be a great athlete, a great boxer, and love your brother.

I always carried a small American flag red white and blue with me so people would know I was from America.

Read the Bible; it is your roadmap through life.

All the dogs I have are German shepherds from Germany, and I fly them back to Germany to show them.

After you work out, you have your dog with you. There's no better companion. You've got to have a friend. I didn't like opponents who had dogs with them. Because you know they had a little edge. They have a friend

Forgiveness is that subtle thread that binds both love and friendship. Without forgiveness, you may not even have a child one day.

My kids idea of a hard life is to live in a house with only one phone.

When problems arise, you will usually find two types of people: whiners and winners. Whiners obstruct progress; they spend hours complaining about this point or that, without offering positive solutions. Winners acknowledge the existence of the problem, but they try to offer practical ideas that can help resolve the matter in a manner that is satisfactory to both parties.

That's my gift. I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck's back. If it's not positive, I didn't hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy.

A hero is someone right who doesn't change.

Evil lurks where disappointment lodges.

Changing your nature is the hardest thing to do. But I discovered that you can be who you choose to be.

I cannot remember a time when I was not getting into fights.

Before a fight between Riddick Bowe and Hector Gonzales: Generally when there's a lot of smoke . . . there's just a whole lot more smoke.

I am a winner each and every time I go into the ring.

If you don't dream, you might as well be dead.

You never help others by allowing them to getaway with giving less than their best efforts.

Filling a need is not merely good business; it's a basic attitude towards life. If you see a need, do whatever you can to meet that need.

Learn to sell and you'll never starve

So many of us have loved ones and people we really care about, and the only time we show affection is when they are gone. I have preached at funerals, and you see loved ones who didnt even say hello to dear ones when they were alive. Give them hugs, kisses while they are alive and need it.

Put your name on something, it better be the best... you only get one shot.

I think sleeping was my problem in school. If school had started at 4:00 in the afternoon, I'd be a college graduate today.

If you want it, leave your excuses behind and come and get it

My mother was watching on television and she doesn't want me to hurt anyone.

As bad as your situation may be, someone else always has it worse than you.

You may have even an ex-wife or an ex-husband, but you can never have ex-children.

There's never been a boxer better than Joe Louis. You'd take one shot from him and you were sure he'd have seven or eight more coming for you. Certainly Muhammad Ali was the greatest man ever to fight, but not the greatest boxer.

There ain't nothing like being in the corner, and the trainer is whispering in your ear and another guy is putting in your mouthpiece. Five seconds to go, the boom! The bell. It's more exciting than looking down a cliff.

I wanted the world to know where I was from. I wanted to say to the world, "We gotcha." America gotcha.

There's more to boxing than hitting. There's not getting hit, for instance.

When I was a boxer, I wanted to be champion of the world, not the richest man in the world.

I'm the world heavyweight champion. I consider myself a citizen of the whole world.

I hope to have one more boxing match at the age of 55. Given that demographic at the age of 55 to 65, you've got to make a statement with your life. Otherwise, you are just existing.

I didn't love school because I wanted to disguise that I was poorer than everybody else. So when I was a teen I reached out in a wrong way. I started to be a mugger, to rob people in the streets, just to supply for my needs.

A Jack Russell terrier? My god. He'll burn you up. They never stop. A German shepherd, you can only go so many miles.

I've seen George Foreman shadow boxing and the shadow won.

No doubt about it, in my career Ron Lyle hit me the hardest. One time he hit me so hard I didn't see it until I saw it on film when I woke up!

It’s great to reminisce about good memories of my past. It was enjoyable when it was today.

If something is worth doing, it is worth doing right. I take that one step further. You shouldn't do anything unless you do it right.

I do believe he’s the greatest, but forget about boxing - give that to Joe Louis, or somebody - I believe he’s one of the greatest men I’ve ever met.

We, too, need to be patient, especially when it comes to reaching new goals.

The referee is going to be the most important person in the ring tonight besides the fighters.

You may not realize initially how many other opportunities are wrapped up inside the first one. After you go through the first door, you'll then discover more doors automatically opening behind that one. One door leads you to another door, which leads to another door, and so one. It's like ten other boxes packed inside one box. The initial door that God opens is your access to more opportunities. But you must be willing to walk through the first one to get to the other good things God has for you.

Heroes have a rough time because they stand up when they ought not to, they speak when they ought not to; they always have to go that extra mile.

Sonny Liston stood up to me and actually made me give ground. No one has ever done that to me before or since.

Its very important that people know that I really enjoy everything that has happened to me. And I tell my kids... youre not going to be the tallest, fastest, prettiest, the best track runner, but you can be the nicest human being that someone has ever met in their life. And I just want to leave that legacy that being nice is a true treasure.

Anybody going into boxing already has brain damage.

I respect that you want to protect your niece. You know, I didn't want my daughter to become a boxer. Neither did Mohammad. But Joe Frazier, on the other hand, he had his baby girl boxing in the crib.

To be successful in life, you must get in the habit of turning negatives into positives.

I'm working for the Lord, and even though the Lord's pay isn't very high, his retirement program is.

Plant a seed of greatness in your children. Speak a word of encourgement to someone who needs to hear it. Inspire someone to be a better person. One day you'll reap a harvest, and your world will become a better place to live.

I know from experience that you should never give up on yourself or others, no matter what.

The Internal Revenue Service is the real undefeated heavyweight champion.

These guys from the nation's capital - now they do a lot of thinking. Referring to boxers from D.C., not politicians.

There's never been a great fight without the writers taking on and finding an identity for it. That's probably what has happened boxing. Writers are not writing about us big boys anymore and I tell you right, however you feel, take something, find it, and use it because American needs something to read about.

A boxer never sees the big one that hits him.

Excellence isn't achieved without inspiration and perspiration. You've got to have both.

Let the other guy have whatever he wants before the fight. Once the bell rings he's gonna be disappointed anyway.

I look at my children and one thing I'm most proud of, in my heart, are my children.

All my sons are named George Foreman. They all know where they came from.

Today the biggest decisions I make aren't related to the heavyweight title. They are whether I visit McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, or Jack-in-the-Box.

Sometimes God gives instructions that go against conventional wisdom, such as treating people kindly when they're hateful. Who really wants to do that? Instructions like that may not always make sense, so that's why I need to trust and obey the One who inspired them.

They say I don't fight guys unless they're on a respirator. That's incorrect. They have to be at least 3 days off a respirator.

I was a tiger, a good fighter, in good shape, but I was always nervous before boxing matches.

If you want to be obsessed to be your best, you must get ride of the negative things that are weighing you down.

It's great to reminisce about good memories of my past. It was enjoyable when it was today. So learning to enjoy today has two benefits: it gives me happiness right now, and it becomes a good memory later.

Growing up poor, I didn't even have a lunch to take to school.

As an entrepreneur, don't follow the crowd; let them follow you.

People are hurt in love affairs and never recover, more than a boxing match.

Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it.

People trust me. I sell sincerity.

The wealthy class often looks down on the poor as "those people." And deprived people view the rich as cold and heartless. The way to break down the barrier between the rich and poor is to asociate with each other and to help one another. Make a connection. If you can break down the barrier, it may pave the way to recovery for some person, a family, maybe an entire community.

Nobody can do everything well, so learn how to delegate responsibility to other winners and then hold them accountable for their decisions.

If you can look in your mother's eyes and she's proud of you, then you're a champion.

George Foreman. A miracle. A mystery to myself. Who am I? The mirror says back. The George you was always meant to be. Wasn't always like that. Used to look in the mirror and cried a river.

Everything America should be, Muhammad Ali is.

I get up in the morning looking for an adventure.

I hit Ali with everything and he said 'is that all you got' and I said 'yeah, that's pretty much it.'

If you can maintain that integrity in whatever you do, you can't go wrong.

Boxing is the sport to which all other sports aspire.

The Rope a Dope would not have existed without the Big Dope.

That gal's all skull and no brains. She's like Joe Frazier with lipstick.

One of my goals is to inspire everyone I meet to become a better person.

All I've ever tried to tell anyone is that I'm not a black man or a white man or anything else. All I've ever been was an American.

The question isn't at what age I want to retire, it's at what income.

I think its so good for boxing when a new guy or new blood as we call it, makes a big statement.

Without appreciation and respect for other people, true leadership becomes ineffective, if not impossible.

Everybody wants to be somebody. The thing you have to do is give them confidence they can. You have to give a kid a dream.

In boxing, I had a lot of fear. Fear was good. But, for the first time, in the bout with Muhammad Ali, I didn't have any fear. I thought, "This is easy. This is what I've been waiting for". No fear at all. No nervousness. And I lost.

Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Just learn from the guys who have already done it well. You need a mentor, a seasoned coach who is willing to share his wisdom and experience with you. Ask someone who has already been successful to guide you.