George Foreman is chronicled among the greats in the pantheon of boxing, and his opinions are never far from the headlines of boxing news. George Foreman is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable names and faces in the history of the sport, and with good reason. George Foreman (the name) is a successful marketing engine that has grown exponentially; and not while he was at his height but while he was in his come-back, a renewed man with a vigor the world had never seen before. I AM IN DEMAND.Com is featuring him because of what we feel is his power when it comes to "re-invention". Foreman has known how to take adversity and turn himself into a well managed-commodity.
TV networks put the "rumble in the jungle" fight at one billion viewers worldwide, and alot of those people (Africans included) didn't know who George Foreman was, and were it not for the power of media-hype drawn by the spectacle of boxing and the allure that was then Muhammad Ali one wonders whether Foreman would have been as famous. While his loss to Ali might have been viewed as a blunder, it really was his claim to a more globalist reach. Could you lose in front of one billion people and turn that around to your advantage?
How was he a master of re-invention?
When you study the career of George Foreman intently, you realize that his greatest adversities had all come at his most opportunistic times. In his fight against Ali he suffered a six-week postponement caused when Foreman suffered a cut by his right eye during training - this was in 1979. Foreman became a credible contender again for the heavyweight title around January of 1990 after having already defeated 19 straight contenders on his road to Mike Tyson. For three years (87, 88, and 89) he took his time, honing his craft and developing his fan-base as it would grow more and more. Just when Foreman was ready for Tyson, Tyson lost against underdog "Buster" Douglas, and this literally turned the boxing world upside down - and it took Foreman's chance away, to prove to the world that he was for Tyson what Ali was for him.
With no Tyson in sight...George pursued the entrepreneurial challenge.
BIG GEORGE made a very big business move with the "Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine" which he endorses - The George Foreman Grill. Published estimates conservatively rate his earnings at around $240 million - three times what he earned in the ring. 9 years after he couldn't get his chance with Tyson, Salton Inc bought the rights to use his name and selling skills in perpetuity for $127.5 million in cash and $10 million in stock. It stands as one of the biggest endorsement deals for any athlete. George Foreman re-engineered himself, rose from the ashes and became a true marketing success-story - and his ability to brand himself is his strongest punch.
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I wanna give a personal shout-out to Freda George Foreman (his daughter in the picture to the far right) whose integrity I respect and whose intelligence I admire...much success to you in the new year. Check her out at: FreedaGeorgeForeman.com
Peace and longevity to the Foreman Family...
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