Olympic gold medalist. Two-time world heavyweight champion. Hall of Famer. Infomercial and reality TV star. George Foreman’s fighting ability is matched only by his acumen for selling. Yet the complete story of Foreman’s rise from urban poverty to global celebrity has never been told until now.
Raised in Houston’s “Bloody Fifth” Ward, battling against scarcity in housing and food, young Foreman fought sometimes for survival and other times just for fun. But when a government program rescued him from poverty and introduced him to the sport of boxing, his life changed forever.
In No Way but to Fight, Andrew R. M. Smith traces Foreman’s life and career from the Great Migration to the Great Society, through the Cold War and culture wars, out of urban Houston and onto the world stage where he discovered that fame brought new challenges. Drawing on new interviews with George Foreman and declassified government documents, as well as more than fifty domestic and international newspapers and magazines, Smith brings to life the exhilarating story of a true American icon. No Way but to Fight is an epic worthy of a champion.
Andrew R. M. Smith is an assistant professor of sport management and history at Nichols College. Originally from Guelph, Ontario, he lives with his wife and daughters in Woodstock, Connecticut.
Table of Contents
Prologue: Crossroads
1. Fruits of the Fifth Ward
2. Corpsman’s Call
3. God Bless the Puncher
4. Eatin’ Money
5. Sculpting George Foreman
6. Better Must Come
7. I Ain’t No Dog
8. Superman’s Evil Twin
9. Man without a Country
10. To the Mountains of the Moon
11. I Don’t Run ’Cause I Don’t Have To
12. You Got to Have a Boss
13. A Gangster’s Game
14. Jesus Rode on a Jackass
15. Man of La Mancha
Epilogue: Unscripted
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
What People are Saying About This
David K. Wiggins
Andrew Smith has written a superb account of George Foreman's life and career. Utilizing a vast array of primary and secondary sources, Smith astutely chronicles Foreman's story from his early days in the Fifth Ward of Houston up through his many victories in the prize ring and enormous success as a television personality. In the process, we gain important insights into Foreman's complicated personality and the often cruel and unforgiving world of boxing.
Johnny Smith
Andrew Smith's compelling biography of George Foreman illuminates how "Big George"—the man and the myth—shaped the history of boxing and popular culture. Smith deftly reconstructs the public and private lives of a fighter who reinvented himself time and time again. No Way but to Fight is a powerful story about race, class, and violence in America, a revealing portrait of the redemption of a man searching for a life beyond the confines of the "Bloody Fifth" Ward of Houston.
Ryan Swanson
George Foreman comes to life in Andrew R. M. Smith’s definitive biography. Based on deep research and a treasure trove of interviews, No Way but to Fight tells the fascinating story of Foreman's rise to the top of the boxing world, his navigation of the post-Civil Rights era, and his path to becoming the Foreman Grill pitchman. This is an important contribution to our understanding of sports and race in the United States, and it’s a page-turner to boot!
