Everyone said that George Foreman was no good when he was young. If not for boxing, he probably would have wound up in prison or dead. Even as heavyweight boxing champion, Foreman didn't know what a good thing he had until he lost everything--his championship, his money, and his family. Only then did he realize that the only way he could be happy was to do things for others. Only then did it become clear that he didn't need a title to be a champion. After retiring for a second time, however, Foreman returned to boxing at the age of 45 and regained his heavyweight title in a stunning upset.He retired in 1997 as one of the most popular figures in sports.

George Edward Foreman was born January 10, 1949, in Marshall, Texas. He grew up in the Fifth Ward, a poor neighborhood on the north side of Houston, Texas, where...