Flamboyant boxing promoter Don King has agreed to pay former world heavyweight champion George Foreman $20-million if he gets back into the ring.
Foreman, now aged 55, shocked the boxing world a decade ago when he climbed back into the ring to win the world title for a second time after beating fellow American Michael Moorer.
King’s right-hand man Bobby Goodman said late on Tuesday that Foreman, whose last fight in 1997 against Shannon Briggs ended in defeat, would aim to lose 20 kilos for the venture.
”George said he’d fight one more time if he loses 50 pounds,” said Goodman.
”Don said ‘fine, if he does, I’ll give him 20 million or more’.”
King said he was simply reacting to the boxing veteran’s own ambitions.
”George said he wants to come back to fight again, so what I’m doing is calling him out,” said King.
”He has the power, boy, he’s rewriting history books.” King said he had talked with Foreman last week about the idea.
”We’ve got a verbal deal,” King said. ”He said, ‘I’m willing to fight one more time’.”
No opponent or date has been set for the fight, although Foreman said last week he’d like any fight to be in his hometown of Houston.
Foreman first won the heavyweight title in 1973 by knocking out Joe Frazier.
He lost the title the next year to Muhammad Ali in a bout fought in Zaire — now the Democratic Republic of Congo — known as the ”Rumble in Jungle”.
King said he plans to match Foreman against one of his fighters but did not offer any names.
”We’ve got all this together,” King said. ”The pot of gold is waiting.” – Sapa-AFP