George Foreman/amateur record/1967-1969

[brutu]

Anyone know if there is a list of George Foreman's amateur career(including boxing exhibitions after he won the gold medal up to his first pro-fight in June 1969)I think he had about 30 bouts including the bout with the Russian in the 1968 Olympics.

[10-8]

Here's an excellent quality video of Foreman as an amateur in September 1968.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLv-Ye-HHC4

Foreman's amateur career ended in October 1968 when he won the gold medal. It had begun in January 1967. Foreman essentially went from novice to gold medalist in a year and a half, an incredible feat. As a result, his amateur career was very brief.

[brutu]

I believe that footage was from the September.7. 1968 Olympic trials that were in Toledo Ohio.
Foreman came to the Olympic trials as the National AAU champ.
The bout Foreman won before knocking out Albert Wilson to win,Foreman had beat the All-Army Champ Otis Evans,jr,who was bigger then Foreman and had knocked every one out.
Foreman was behind on points and with just 15 seconds remaining in the third round Foreman knocked out Evans with a right uppercut to the solar plexus.
Foreman discribed it as a real brawl.
Is there footage of that bout?

[Mike DeLisa]

Here is what I have on Foreman leading up to his pro debut, including post-olympic exhbitions. Also, my info is he ebat Evans in the trials, and then again in the box-off, both by decision.:

George Foreman

Amateur Record: 22-6 -- recount needed


Amateur Highlights

1966
--- PT Thompson Oakland, CA L w/o
Dec Max Briggs Oakland, CA L 3

1967
Jan Opponent Oakland, CA KO
Jan 25 Marion Jones Oakland, CA KO 1
(Wins Diamond Belt, Junior Div.)
Feb Opponent San Francisco, CA KO Cal. GG, Jr. Div, gold
Feb Thomas Cook Las Vegas, NV KO Nev Golden Gloves
Mar Lee White Sacramento, CA W
Jul Opponent --- KO 1
Jul Opponent --- KO 1

1968
Jan 24 Clay Hodges Oakland, CA L 3 -- on pro card -- split decision
Feb LC Brown San Francisco, CA KO
(Wins San Francisco Golden Gloves, Senior Div.)
Apr 4 Billy Bob Thompson Toledo, OH TKO 2 NAt'l AAU
Apr 5 Robert "Bobo" Renfrow Toledo, OH TKO 3 Nat'l AAU QF
Apr 6 Chuck Thompson Toledo, OH TKO Nat'l AAU Semi
Apr 7 Henry Crump Toledo, OH W 3 Nat'l AAU Final
Apr 15 Clay Hodges Los Angeles, CA L 3
Jun 12 Robert Rasberry Sly Park, CA Exh 3
Jul Sonny Liston Oakland, CA Spar 5
Jul Sonny Liston Oakland, CA Spar 5
Aug 16 Heinz Deiter Hanover, Ger L DQ 3
Aug 20 Peter Hussing Berlín Occidental, RFA KO-2
Aug Opponent Germany KO 1
Sep 5 Otis Evans Maumee, OH W 3 Oly Trials
Sep 6 Albert Wilson Maumee, OH KO 2 Oly Trials
Sep 21 Otis Evans Albuquerque, NM W 3 Oly Box Off


--Possible he beat Bobo Renfow in Oly trials as well
--- Exh with Bunky Akins

Olympics
Oct 16 Lucjan Trela Mexico City W 3 (4-1)
Oct 22 Ione Alexe Mexico City TKO 3 QF
Oct 24 Giorgio Bambini Mexico City KO 2 Semi
Oct 27 Ionas Chepulis Mexico City TKO 2 Final
(Wins Olympic Heavyweight Gold Medal)



Professional Record

1969
04-19 Chester Walton Oakland, CA Exh 3
04-22 Chester Walton Houston, TX Exh 3
May Sonny Liston San Francisco Spar
May Sonny Liston Las Vegas, NV Spar
May 22 George Savage Tampa, FL Sched Exh 3
06-23 Don Waldheim New York, NY TKO 3 1:54 == pro debut

[PeteLeo]

Man, Clay Hodges had his number, didn't he? For some reason, I always thought George only lost a couple of times in the amateurs, both to Hodges. PeteLeo.

[gregbeyer]

clay hodges was a hell of a fighter. handed jimmy young his first pro loss. career cut short by injury. i heard foreman talk about him in an interview. said he just couldn't get past the guy.

mike if you have hodges amateur record i would like to see it.
greg

[Mike DeLisa]

I havent compiled all my notes for hodges, but here is a start:

Clay Hodges
Born 1944

Hometown Albuquerque, NM
Division Heavyweight


1961 -- begins taking boxing lessons at El Camino College; later transfers to USC
1962 -- Feb 10 Southland GG semi final -- Hodges and Don McCline refuse to fight because they are good friends
1963 -- Feb. Western GG Heavy Champ
1964 -- Feb 22. Loses to Dick Vigil, finals if Western GG, but awarded sportsman of the tournament award for way he

recieved the disputed loss
1965 -- Los Angeles GG -- lost in final bout to Jerry Quarry
1965 -- lost to Buster Mathis
1966 -- National Golden Gloves; Mar 22 beat opponent; mar 23 won ko2 over Ray Harris; beat Earl Averette in

semifinal, Mar 26 lost by ko2 to Jim Howard in final

1967 National GG record at Milwaukee
Feb 27 KO 2 Terry Daniels
Feb 27 RSC 1 Cy Foy
Feb 28 W 3 Chuck Haynes -- Quarter Final
Mar 1 W 3 Mike Boswell Semi Final
Mar 1 KO 2 Tommy Gamble -- final

1967 -- National AAU -- Apr beat Mike boswell; Apr 7 Forest Ward lost split dec. (Ward beat Ken Norton in finals).


1968
Jan 24 George Foreman Oakland, CA W 3 -- on pro card -- crowd on feet throughout
--- Jim Elder Los Angeles, CA L 3
Feb 24 Golden Gloves, Western Region -- lose Bunny Akins in Semi (Akins beat Jim Elder in finals)

Apr 15 George Foreman Las Vegas, NV W 3

[PeteLeo]

Jim Elder was another now-unsung but formidible heavyweight prospect. Tragically, Jimmy Lee lost a bout to cancer after competing in only ten or eleven pro fights. Our buddy Steve named the hero of his novels THE REALITY WEAVERS and POUND FOR POUND "Gordon Elder" after Malcolm "Flash" Gordon and Jim Elder.

These little tidbits of trivia can be amazing, can't they? PeteLeo.

[Mike DeLisa]

Elder's record through the Akins loss was 18-2.

I beleive he died of a brain tumor. One of the first boxing mags I read had a long story about Elder, still an amateur, around 1969.

[Mike DeLisa]

PS -- every list I ahve ever seen says Hodges won the 1966 natl. golden gloves when in fact he was stopped in the finals!

[gregbeyer]

thanx mike.
greg

[Mike DeLisa]

Here is a revised Hodges record -- best I can do for now. Bunky Akins had only 3 fihgts then beat Hodges and Elder back-to-back. In 1968, he fought a pre-olympic exhibition agaisnt Foreman and supposedly did well. He turned pro, several fights missing from boxrec -- then wound up working with Ali in 1970 and 1971, for bonavena and Frazier bouts. He then disapears from my radar screen.

Also, Foreman and hodges fought just twice -- some records have picked up an earlier draft of my Foreman record which led to the confusion.

Hodges got started too late, not boxing until college. by the way Jimmy Young decked him twice.


Clay Hodges
Born 1944

Division Heavyweight


1961 -- begins taking boxing lessons at El Camino College; later transfers to USC
1962 -- Feb 10 Southland GG semi final -- Hodges and Don McCline refuse to fight because they are good friends
1963 -- Feb. Western GG Heavy Champ
1964 -- Feb 22. Loses to Dick Vigil, finals if Western GG, but awarded sportsman of the tournament award for way he received the disputed loss
1964 --- beats Alvis Gillespie

MAr 11 Jimmy Rosette at North Hollywood, CA RESULT NEEDED

1964, Natl. AAU, LAs Vegas
Apr 10 Al Wilson L TKO 1

Western Regional Olympic Trials, Oakland, CA
May 13 James Haskins (NAVY) W 3

Olympic Trials, Flushing NY (World's Fair)
May 18 Ron Pettus W 3
May 19 Joe Frazier KO by 2

Sep 24 Joe Frazier Hamilton Air force base Sch 3


1965 -- Los Angeles GG -- lost in final bout to Jerry Quarry
1965 -- lost to Buster Mathis
1966 -- National Golden Gloves; Mar 22 beat opponent; mar 23 won ko2 over Ray Harris; beat Earl Averette in semifinal, Mar 26 lost by ko2 to Jim Howard in final

1967 National GG record at Milwaukee
Feb 27 KO 2 Terry Daniels
Feb 27 TKO 1 Cy Foy
Feb 28 W 3 Chuck Haynes -- Quarter Final
Mar 1 W 3 Mike Boswell Semi Final
Mar 1 KO 2 Tommy Gamble -- final

1967 -- National AAU -- Apr beat Mike boswell; Apr 7 Forest Ward lost split dec. (Ward beat Ken Norton in finals).


1968
Jan 23 George Foreman Oakland, CA W 3
--- Jim Elder Los Angeles, CA L 3
Feb 19 Golden Gloves, Western Region -- win over opponent
Feb 24 Golden Gloves, Western Region -- lose Bunky Akins in Semis (Akins beat Jim Elder in finals on Mar 2)

Apr 15 George Foreman Los Angeles, CA W 3

1969
Mar 1 Golden Gloves, Western Region -- semis -- result needed

Pro record:

1970
03-13 Joe Perea San Diego, CA, USA KO 6
04-03 Jimmy Young Los Angeles, CA, USA W 6 -- Hodges down twice
04-27 Ben Hunter Los Angeles, CA, USA KO 4 -- listed as hodge's 4th pro bout so one might be missing
05-08 Kenyatta Hockenhull San Diego, CA, USA TKO by 5

[brutu]

Foreman writes about his amateur career in his 1995 autobiography BY GEORGE.However he does not list some of the names of the bouts he recoounts.
The All-Army champ was no doubt Otis Evans jr,which he discribed as a brawl.
he refers to some oppents as"a giant from Wahinton D.C or a southpaw with a great left hook.

[hawk5ins]

anyone's idea of competent research, I guess it's a step up from "that guy".

Sheesh.

Hawk

[brutu]

I think I remember reading in George Foreman's autobiography that
Clay Hodges was runner up to Joe Frazier in the 1964 Olympic trials.
Clay Hodges was 6 ft. 4 inches tall.
Foreman dropped Hodges with a right hand to the chin in the first round in both their fights but Hodges got up to out point Foreman.

[Mike DeLisa]

Hodges did not get to the Oly Trials in 1964.

Foreman never knocked him down. Their Jan 1963 bout was a "barn burner" according to press accounts.

It is very tough to rely on Foreman's recollections if you want truth.

[brutu]

Originally Posted by Mike DeLisa

Hodges did not get to the Oly Trials in 1964.

Foreman never knocked him down. Their Jan 1963 bout was a "barn burner" according to press accounts.

It is very tough to rely on Foreman's recollections if you want truth.

Just so nobody thinks Im making this up ,George Foreman states in his 1995 autobiography BY GEORGE(page 48) that Clay Hodges was runner-up to Joe Frazier in the 1964 Olympic trials.
Also George Foreman says that Clay Hodges didnt compete at the 1968 National AAU in Toledo because he was in the reseve unit of the Army National Guard and they were called up the weekend of the event.

[Mike DeLisa]

Brutu -- I din't think you made it up! I actually did some more research.

So, Hodges won the Western Regional Oly Trials then went to the natl finals. In the first fight, May 18, 1964, Hodges beat Ron Pettus.

The next night, Frazier stopped Clay Hodges in the second round. Buster Mathis beat Tyrone Holins by decision.

On May 20, Frazier LOST the OLY trials to Buster Mathis -- Frazier therefore was the runner-up to Mathis.

So, I was wrong but record corrected!

[Mike DeLisa]

Here are the updates to the record for Hodges:

1964
MAr 11 Jimmy Rosette at North Hollywood, CA RESULT NEEDED

1964, Natl. AAU, LAs Vegas
Apr 10 Al WIlson L TKO 1

Western Regional Olympic Trials, Oakland, CA
May 13 James Haskins (NAVY) W 3

Olympic Trials, Flushing NY (World's Fair)
May 18 Ron Pettus W 3
May 19 Joe Frazier KO by 2

INTERESTINGLY -- Mathis broke his thumb in September 18 when he beat Frazier a second time, this one at Hamilton Air Force Base. Frazier replaced Mathis on the team at that point which led to Frazier meeting Hodges a second time --

Sep 24 Joe Frazier at North Hollywood, CA RESULT NEEDED

[KOJOE90]

Great thread guys, many thanks.