MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minnesota woman is grieving the death of her father – legendary boxer and heavyweight champ George Foreman – after he died in Texas last week.
Daughter remembers Joe Foreman
What we know:
Most of us knew him from moments like The Rumble in the Jungle.
But Michi Foreman who knew him as simply as “dad.”
“He was a big kid, he played with us like he was one of the kids and all of a sudden try to be serious,” Michi Foreman tells FOX 9.
Final moments with her father
What they’re saying:
Now Michi is mourning the loss of her father, who she says lived an extraordinary life.
“The last time I saw my father, the life was sort of just not there,” said Foreman.
She tells FOX 9 her father was more than just someone who took on Muhammad Ali.
He was a pillar in her life, a preacher, and someone who often gave her wisdom. She believes his cause of death was from all those years in the ring.
“I told my brothers and sister, I said he’s tired. And they were like, yeah, but he’s still fighting. I said, sit back and let God do his work. And two hours later, he was gone,” said Foreman.
Foreman fighting as dad
A daddy’s girl:
Michi says she has known her father to be a fighter since she was little. She went to see her father fight during his comeback, but it wasn’t easy.
“You can’t see someone you love like that get hit,” said Foreman.
She remembers when he became the champ once again.
“Everybody was cheering for him, and he won the second time the championship of the world. Went straight down to his knees after the fight, and prayed and thanked God,” said Foreman.
Michi also talked about how her father was sensitive and cared about people.
Whenever a celebrity was going through adversity, he’d give them a call to check on them.
Naming of the sons
Dig deeper:
Foreman has seven daughters and five sons. All of the sons are named after him.
“He was like, well, I don’t want any of my sons to feel like they’re less than the other one,” said Foreman.
