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Boxing Legend Pays Tribute to His Gold Medalist Olympic Teammate in a Happy Father’s Day Tweet

Published 06/20/2022, 3:00 PM EDT

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Boxing legend George Foreman paved the way to greatness with his fists. He became a two-time world heavyweight champion and was immortalized in the boxing Hall of Fame. Many people around him inspired him to achieve many accolades. One such inspirational father figure was Willie ‘Red’ Harris, the father of Ronnie Harris. He trained his son to become a gold medalist in the same year in which Foreman clinched gold in the heavyweight division, 1968.

Recalling his old friend’s father, ‘Big George’ paid tribute to Harris in a Happy Father’s Day tweet.

He wrote, “Ronnie Harris; My Olympic teammate ( 1968 ) we brought home the Gold. Our Gold now is family. Happy father’s dad Ron.”

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Ronnie Harris’s father is no more in this world. But Foreman shared the picture of Ronnie Harris with his family.

How did George Foreman meet Ronnie Harris’ father?

Foreman and Harris were part of the same Olympic team in 1968. Harris was trained by his father, Red Harris, so the latter went along with the boxers to Mexico City as part of the Olympic team. This was when Foreman came across Red Harris. This man was so phenomenal that he became an important influence on the entire team.

Foreman said when Harris’s father died, “If you don’t have someone like that in your life, you have no idea what to do with your life. If you don’t cross paths with a man like Mr. Harris, you continue to live a trail of ignorance. I thank God I met him.”

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A phenomenal record achieved by Foreman

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Years after retiring from the sport, Foreman stunned the boxing world by making a successful comeback, when he was 38 years of age. Not only did he return but also made it to the title.

In 1994, he defeated Michael Moorer and became the oldest heavyweight champion with the WBA title at the age of 45. He won the fight by stopping Moorer, who was then 26 years of age. He wore the same red trunk which he wore when he faced the first defeat of his career against another boxing legend, Muhammad Ali.

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What do you this of Foreman’s tweet? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Abhishek Singh

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Abhishek Singh is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. Following the completion of his training as an amateur boxer, he is currently preparing to appear for trials at the state and national levels. With over 3 years of experience in playing the sport, Abhishek is also the holder of a Bachelor's in Arts degree from the University of Delhi.
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Edited by:

Ajinkya Aswale