 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | April 22, 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, US | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | IBF, WBU and Lineal Heavyweight Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreman defeated Schulz by 12th round majority decision | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
George Foreman vs. Axel Schulz , billed as Celebration, was a professional boxing match contest, held on April 22, 1995, for Foreman's IBF and lineal heavyweight championships, as well as the vacant WBU heavyweight championship. [1]
In his previous fight, 45-year-old George Foreman made history by becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history after scoring an upset knockout victory over Michael Moorer on November 5, 1994. [2] In early 1995, Foreman began negotiations to make the first defense of his newly won WBA and IBF titles against German mid-level prospect Axel Schulz. [3] However, Schulz was unranked by both organizations and Foreman needed permission from both the WBA and IBF to continue on with his defense. The IBF ultimately agreed to allow Foreman to defend the title against Schulz and raised Schulz ranking to number 9, but the WBA refused, insisting that he instead face its number one contender Tony Tucker. [4] Nevertheless, Foreman opted to continue on with his fight against Schulz and allowed the WBA to strip him of its title.
In 2000, citing extortion; boxing promoter Bob Arum voluntarily testified to having paid IBF president Bobby Lee $100,000 in two installments in 1995, as the first half of a $200,000 bribe, through "middleman, Stanley Hoffman," adding that Lee had first demanded $500,000 to sanction the Schulz-Foreman fight, but had settled for the lesser amount of $200,000 (half of which was never paid). [5] Arum was sanctioned and fined $125,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission [6]
The New York Times reported that Foreman earned about $12 million and Schulz earned $1 million, and that "Foreman's celebrity status persuaded HBO to pay more for this fight than for any other event in the cable network's history." Foreman said that his payday would be spent for his children higher education, stating, "I've got to send nine children through college." [7]
Though Foreman came into the fight as a 6–1 favorite over the virtually unknown Schulz, the young German surprised many by giving Foreman a tough fight. The younger Schulz used his speed to his advantage and spent a majority of the fight circling Foreman while effectively peppering the champion with right hands throughout. In the fourth round, Foreman managed to open a cut on Schulz' forehead with a right hand and staggered him for the first time in the fifth, but Schulz continued to stand toe-to-toe with Foreman for the remainder of the fight. By the time the 12th round ended, Foreman's left eye had swelled completely shut due in part to Schulz' hard right hands. The fight then turned to the judge's scorecards. HBO's unofficial scorer Harold Lederman had Schulz winning a lopsided decision by the score of 117–111 (9 rounds to 3). However, the official judges disagreed, one judge ruled the fight a draw with a score of 114–114, while the other two had the fight 115–113 in favor of Foreman, making Foreman the winner by majority decision. [8]
Though Foreman had hoped for a potential superfight with the returning Mike Tyson should he defeat Schulz, [9] the controversial nature of Foreman's victory led to the IBF demanding Foreman face Schulz in a rematch or be stripped of the title. [10] However, Foreman decided against a rematch with Schulz and decided to relinquish the IBF title, though he would continue to be recognized as the Lineal champion and defended that title, as well as the lightly regarded WBU title he had won against Schulz, against fringe-contenders Crawford Grimsley and Lou Savarese before losing to Shannon Briggs in what would prove to be the final fight of his career in 1997.
Meanwhile, the IBF ordered a match between their two top ranked heavyweights, the number one ranked Francois Botha and the now number-two ranked Schulz to determine the next IBF heavyweight champion. [11] Botha would win by unanimous decision on December 9, 1995, but tested for steroids shortly after, causing the IBF to overturn Botha's victory into a no-contest and rescind Botha's recognition as champion. This led to Schulz getting a third consecutive opportunity at the championship, this time against the former champion Michael Moorer. [12] The two would meet on June 22, 1996, in Schulz' native Germany, but Schulz was again unable to capture the title, losing to Moorer by split decision.
Confirmed bouts: [13]
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
 Germany | RTL |
 United States | HBO |
Lennox Claudius Lewis is a boxing commentator and former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2003. He is a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and the last heavyweight to hold the undisputed championship. Holding dual British and Canadian citizenship, Lewis represented Canada as an amateur at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics; in the latter, he won a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division.
George Edward Foreman is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister, and author. In boxing, he competed between 1967 and 1997 and was nicknamed "Big George". He is a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist. As an entrepreneur, he is known for the George Foreman Grill.
Evander Holyfield is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s, and is the only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes in the three belt era. Nicknamed "the Real Deal", Holyfield is the only four-time world heavyweight champion, having held the unified WBA, WBC, and IBF titles from 1990 to 1992, the WBA and IBF titles again from 1993 to 1994, the WBA title a third time from 1996 to 1999; the IBF title a third time from 1997 to 1999 and the WBA title for a fourth time from 2000 to 2001.
Michael Lee Moorer is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2008. He won a world championship on four occasions in two weight classes, having held the WBO light heavyweight title from 1988 to 1991; compiling 22 straight KOs in 22 fights and the WBO heavyweight title from 1992 to 1993; the unified WBA, IBF and lineal heavyweight titles in 1994; and regained the IBF heavyweight title again from 1996 to 1997 becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion.
Tony Craig Tucker is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1998. He won the IBF heavyweight title in 1987, and was the shortest-reigning world heavyweight champion at just 64 days. In an interview with Barry Tompkins, he referred to himself as the "invisible champion," due to the press and general public largely neglecting him. He is best known for giving Mike Tyson in his prime a relatively close fight, in which he, in the words of Larry Merchant, "rocked Tyson" in the first round. However, Tyson went on to win a unanimous decision. As an amateur, he won the 1979 United States national championships, the 1979 World Cup, and a gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games, all in the light heavyweight division.
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) is one of four major organizations recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) which sanctions professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).
Virgil Eugene Hill is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2007, and in 2015. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBA light heavyweight title twice, from 1987 to 1997; the IBF and lineal light heavyweight titles from 1996 to 1997; and the WBA cruiserweight title twice, from 2000 to 2002 and 2006 to 2007. As an amateur, Hill won a silver medal in the middleweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics. In 2013, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Shannon Briggs is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1992 and 2016. He held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title from 2006 to 2007. Briggs was known for his formidable punching power and aggression, possessing an 88.3% knockout-to-win percentage with 37 knockout wins in the first round.
Francois "Frans" Botha is a South African former professional boxer and kickboxer. He competed in boxing from 1990 to 2014, and is perhaps best known for winning the IBF heavyweight title against Axel Schulz in 1995, but was later stripped after failing a drug test. He later challenged twice for world heavyweight titles in 2000 and 2002. Botha has competed against former Heavyweight Champions Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko, Lennox Lewis, Michael Moorer and Evander Holyfield late in their respective careers. Botha participated once in mixed martial arts in 2004.
Axel Schulz is a German former professional boxer who competed from 1990 to 1999, and in 2006. He challenged three times for both the IBF and European heavyweight titles. As an amateur he won a bronze medal at the 1989 World Championships and silver at the 1989 European Championships, both in the heavyweight division.
As in the 1980s, the 1990s in boxing's popularity focused on all divisions. When 1980s legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, as well as others retired, newer superstars filled the void: Pernell Whitaker, Julio César Chávez, in the early 1990s, Oscar De La Hoya, Félix Trinidad, Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the mid to late 1990s.
Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield, billed as Finally, was a professional boxing match fought between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson for the WBA heavyweight championship on November 9, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The bout was Tyson's first defence of the WBA title that he had won from Bruce Seldon on September 7 of that year.
Buster Douglas vs. Evander Holyfield, billed as "The Moment of Truth", was a professional boxing match contested on October 25, 1990, for the WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight championships. The bout took place at the Mirage in Paradise, Nevada, USA and saw Douglas making the first defense of the titles he won from Mike Tyson in February 1990.
Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Moorer was a professional boxing match contested on April 22, 1994, for the WBA and IBF heavyweight championships.
Michael Moorer vs. George Foreman, billed as One for the Ages, was a professional boxing match contested on November 5, 1994 for the WBA and IBF heavyweight championships.
Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Moorer II was a professional boxing match contested November 8, 1997 for the WBA and IBF heavyweight championships.
Evander Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis, billed as Undisputed, was a professional boxing match contested on March 13, 1999 for the WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight championships.
George Foreman vs. Tommy Morrison, billed as the Star-Spangled Battle, was a professional boxing match contested between George Foreman and Tommy Morrison on June 7, 1993, for the vacant World Boxing Organization Heavyweight Championship.
George Foreman vs. Shannon Briggs was a professional boxing match contested on November 22, 1997, for the Lineal heavyweight championship.