Ex-heavyweight boxing champion Foreman facing underage rape lawsuits from 1970s – Sporting Life

Heavyweight boxer and 1968 Mexico City Olympics gold medalist George Foreman is facing two trials on sexual assault allegations dating back to the 1970s, in which he is accused of grooming and raping two girls.

These were filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday (Aug. 24) by two people using the pseudonyms Gwen H. and Denise F.

The 73-year-old, who is best remembered for his “Rumble in the Jungle” fight against fellow American professional boxer Muhammad Ali, has denied the allegations.

Both women, now in their early 60s, claim to have met the professional boxer as children through their fathers, who were linked to him.

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Denise says Foreman nursed her when she was eight and had sex with her under the legal age limit of 15, meaning it would count as statutory rape.

One of these incidents is said to have happened in a hotel room in San Francisco.

Gwen, from Nevada, said Foreman met her when she was nine and sexually abused and raped her when she was 15 and 16.

This lawsuit also points to blackmail, as Foreman allegedly claimed Gwen’s father would lose his job if she told him what happened.

The boxer has claimed these lawsuits are racketeering and unfounded.

“In the past six months, two women have attempted to extort millions of dollars each from me and my family,” Foreman said in a statement.

“I don’t argue, but I don’t run away either.”

The statute of limitations for sexually assaulting children as young as 15 in California means a criminal case should have been pursued decades ago.

In 2020, a California law allowed victims of childhood sexual abuse to extend the statute of limitations for civil suits.

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Before becoming one of the most famous professional boxers in the world, Foreman became an Olympic champion 54 years ago, where he defeated Jonas Čepulis of the Soviet Union in the final.

He defeated Joe Frazier to become world champion in 1973 before losing to Ali a year later in Kinshasa, ending his unbeaten streak of 40 straight wins.

Foreman finished his pro career with a record of 76-5.

His name stays in the kitchens of millions through the George Foreman Grill, which has sold over 100 million units.