By Siphiwo Boqwana.
Iindaba ezothusayo zezokunduluka emhlabeni kwalowo owayesakudlala aManqindi uGeorge Edward Foreman nowayesakuba yiNjinga yeHlabathi amatyeli amabini (2) kudidi lwabanzima. UGeorge ulishiye eli limagada ahlabayo ngomhla wamalungelo abantu umhla wamashumi amabini ananye (21) kulenyanga yoKwindla ngoLwesihlanu ezintsukwini. Usweleka enamashumi asixhenxe anesithandathu (76) ubudala.
UForeman waduma ngamandla ngethuba lo mlo wakhe no-Mohamed Ali eDemocratic Republic of the Congo ngonyaka ka-1974, nowawusaziwa njenge-Rumble in the Jungle.
UForeman waphumelela neGolide kwii-Olimpiki enemilo nje engamashumi amabini anesihlanu (25) kudidi labanga hlawulwayo emanqindini. UForeman uphumelele isiThsaba seHlabathi kudidi lwabanzima ngethuba ebetha imbethi manqindi u-Joe Frazer waze emva koko wayikhusela amatyeli amabini phambi kokuba aye kumlo no-Mohammed Ali nowayesaziwa kuqala njengo-Casius Clay phambi kwalo mlo wase-Afrika.
UForman waye kwangusomashishini ophume izandla. Le mbethi manqindi eyaduma umhlaba wonke yabetha u-Jonas Cepulis ngonyaka ka-1968 ukuze aphumelele igolide kwi-Olimpiki eMexico. Emva kwe-Olimpiki uForEman uye wangena kudidi labahlawulwayo waze waphumelela intshinga yehlabathi emva kokuphumelela imilo engamashumi amathathu anesixhenxe (37) yokuqala ebetha u-Joe Frazer Kingston kwelase-Jamaica ngenyanga yoMqungu kunyaka ka-1973, emwise izihlandlo ezintandathu(6) uJoe kwimijikelo emibini.
Ukuphumelela kwakhe iintshinga ezimbini kumlo omnye kwi-WBA nakwi-WBC waze wayikhusela amatyeLi amabini, waqala wabetha imbethi manqindi yase-Puerto Rico u-Jose Roman ngemizuzwana nje engamashumi amahlanu kumjikelo wokuqala, okwesibini wabetha uMmerika u-Ken Norton wase-Soviet ngeloxesha, nawayesanda kubetha u-Mohammed Ali, yena ebethwa nguForeman kumjikelo nje wesibini nto leyo eyamthatha yamsa kumlo wodumo uFpreman, eZaire ngonyaka ka-1974.
UGeorge waphulukana nomlo wakhe wesibini ngonyaka ka-1977 watsho walahla kwezamanqindi waba ngumfundisi webandla eHouston eMerika. Wothusa abaninzi U-Foreman ngethuba evakalisa ukuba uyabuyela emanqindini kwiminyaka elishumi wayekayo ngonyaka ka-1987 eneminyaka engamashumi amathathu anethoba (39) ubudala. Uye walwa no-Evander Holyfield ngonyaka ka-1991, u-Holyfield eneminyaka engamashumi amabini anesibhozo ubudala ngelixesha, wabethwa apho ngamanqaku uForeman emva kokuvumelana kwabagwebi.
Ngonyaka ka-1994 wothuse abantu abaninzi kwezamanqindi kwihlabathi ngethuba ephumelela iintshinga ezimbini zehlabathi emva kokubetha uMichael Moorer ethatha i-IBF ne-WBA kudidi labanzima kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini emva kokubethwa okokuqala kwezamanqindi e-Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Le mbethi manqindi iye yayokuphangela kwinkampani yezamahlathi nokwakha i-Job Corps nalapho wadibana khona nomqeqeshi wakhe. Lo kaForman ukhe waphangela nakumabonakude encediswa ngumfazi wakhe uMary Joan, benabantwana abalishumi elinesibini (12), kubo unamakhwenkwe amahlanu (5), intombi yakhe uFreeda nowayesakuba yimbethi manqindi kudidi labahlawulwayo yaye yazibulala ngonyaka ka-2019. Ngonyaka ka-2004 uGeorge uye wavakalisa okokuqala ukuba umama wakhe uNancy zange avume ukuba adlale amanqindi kodwa uthe asakuthabatha isigqibo sokuba ngumfundisi wanqwala intloko wayithanda loonto kakhulu.
Ukhe watyholwa ngamanenekazi amabini esithi wayekhe wawahlukumeza ngokocantsi ngexesha bebesebancinci kodwa wayiphika woma loo nto kwiinkundla zamatyala. Kukhutshwe umboniso bhanyabhanya wakhe ngonyaka ka-2023 othi Big George Forman.
By Siphiwo Boqwana