Foreman Says He’ll Retire After Loss

Father Time and Shannon Briggs caught up with 48-year-old George Foreman, who said he was quitting after losing an unpopular decision Saturday night.

“I’ve had a wonderful career. It is my last fight,” Foreman said. “I’m not going to cry like a baby.

“I’m not going to be boxing again. You can only get so many millions.”

Most of the 5,000 fans who watched the fight at the Trump Taj Majal didn’t think Foreman had lost the disputed majority decision.

The decision drew thunderous boos.

Foreman who will be 49 on Jan. 10, forced the action from the outset and seemed to be in control in the later rounds. But two of the judges favored the 25-year-old Briggs.

Judge Calvin Claxton scored it 115-112 and Larry Layton 117-113 for Briggs. Steve Weisfeld had it even at 114.

The AP’s card favored Foreman 116-112.

The loss was only the fifth in 81 fights for Foreman. It snapped a four-fight winning streak dating to a decision loss to Tommy Morrison on June 7, 1993.

The loss almost certainly knocked Foreman - should he change his mind about retirement - out of a shot at Lennox Lewis, the WBC champion, who earlier Saturday said he might consider fighting the winner of the Foreman-Briggs match. Almost everyone thought that would be Foreman.

“Before the fight, I thought I was going into the death chair,” Briggs said. “I was very nervous.”

Briggs was aware of the sentiments of the audience.

“He had the crowd behind him,” Briggs said. “That’s why they reacted the way they did.”

Briggs kept moving against the 260-pound Foreman and scored well with jabs and hooks, especially in the first two rounds and again in the sixth and seventh rounds. In the sixth and seventh, Foreman appeared old and tired.

While the 227-pound Briggs landed a couple of big shots, Foreman never appeared to be in any trouble and it also appeared that his persistence paid off.

Foreman seemed to have an edge in the final rounds also, but Briggs’ movement and tactics apparently swayed two of the judges.

A CompuBox punch analysis credited Foreman with landing 284 of 488 punches a connection rate of 58 percent. Briggs was credited with 223 of 494 punches for 45 percent.