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Monday, May 18, 1998

George Foreman picks up new title -- doctor

HOUSTON (AP) -- He's a boxer and a minister. Now George Foreman has a new title: doctor.

The former heavyweight champion received an honorary doctorate from the Houston Graduate School of Theology on Saturday for his charity work with children.

"Everyone said when I was young I probably wouldn't amount to much, but this shows all things are possible," Foreman, 49, told hundreds of people gathered for graduation services at the inner-city school.

Foreman, heavyweight champion from 1973-74, quit boxing in 1977. He came back 10 years later to earn money for the George Foreman Youth Development Community Center in Houston, and held portions of the crown from 1994-94.

In addition to his continued support for the center, Foreman has contributed his time to various local charities.

After the ceremony, Foreman said it's a pretty good bet he will step back into the ring, although he added that nothing definite had been finalized. Last week, Foreman's brother said the former champ would fight another former heavyweight title holder, Larry Holmes, sometime between Oct. 3 and Jan. 10.