Michael Moorer is forever ingrained in George Foreman’s legacy just as much as the late great two-time heavyweight champion’s rivalries with Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Foreman's comeback campaign after retirement from 1977 to 1987 climaxed at the age of 45 when he orchestrated a dramatic come-from-behind knockout victory against Moorer on Nov. 5, 1994 to claim the IBF and WBA titles. The feat made Foreman the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history, a record that still stands today, and furthered his fame and marketability into another stratosphere.

Foreman passed away Friday at the age of 76, and the global boxing community has since shown a pouring of support for the legendary figure in and out of the ring.

“He was a very honorable, exceptional, religious, and spiritual man,” Moorer told The Ring in an interview. “He was an influential man that people listened to and understood. He was a good influencer for boxers. He spoke very well and understood the game. They took note of what he had to say, and I’m one of them. I’m very grateful that I was able to be in the presence of Big George Foreman. His legacy will continue to grow through his kids.”

Moorer said he formed a special bond with Foreman over the last three decades following the fight by privately carrying conversations.

The last time Moorer and Foreman talked was when they met in public on April 26, 2023, when Moorer traveled from his Florida home to Los Angeles to attend and support the premiere of Foreman’s Sony Pictures-produced biopic debuting in theaters.

“We talked about how good of a fight it was,” said Moorer. “Remembering all of the conversations we had is going to be important to me … It doesn't bother me to [frequently reflect about the fight]. I was riding high in 1994 as the heavyweight champion of the world. I felt invincible and I was on top of my game. I was at a point in my life that every boxer wished they could be. The mindset was, 'I ain't letting this old dude whip my ass. It wasn't going to happen.”

Moorer came into the Foreman fight nearly 19 years younger than his grandfatherly opponent and with an undefeated record, having just barely beaten Evander Holyfield to become the first-ever southpaw champion in heavyweight history.

Moorer controlled the first nine rounds of the contest with his jab and was up on the scorecards 88-83, 88-83, 86-85, but Foreman, swollen eyes and all, slowly chipped away until he unloaded with a massive short right hand that floored Moorer flat on his back.

Foreman’s 216th and final punch of the fight proved to be too much for Moorer, who was counted out at the 2:03 mark of the tenth round.

“I went out there and was performing very well until I got caught. He got lucky. And that was the ballgame. It was meant for it to happen,” said Moorer.

“It was one of the biggest upsets in the history of boxing. It was the most unbelievable comeback in boxing. George was getting beat for 9 ½ rounds and he mustered the energy to knock me out, and the rest is history.”

After successfully fighting off Father Time, Foreman later said: “Nobody had any idea I was setting it up all night. I dreamed that I knocked out Michael Moorer before the fight.”

Seeking to bridge the gap to the last time he reigned as a champion, Foreman even wore the same red trunks he donned in 1974 when Ali knocked him out in “The Rumble in the Jungle.” Foreman’s heroics against Moorer were named The Ring’s Knockout of the Year and Foreman received The Ring’s Comeback of the Year Award in 1994.

“A lot of people ask me, 'Is that the hardest punch I've ever been hit with?'” said Moorer. “It wasn't the hardest. It was just the most accurate punch – that's all.”

Aside from the Foreman rivalry, Moorer went 52-4-1 with 40 knockouts over a 20-year career that also featured a run as a light heavyweight champion beginning in 1988 and another heavyweight title run before losing the belt to Holyfield in a 1997 rematch.

Foreman, meanwhile, went on to beat Axel Schulz, Crawford Grimsley, and Lou Savarese after the Moorer matchup and retired in 1997 after dropping a close decision to Shannon Briggs.

In retirement, Moorer worked as a private investigator, a National Rifle Association certified firearms instructor, and taught the basics of boxing to everyday people looking to stay in shape.

Moorer, 57, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last year. He used his platform during the ceremony in Canastota, New York to call for healthcare reform in boxing because he’s living without any meaningful insurance assistance. Moorer said he’s undergone 28 surgeries and has been left without the ability to smell or taste.

After the lowest moment of his career, even “Double M” couldn’t resist joining the hundreds of millions of others to make double cheeseburgers on the lean, mean, fat-reducing grilling machine in the George Foreman Grill.

“I cooked many meals on the George Foreman Grill, absolutely,” the once surly Moorer said with a big smile. “I went to the store and I bought them. I had both [the indoor and outdoor grills]. I was never ashamed of supporting somebody who was doing good for themselves, never. I would have to find it now – it's memorabilia.”

Foreman leveraged a new air of international fame after the Moorer fight to take business around his eponymous grill into unforeseen heights, eventually getting paid $137.5 million for the permanent use of his name on the grills.

After coming out of retirement to save his youth center from closing, away from the infomercials, Foreman quietly gave away significant sums of money to charitable organizations.

“George was a big man that a lot of people looked up to,” said Moorer. “He had a lot of good things to say. He was a man of faith. He was trying to make people understand life. He turned his life around and he became a better person and a better man. His story touched a lot of people's hearts. It's unfortunate that when time is up, you have to go. God had a great plan for him. I am glad to be a part of it.”