In No Way but to Fight Andrew Smith writes the following: "They heard plenty, and not much of it was positive. He was a “converted southpaw” that Chuvalo could confuse into “thinking left-handed” if he slipped his jabs and got to the inside."—No Way But to Fight: George Foreman and the Business of Boxing, Smith, 2020 As a source he cites Chuvalo, p236. Supposedly whilst searching through tapes on Foreman, they found said information. Sandy Saddler was a converted southpaw (hence the affinity for rear hand long guard), and it may be where the assumption came from. Or was Foreman really converted as a youth as a lot of old-timers were?
This wouldn't shock me. If they converted him from southpaw to orthodox that would explain why he was able to hit so hard with either hand. The only things that have me doubting this is 1) Why did Foreman never mention this in any interview, article, or biography that I can think of? 2) There's multiple instances of him signing things with his right hand.
There is such a thing as cross-dominance though. First I’ve ever heard of this about Foreman, however.
My grandparents are both left handed but both write with their right hand because in that generation left handed people were converted to be right handers in school. Only when my grandma uses scissors she uses her left.
But if he spent his life learning to be right handed and wrote with his right, his left hand wouldn't be as strong as someone who stuck to their natural left hand leanings. I wouldn't even classify that as a "converted" southpaw if he grew up learning to be right handed anyways.
It used to be common to turn southpaws round the minute they walked into a gym. Henry Cooper and Tony Sibson are two random examples that spring to mind. Marvin Hagler was a southpaw who learned to box orthodox and switch.
I related to this so much. Being a left-handed writer while being a right-handed Shooter, Thrower, and overall power user, I've always wondered if my experience/exposure in growing up going to Catholic school (K-12) had any sway. My younger brother (5yrs) was born left-handed and still is predominantly. Literally made an account to reply to this message. Thanks.
Cool man. Yeah my Grandparents from that side of the family are Catholics as well actually. Myself I am right handed but sort of ambidextrous. I use my left hand for a lot of things but when it’s serious I use my right hand. I am left eye dominant though. I have not been shooting a lot but I wonder how that would really work out if I did. My dad is right handed but he claims he is left side dominant with his legs. He says when he kicks a ball it got to be his left leg.
I think that’s where the assumption came from …writers do this all the time…especially sports writers
