George Foreman Accused of Raping 2 Underage Teens in New Lawsuits

Former boxer George Foreman is accused of raping two women when they were young teenagers, according to court documents.

The women filed lawsuits against the Hall of Fame fighter in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, alleging that he had sex with them when they were between the ages of 13 and 16 during the 1970s, per the documents, which were obtained by PEOPLE.

Both women are identified by pseudonyms — Denise S. and Gwen H — in the filings. Foreman, now 73, is referred to in the allegations not by name but as a "former professional heavyweight boxer who went professional in 1969" and "defeated Joe Frazier in 1973 to become the heavyweight champion."

In a statement sent to the New York Times by representatives of the Olympic gold medalist, Foreman said he denied the allegations. The former boxer did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

"Over the past six months, two women have been trying to extort millions of dollars each from me and my family. They are falsely claiming that I sexually abused them over 45 years ago in the 1970s. I adamantly and categorically deny these allegations," he said.

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Foreman continued: "I will work with my lawyers to fully and truthfully expose my accusers' scheme and defend myself in court. I don't pick fights, but I don't run away from them either."

In her suit, the woman identified as Denise S. claimed she met Foreman when she was 8 years old and was groomed by him over the next few years.

In 1976, Foreman allegedly raped Denise S. several times, including at a hotel in San Francisco.

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"At all relevant times, Plaintiff was a minor of approximately 13-16 years old and had no ability or legal capacity to consent to the aforementioned sexual acts," the documents state, adding that Foreman would have been around 24 at the time of the alleged assault.

The woman referred to as "Gwen H." said she was 15 when Foreman started assaulting her. She alleges in the suit that her father worked for Foreman and the boxer threatened to fire her dad if she did not comply.

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Gwen H. alleges was raped several times by Foreman until she turned 16.

Both women are asking for a trial by jury, and their legal team claim they "suffered injuries including, but not limited to, physical and mental pain and suffering, physical injuries, past and future costs of medical care and treatment, and past and future loss of earnings and earning capacity, in an amount not yet ascertained, but which exceeds the minimum jurisdictional limits of this Court."

According to the Times, the claims were filed under a California law that allowed childhood sexual abuse survivors to file civil lawsuits. The law will expire at the end of 2022 after going into effect in January 2020, per the outlet.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.