The former boxing heavyweight champion George Foreman died on Friday at the age of 76, his family announced in a social media post.
Foreman took part in the iconic “Rumble in the Jungle” match against in 1974. Although he lost that fight, he was a two-time heavyweight champion as well as an Olympic gold medalist.
“With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr, who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones,” his family said in a statement post on Foreman’s Instagram page.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.”
Two-time heavyweight champion
Born in Texas in 1949, Foreman took up boxing aged 16. He won global acclaim at the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968, where he fought his way to the super-heavyweight gold, at just 19.
He subsequently went pro and won his first heavyweight title against reigning champion Joe Frazier.
He defended the title twice before losing it to Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire — now the Democratic Republic of Congo — despite being bigger than his opponent, standing at 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters).
The loss took a toll on Foreman, who eventually retired from boxing and became an ordained minister. A decade later he returned to the ring to start a run which eventually landed him with his second heavyweight title in 1994. At age 45, he was the oldest-ever holder of the title.
Life outside of boxing
The legend finally retired in 1997. Out of his 81 professional matches, Foreman won 76, 68 of which were by knockout.
Foreman married five times, fathering 10 children and adopting another two. He gave his name — George Edward — to all five of his sons, with the explanation that he wanted them to know: “If one of us goes up, then we all go up together, and if one goes down, we all go down together!”
Following his boxing career, Foreman was able to remain a household name in part due to the fact that he lent his name to the “George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine” — a portable electric grill.
Edited by: Karl Sexton
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