Former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman, known for his powerful punches and larger-than-life personality, died on Friday at the age of 76, his family announced.
“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,” Foreman’s family said in a statement on Instagram. “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.”
Foreman, a two-time world champion, first rose to prominence by winning gold at the 1968 Olympics before capturing the heavyweight title in 1973 with a stunning victory over Joe Frazier. However, he is best remembered for his 1974 defeat to Muhammad Ali in the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle,” where Ali’s “rope-a-dope” strategy exhausted the power puncher, leading to an eighth-round knockout loss.
Following a shock retirement in 1977, Foreman became an ordained minister but made an unexpected comeback a decade later. In 1994, at the age of 45, he reclaimed the heavyweight title by knocking out Michael Moorer, becoming the oldest champion in boxing history.
Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum paid tribute, calling him “one of the biggest punchers and personalities the sport has ever seen.”
Beyond the ring, Foreman gained global fame as a businessman, particularly with the “George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine,” which became a household name.
Born in Texas on January 10, 1949, Foreman overcame a troubled youth before turning to boxing. “I tried boxing just to show my friends that I wasn’t afraid,” he once said. “Well, 25 fights and one year later, I was an Olympic gold medalist.”
His career saw him fight 81 times, winning 76 bouts, including 68 by knockout. He finally retired in 1997 at the age of 48 after a close decision loss to Shannon Briggs.
Foreman, who married four times and fathered 10 children, named all five of his sons George Edward, saying, “If one of us goes up, then we all go up together, and if one goes down, we all go down together!”
