Former heavyweight champion George Foreman, who lost to Muhammad Ali in boxing’s iconic 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” before reclaiming the title two decades later, died Friday aged 76, his family said.
Affectionately known as Big George, Foreman dropped out of school as a teenager, later becoming an Olympic champion and ultimately a boxing legend.
He competed in 81 professional bouts, securing 76 victories, 68 of which were by knockout.
Beyond boxing, Foreman became a household name with the “George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine,” appearing in TV ads with his trademark friendly smile, solidifying his status as a celebrity beyond the ring.
“With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr., who peacefully left us on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones,” Foreman’s family shared in an Instagram statement.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and we respectfully ask for privacy as we celebrate the extraordinary life of a man we were fortunate to call our own.”
Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum praised Foreman as “one of the sport’s greatest punchers and personalities.”
Born in Texas on January 10, 1949, Foreman grew up in Houston.
The man who raised him was often absent and struggled with alcoholism. Foreman only learned that J.D. Foreman wasn’t his biological father after winning the world heavyweight title, when his real father, a decorated World War II veteran, reached out.
“At 13, George was about 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and a terror in the neighborhood,” his younger brother Roy recalled in a 2024 interview with the BBC. “When you’re bigger and stronger and think you’re better than everyone else, you tend to take things.”
Foreman took up boxing.
“I started boxing just to show my friends I wasn’t afraid,” Foreman later reflected. “Well, 25 fights and one year later, I was an Olympic gold medalist.”
At the 1968 Mexico Games, the 19-year-old Foreman crushed his way to the super-heavyweight gold.
As he celebrated his victory, just days after fellow African Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos made the iconic Black Power salute following the 200m track final, Foreman…
