Legendary heavyweight boxer George Foreman has passed away at the age of 76, his family announced.
Nicknamed "Big George," Foreman built one of the most extraordinary and enduring careers in boxing history. He captured Olympic gold in 1968 and twice held the world heavyweight title—21 years apart—becoming the sport’s oldest champion at age 45.
He first claimed the heavyweight title in 1973 by dismantling an undefeated Joe Frazier, knocking him down six times in two rounds. However, he famously lost it a year later in the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle" against Muhammad Ali, where Ali’s "rope-a-dope" strategy exhausted Foreman before a knockout in the eighth round.
Over his career, Foreman amassed an impressive 76 wins, 68 by knockout, losing only five fights. He initially retired in 1977 after a second professional defeat, dedicating himself to ministry work.
Foreman later returned to the ring in 1987 to fund a youth center he founded. His comeback peaked in 1994 when he knocked out Michael Moorer, reclaiming the heavyweight crown and setting a record as the division’s oldest champion.
Beyond boxing, Foreman became a cultural icon through his wildly successful George Foreman Grill, marketed with the slogan "Lean Mean Grilling Machine."
Born in Marshall, Texas, on January 10, 1949, Foreman grew up in poverty with six siblings, raised by a single mother in the segregated South. After dropping out of school and engaging in street crime, he found purpose in boxing, eventually rising to the sport’s pinnacle.
His family, in a heartfelt Instagram post, described him as "a devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great-grandfather" who lived with "unwavering faith, humility, and purpose."
Foreman married five times and fathered 12 children. Notably, five of his sons share his name, a decision he said was meant to instill unity: "If one of us rises, we all rise together. If one falls, we all fall together."
Foreman’s legacy extends far beyond the boxing ring, cementing his place as a global icon of resilience, reinvention, and perseverance.