George Foreman, a renowned heavyweight boxing champion and successful entrepreneur, passed away on Friday evening at the age of 76. The news was shared by his family on his Instagram account, expressing their profound sorrow at the loss of their beloved patriarch. Foreman, a dedicated preacher, devoted husband, and loving father and grandfather, was remembered for his unwavering faith, humility, and purpose.
Born in Marshall, Texas in 1949, Foreman had a challenging youth before joining the Job Corps at 16 and discovering boxing at 17. His first significant achievement in the sport came at the age of 19 when he won the heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics against Soviet fighter Jonas Cepulis. Despite his fear and lack of experience, Foreman’s powerful jabs and wild punches led him to victory.
Foreman’s professional boxing career began a year after his Olympic win. Known for his intimidating presence in the ring, he amassed a record of 76 wins and 5 losses, with 68 of his victories coming by knockout. In 1973, he claimed his first of two heavyweight championships by defeating Joe Frazier in Jamaica. However, he lost the title the following year in the infamous “Rumble in the Jungle” against Muhammad Ali in Zaire.
In 1977, after a loss to Jimmy Young in Puerto Rico, Foreman experienced a health scare that he described as a near-death experience. This led him to step away from boxing for a decade and return to Texas, where he became an ordained minister and founded the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in 1984.
Foreman made a comeback to boxing in 1987 and, at the age of 45, reclaimed the heavyweight title by defeating Michael Moorer in 1994. He retired for good in 1997, but by then, he had already established himself as a successful entrepreneur, most notably with the George Foreman Grill line, which earned him millions.
In addition to his boxing and business pursuits, Foreman made several television appearances, including on “The Six Million Dollar Man” in 1975 and “The Masked Singer” in 2022. He was a father to 12 children, all five of his sons bearing his name, George Edward Foreman.
Foreman’s death has been met with an outpouring of condolences from across the sports and entertainment world. Boxing legend Mike Tyson, NBA star Scottie Pippen, and actor William Shatner were among those who paid tribute to Foreman’s legacy.