Off The Record
Boxing Heavyweight Champion Dies At 76
Regretfully, George Foreman passed away at the age of 76.
With his family by his side, Foreman, a two-time heavyweight boxing champion, Olympic gold winner, preacher, and businessman whose second act as a smiling grill pitchman made him famous, passed away quietly on Friday, March 21.
“Our hearts are broken,” his family said in a message posted to Foreman’s official Instagram.
We regret to inform you of the quiet departure of our dear George Edward Foreman Sr. on March 21, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones. He led a life characterized by unshakeable faith, humility, and purpose. He was a proud grand and great grandfather, a loving father, a dedicated husband, and a faithful preacher.
An Olympian, humanitarian, and two-time world heavyweight champion, he was a man of great respect, a force for good, a man of discipline and conviction, and a guardian of his legacy who fought valiantly to keep his reputation intact for his family.
“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.”
In and out of the ring, “Big George” had a formidable presence. Just his boxing record—76 victories, 68 via knockout, and only five losses—places him in the pantheon of greats.
From the Streets of Texas to Olympic Gold
According to BBC News, Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas, on January 10, 1949, and grew up in the segregated South with six siblings under the care of a single mother.
He acknowledged that he was a disturbed young man who had dropped out of school and engaged in street robberies.
When he joined the Job Corps at the age of 16, a supervisor urged him to use boxing as a way to express his hostility, which marked a turning point in his life.
He shocked the world by winning a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, three years later, in just his 25th amateur fight. Jonas Cepulis of the Soviet Union was his final opponent.
“When I look back at the fight, all I can remember was how afraid I was,” Foreman later told the BBC. “I didn’t have the confidence that people thought I had… But I was told to jab, jab, jab… The left jab was my number one punch — I still think it was the best punch in boxing.”
The Rise of a Fearsome Powerhouse
With fearsome strength, Foreman dominated the heavyweight category after becoming pro in 1969.
He was unbeaten by 1973 and knocked down champion Joe Frazier six times in Kingston, Jamaica, in just two rounds. With that victory, he secured his first world heavyweight title and solidified his status as the most formidable puncher in boxing.
However, his reign came to an abrupt end in 1974 during the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire, one of the most famous fights in boxing history.
Foreman was the overwhelming favorite to face Muhammad Ali. According to Sky News, Ali, who was 32 at the time and was coming back from a forced break, used a tactic that would go down in legend: the “rope-a-dope,” taking hits from Foreman until the younger, stronger fighter exhausted himself.
Ali regained his title with a spectacular knockout in the eighth round.
“Oh, he’s not going to last one round,” Foreman remembered experts predicting. That night, he said, was the “most comfortable” he ever felt in a ring — despite being outmatched by Ali.
Foreman was crushed by the loss. He unexpectedly retired in 1977 following a second career loss and what he later characterized as a near-death experience in the locker room. He would subsequently claim the night had permanently altered his life.
A Spiritual Rebirth and the Greatest Comeback in Boxing
After returning to Texas, Foreman converted to Christianity and received his ministerial ordination.
He founded the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and later the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in Houston. “We began meeting informally at various homes in Houston,” he recalled on his website. “Eventually, we bought a piece of land and an old, dilapidated building.”
Foreman startled the world once more in 1987 when he returned to the ring, this time to generate money for his youth center rather than for fame.
The sulky brawler of the 1970s had vanished, replaced by a cheerful, gregarious veteran. Among his 24 further victories was a valiant 12-round bout with Evander Holyfield in 1991.
However, 1994 was a remarkable year. In Las Vegas, Foreman, at 45, faced 26-year-old unbeaten champion Michael Moorer while sporting the same red trunks he wore against Ali. In the tenth round, Foreman crushed Moorer with a powerful right hand that was down on all scorecards. He was counted out by the referee. The world’s oldest heavyweight champion, Foreman, lowered himself on his knees in prayer with composure.
From the Ring to the Kitchen: A New Kind of Knockout
Foreman officially retired in 1997. He finished with a 76-5 record and 68 knockouts. However, his fame continued to rise even beyond the confines of the ring. Foreman gave his name—and his contagious smile—to a range of electric barbecues in the 1990s.
Well over 100 million George Foreman Grills have been sold globally, making it a pop culture phenomenon.
Foreman became a fixture on television, known for his warmth and charm. His catchphrase, “It’s the Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine,” was etched into the American consciousness.
According to The Hustle, Foreman profited almost $40,500,000 from the grilling machine’s extraordinary popularity.
Legacy and Family
Foreman has an equally busy personal life.
Married five times, he fathered 12 children, including five sons — all named George Edward Foreman. He once explained the decision with humor and solidarity, per Men’s Journal: “I say to them, ‘If one of us goes up, then we all go up together. And if one goes down, we all go down together!’”
In addition to his other endeavors, Foreman starred in television and movies. In 2023, the biography Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World chronicled his life story.
Tributes poured in across the sports world. Fellow heavyweight legend Mike Tyson posted on X: “His contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten.”
NBA star Scottie Pippen added, “Rest in peace, George Foreman. Your legacy lives on, champ”.
We are sending our condolences to Foreman’s friends, family, and supporters during this difficult time.
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