George Foreman, two-time heavyweight boxing champion and Olympian, dead at 76

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 21, 2025 11:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

American George Foreman, 1 of the large 2nd acts successful sports who reclaimed the heavyweight boxing rubric aft coming retired of status and aboriginal became a celebrated merchandise pitchman, died connected Friday astatine property 76, his household said.

"A humanitarian, an Olympian, and 2 clip heavyweight champion of the world, He was profoundly respected — a unit for good, a antheral of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, warring tirelessly to sphere his bully sanction — for his family," the household said, describing Foreman successful a station connected Instagram.

An intimidating, thunderous puncher who mislaid his archetypal rubric to Muhammad Ali successful their celebrated "Rumble successful the Jungle" successful 1974, "Big George" was a much rotund, jovial fig erstwhile helium knocked retired Michael Moorer for his 2nd crown 2 decades later.

Foreman's comeback and the luck helium made selling fat-wicking electrical cooking grills made him an icon of self-improvement and occurrence for the babe roar generation.

Soon aft his commencement successful Marshall, Texas, connected Jan. 10, 1949, his household moved to Houston wherever helium and his six siblings were raised by a azygous mother. Growing up mediocre successful the segregated American South, Foreman dropped retired of inferior precocious schoolhouse and utilized his size and fists successful thoroughfare robberies.

The Job Corps, portion of U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society" reforms, "rescued maine from the gutter," Foreman aboriginal wrote. Through the program, 16-year-old Foreman moved retired of Texas and was encouraged to transmission his rage and increasing bulk into boxing.

Olympic golden astatine property 19

At property 19 and successful his 25th amateur fight, Foreman captured the heavyweight boxing golden medal astatine the 1968 Olympics successful Mexico City. Turning pro, helium won 37 consecutive matches connected his mode to look reigning champion Joe Frazier successful Kingston, Jamaica, winning by method knockout successful circular two.

Foreman defended the loop doubly much earlier gathering Ali successful Kinshasa, Zaire, present the Democratic Republic of the Congo, successful 1 of the astir celebrated boxing matches successful history.

Ali had been stripped of his crown 7 years anterior for refusing to beryllium drafted into the Vietnam War and came into the lucifer a dense underdog against the bigger, younger champion. But for 7 rounds, Ali laic against the ropes and fended disconnected Foreman's clubbing blows, tiring and knocking him retired successful the eighth round.

"I was 1 beardown heavyweight punching fighter," Foreman told Reuters successful 2007. "I was 1 punching machine, and that was the archetypal clip I delivered everything I had and thing worked."

The nonaccomplishment devastated Foreman. He took a twelvemonth disconnected earlier returning to the ringing and then, aft a 2nd nonrecreational loss, retired successful 1977 to go an ordained curate successful the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A decennary aboriginal and considerably heavier astatine 315 lbs (143 kg), Foreman staged an improbable instrumentality to the ringing to rise wealth for a younker centre he founded successful Texas.

He went connected to triumph 24 consecutive matches, gradually slimming on the way, earlier losing to Evander Holyfield successful a 12-round determination successful 1991. Three years later, helium knocked retired undefeated southpaw Moorer to go the oldest ever heavyweight champion astatine property 45.

Last combat successful 1997

Foreman's past lucifer was successful 1997, ending his vocation with a nonrecreational grounds of 76 wins and 5 losses.

Foreman was joined 4 times successful the 1970s and 1980s. In 1985, helium joined for the 5th clip to Mary Joan Martelly, with whom helium remained for the remainder of his life. He had 5 sons — each called George — 5 biologic daughters, and 2 adopted daughters.

Throughout the 1990s and aft retirement, helium was an enthusiastic pitchman for assorted products, astir notably an electrical grill from location appliance shaper Salton Inc. In 1999, the institution paid Foreman and his partners $137.5 cardinal US to enactment his sanction connected the grill and different goods.

"What I bash is autumn successful emotion with each merchandise I sell," Foreman wrote successful his autobiography, By George. 

"That's what sells. Just similar with preaching."