The sports world mourns the passing of the great George Foreman, two-time world heavyweight champion and one of the most iconic and beloved boxers of all time.
His passing, at 76, was announced by his family in a post released on Instagram. “With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr. who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025 surrounded by loved ones,” the brief statement read, “A devoted preacher, loving father and proud grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith and humility.”
At this time, the family preferred not to disclose the cause of death.
After a difficult childhood in Texas, in 1968, at the age of 19, Foreman won his first major accolade, the gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics. Turning pro, he won 37 consecutive fights, later facing reigning heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, another legend of the sport, in Kingston, Jamaica, winning by technical knockout in the second round.
“Big George” defended his title until October 30, 1974, when he was beaten by Muhammad Ali in Kinshasa. That bout, which went down in history as the Rumble in the Jungle, is still considered the greatest match of all time, more than 50 years later.
The defeat devastated Foreman, who decided to take a year off before returning to the ring. After a second professional debacle, he retired in 1977. The lure of the gloves, however, was too strong. Thus, 10 years later Big George returned to the ring, racking up 24 wins in a row.
In 1994, at the age of 45, the Texas boxer became the oldest man ever to retire as world heavyweight champion. His last fight was in 1997, when he ended his professional career with a record of 76 wins and five losses.
Throughout the 1990s and after hanging up his gloves, he was a successful promoter of various products, most notably an electric grill branded by Salton Inc. as the “George Foreman grill.” In 1999, the company paid Foreman and his associates as much as $137.5 million in order to put his name on the grill in question and other appliances.
“Big George,” who passed away yesterday, leaves behind 10 children by his five wives, and a wealth of indelible memories for all fans of boxing and sports in general.
