"Big" George Foreman, one of the most iconic and influential boxers in history, passed away on Friday, as confirmed by his family through a social media announcement. He was 76 years old.
Foreman, who won an Olympic gold medal in 1968, was a two-time heavyweight champion and was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. He is perhaps most famous for his legendary Rumble in the Jungle fight against Muhammad Ali in 1974, held in Zaire. Although Foreman lost in a stunning upset by eighth-round knockout, the fight remains one of the most renowned in boxing history, immortalized in the Oscar-winning documentary When We Were Kings.
After losing the heavyweight title to Ali at 25, Foreman fought on, defeating the likes of Joe Frazier (with a TKO in two rounds) and Ron Lyle (via a fifth-round knockout in a thrilling slugfest). At 28, Foreman shocked the world by retiring from boxing to become an ordained minister in Texas, taking a 10-year break from the sport.
In 1987, at age 38, Foreman made a remarkable return to boxing, slowly building up his record with easy wins. In 1991, he proved his comeback was legitimate by pushing the great Evander Holyfield to the limit in a memorable title fight at age 42. Although he didn’t regain the title then, Foreman persisted.
Five fights later, at 45 years old, he achieved the impossible. In a stunning turn, Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994, regaining the heavyweight championship and becoming the oldest ever to do so. His achievement stood as a record for 20 years. Foreman’s triumph was famously called by commentator Jim Lampley, "It happened! It happened!"
Aside from his boxing career, Foreman achieved massive success with his eponymous grill, which became a global sensation, selling over 100 million units. In 1999, he sold the commercial rights to the George Foreman Grill for $138 million.
His final fight came in 1997, where he lost to Shannon Briggs by majority decision. He later worked as a boxing analyst for HBO for 12 years. The Ring ranked him as one of the greatest punchers in boxing history, and in 2002, they named him one of the 25 best boxers of the past 80 years.
Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum remembered Foreman as "one of the biggest punchers and personalities the sport has ever seen," while commentator Jim Lampley expressed his deep sorrow, calling Foreman a "great fighter" and an even "greater human being."
George Foreman's impact on boxing and beyond will be remembered forever.