George Foreman, the two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and Olympic gold medalist, passed away on March 21, 2025, at the age of 76. His death marks the end of an era in boxing history, leaving behind a legacy that transcends the sport.
“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,” Foreman’s family said in a statement posted on the boxer’s official Instagram page.
Born in Marshall, Texas, on January 10, 1949, Foreman rose from humble beginnings to become one of boxing’s most influential figures.
Despite his troubled youth in Houston’s Fifth Ward, he found direction through boxing at age 16, which set him on a path to greatness.
Olympic Glory and First Championship
Foreman’s boxing career began in earnest when he won the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Turning professional in 1969, Foreman quickly established himself as a formidable force in the heavyweight division. His punching power was legendary, earning him the nickname “Big George.”
In 1973, Foreman reached the pinnacle of his early career by defeating Joe Frazier for the world heavyweight title in a stunning display of power.
The Sunshine Showdown took place on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica, with Foreman dominating the fight to win the championship by TKO.
Frazier was knocked down six times by Foreman within two rounds.
The Rumble in the Jungle
Foreman’s reign as champion came to an unexpected end in 1974 during the historic “Rumble in the Jungle” against Muhammad Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire.
Despite being favored to win, Foreman fell victim to Ali’s famous “rope-a-dope” strategy, suffering his first professional loss.
Spiritual Awakening
After losing to Jimmy Young in 1977, Foreman had a life-changing experience in his dressing room. He was suffering from exhaustion and heatstroke and stated he had a near-death experience.
“Then a ‘giant hand’ plucked him into consciousness.
Foreman found himself on a locker room table, surrounded by friends and staff members. He felt as if he were physically filled with the presence of a dying Christ.
Following this experience, Foreman became a born-again Christian, dedicating his life for the next decade to God.
The Comeback
In 1987, after 10 years away from the ring, Foreman surprised the boxing world by announcing a comeback at the age of 38.
In his autobiography, he wrote that his primary motive was to raise money to fund the youth center he had created, which had required much of the money he had earned in the initial phase of his career.
For his first fight, he went to Sacramento, California, where he beat journeyman Steve Zouski by a knockout in four rounds.
Historic Second Championship
In 1994, Foreman again sought to challenge for the world championship after Michael Moorer had beaten Evander Holyfield for the IBF and WBA titles.
This title challenge against Moorer took place on November 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Foreman wearing the same red trunks he had worn in his title loss to Ali 20 years earlier. This time, however, Foreman was a substantial underdog.
For nine rounds, Moorer easily outboxed him, hitting and moving away, while Foreman chugged forward, seemingly unable to “pull the trigger” on his punches. Entering the 10th round, Foreman was trailing on all scorecards.
However, Foreman launched a comeback in the 10th round.
Then, a short right hand caught Moorer on the tip of his chin, gashing open his bottom lip, and he collapsed to the canvas. He lay flat on the canvas as the referee counted him out.
Foreman had regained the title he had lost to Ali two decades before.
He went back to his corner and knelt in prayer as the arena erupted in cheers.
With this historic victory, Foreman broke three records:
- He became, at age 45, the oldestfighter ever to win a worldchampionships - 20 years afterlosing his title for the first time.
- He broke the record for the fighterwith the longest interval betweenhis first and second worldchampionships.
- Age difference of 19 years betweenthe champion and challenger - thelargest of any heavyweight boxingchampionship fight.
Beyond Boxing
After retiring from boxing in 1997 with a record of 76 wins (68 knockouts) and 5 losses, Foreman became a successful entrepreneur, most notably as the face of the George Foreman Grill, which sold over 100 million units worldwide.
Salton paid him $138 million in 1999 for the right to use his name.
Prior to that, he was paid about 40% of the profits on each grill sold (earning him $4.5 million a month in payouts at its peak), yielding an estimated total of over $200 million just from the endorsement through 2011, substantially more than he earned as a boxer.
Foreman was married to Mary Joan Martelly from 1985 until his death.
He had four previous marriages and 12 children: five sons and seven daughters. His five sons are all named George Edward Foreman.
