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George Foreman, the two-time world heavyweight champion whose remarkable career saw him go from feared knockout artist to beloved elder statesman of boxing, has died at the age of 76.
A ferocious puncher in his youth, Foreman is best remembered for his legendary 1974 showdown with Muhammad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle, in which he suffered his first professional defeat. He would later stage one of the most extraordinary sporting comebacks of all time, returning to the ring a decade after retiring and reclaiming the world title at the age of 45 – becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in history.
Outside the ring, Foreman achieved global fame as the face of the George Foreman Grill, which sold over 100 million units and transformed him into one of the wealthiest ex-athletes of all time.
George Edward Foreman was born on 10 January 1949 in Marshall, Texas, and grew up in Houston’s tough Fifth Ward. By his own admission, he was a troubled child who dropped out of school at 15 and engaged in petty crime before seeking work as a carpenter and bricklayer. His life changed when he discovered boxing at 16, joining the Job Corps, a US government programme that helped young people learn trades.
A quick learner with natural power, Foreman rose rapidly through the amateur ranks and won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, stopping Soviet fighter Jonas Čepulis in the second round. Celebrating his victory, he famously waved a small American flag in the ring, a gesture that divided opinion during a time of political turbulence in the US.
Foreman turned professional in 1969, quickly establishing himself as a wrecking ball of a fighter. He ploughed through the heavyweight division with a series of brutal knockouts, setting up a title fight with undefeated champion Joe Frazier in 1973. Foreman was the underdog, but he stunned the world by demolishing Frazier, knocking him down six times in two rounds before the referee waved it off. “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!” roared commentator Howard Cosell in one of the most famous calls in boxing history.
Foreman defended his title twice before facing Ali in The Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in October 1974. Widely expected to overpower Ali, Foreman instead fell victim to his opponent’s now-legendary ‘rope-a-dope’ tactic. Ali absorbed Foreman’s early onslaught, allowing the younger man to punch himself out, before stopping him in the eighth round.
It was a defining moment in boxing history – Foreman, the unstoppable force, brought down by Ali’s intelligence, resilience, and psychological warfare. The defeat devastated Foreman, who later admitted it left him questioning everything he believed about himself.
Foreman fought five more times, including a second knockout of Frazier, but suffered another loss to Jimmy Young in 1977. After the fight, he claimed to have had a near-death religious experience in his dressing room, which led him to retire and become an ordained minister.
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For a decade, Foreman was absent from boxing, instead preaching, working with troubled youths, and struggling financially. But in 1987, at the age of 38, he shocked the sporting world by announcing his return to the ring. Overweight and with a more jovial persona than in his first career, many assumed he would be a mere sideshow. Instead, he proved he was still a force to be reckoned with, racking up 24 straight wins – including 23 knockouts – to earn a shot at the heavyweight title.
In 1991, he challenged undisputed champion Evander Holyfield in a valiant effort, losing on points but gaining widespread admiration for his heart and toughness. He lost another title fight to Tommy Morrison in 1993, but his dream of reclaiming the belt was not over yet.
In November 1994, at the age of 45, Foreman stepped into the ring against reigning WBA and IBF champion Michael Moorer in Las Vegas. Outboxed for most of the fight, he landed a single thunderous right hand in the tenth round to knock out Moorer and reclaim the world title.
Wearing the same trunks he had worn against Ali 20 years earlier, Foreman slumped to his knees in prayer as the arena erupted. It was a moment of redemption and history in equal measure – he had become the oldest world heavyweight champion ever.
Foreman defended the title three times before losing a controversial decision to Shannon Briggs in 1997, after which he finally retired for good. His record stood at 76 wins (68 by knockout) and five defeats.
For all his success in the ring, it was the George Foreman Grill that made him a fortune. The electric grill, designed by Michael Boehm and Robert Johnson, was launched in 1994 with Foreman as its spokesman. His affable persona and enthusiastic promotion turned it into a household staple, selling over 100 million units worldwide.
Although the exact amount he earned is unknown, Foreman reportedly received $138 million in 1999 from manufacturer Salton for the right to use his name, on top of a lucrative share of profits that once netted him an estimated $4.5 million per month.
Foreman was married five times, most recently to Mary Joan Martelly, whom he wed in 1985. He had 12 children, including five sons all named George. “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!’” he once said.
His daughter Freeda Foreman followed him into boxing, compiling a 5-1 professional record before retiring in 2001. She died in 2019 at the age of 42.
Foreman’s life was a story of transformation – from feared knockout artist to preacher, from punchline to champion, and from retired athlete to business mogul. His journey captivated fans around the world, and his impact on boxing and beyond remains unparalleled.
He leaves behind a towering legacy in sport, business, and popular culture – a true heavyweight in every sense.
