Charismatic boxing champion George Foreman died Friday at age 76.
George Foreman’s family announced his passing on Friday, posting this photo on his Instagram account.
The news was posted via an announcement on Foreman’s official Instagram account early Friday evening. It read:
“Our hearts are broken. 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. A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose.
“A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, He was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name— for his family.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.”
Condolences are pouring in from around the world.
Mike Tyson offers his condolences on the death of George Foreman. Photo: X/Twitter
Said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum, “George was a great friend to not only myself but to my entire family. We’ve lost a family member and are absolutely devastated.”
George Foreman’s Early Years
Foreman’s life was the stuff of legend. He became the heavyweight champion of the world at a time when heavyweights were worldwide celebrities and boxing was watched by tens of millions of people worldwide.
George Edward Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas, on January 10, 1949. Like many young men, Foreman was getting in trouble on the streets when, at age 15, he found boxing through a side door. Foreman became part of the Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps, a program developed to help disadvantaged kids by teaching them vocational job skills.
Foreman traveled to California where he met Job Corps counselor Doc Broaddus, who was also a boxing coach. Broaddus encouraged Foreman to become a boxer.
Foreman rapidly rose as an amateur and at age 19, he delivered an Olympic Gold Medal for the United States at the 1968 Mexico City Games. Foreman gained some notoriety when he waved an American flag after his win, in contrast to the protest staged by sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who raised their fists during the medal ceremony and the playing of the national anthem.
See the video of George Foreman’s gold medal-winning performance here.
“There was a big element of patriotism in what I did; being in the Olympics, you couldn’t help but love your country more than before,” Foreman said in his autobiography By George. “But I meant it in a way that was much bigger than ordinary patriotism.
“It was about identity. An American – that’s who I was. I was waving the flag as much for myself as for the country. I was letting everyone know who I was and at the same time saying that I was proud to be an American.”
Foreman’s Professional Boxing Accomplishments
Foreman turned professional in 1969. He was ranked the number one challenger by the WBA and WBC. By 1972, Foreman had a perfect 37-0 record including 35 knockouts.
Foreman fought in his first world heavyweight championship against Joe Frazier on January 22, 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica. Frazier was the favorite, but Foreman scored six knockdowns before ending the fight in a spectacular second-round knockout. The fight was HBO Boxing’s first-ever broadcast.
Muhammad Ali scored the only knockout of George Foreman’s career in 1974. Photo: HBO Boxing
Foreman defended his title twice against Jose Roman and Ken Norton, who had just beaten Muhammad Ali in two rounds. The wins set up Foreman’s fight against Ali in the storied bout called “The Rumble in the Jungle” on October 30, 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire. It was Foreman’s only loss by knockout.
Ali employed a strategy he called “rope-a-dope” to wear Foreman out after he threw hundreds of punches during the fight. In the eighth round, Ali went after Foreman and knocked him out in the eighth round, making Ali the heavyweight champion once again.
In a 1995 interview with “60 Minutes,” Foreman looked back on the fight.
Foreman returned to boxing in 1975, winning five fights by knockout. In Puerto Rico on March 17, 1977, Foreman lost by decision to Jimmy Young. Per Foreman’s official biography “It was in his dressing room after the fight that Foreman had a religious experience that changed his life forever. Foreman gave up boxing and became a born-again Christian.”
He was ordained a minister in 1978 and began preaching in his hometown of Houston, Texas. In 1984, he founded the George Foreman Youth and Community Center, a non-denominational place for kids who need direction like he once did. In 1980, Foreman founded The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Foreman’s Improbable Second Act In Boxing
George Foreman became the oldest world champion at age 45 with his defeat of Michael Moorer, eclipsed since only by Bernard Hopkins.
By the mid-1980s, Foreman was running out of money. He was determined to keep his youth center open, so in 1987, after being out of the ring for nearly a decade, Foreman returned.
Multiple critics warned Foreman against his venture, but he proved them all wrong, racking up victories. Foreman won 24 consecutive fights in his comeback, including 22 by knockout.
At age 42, Foreman’s success and popularity earned him a title fight against then-unbeaten Evander Holyfield. The fight went the full 12 rounds with Holyfield winning by decision. However, Foreman gained credibility and respect in the effort.
Three years later on November 5, 1994, Foreman fought current champion Michael Moorer. Foreman scored a tenth-round knockout, immortalized by the famous call of broadcast Jim Lampley calling out, “It happened! It happened!”
Foreman became the oldest fighter ever to win the heavyweight crown at age 45, and the the boxer with the most time between one championship and the next.
Late Friday, Jim Lampley, who called the Foreman vs. Moorer fight and became Foreman’s broadcast partner during his years at HBO Boxing, issued this statement on Foreman’s passing
“Tonight, I am flooded with tears after learning of the death of my dear friend and broadcast partner, George Foreman. I loved him. He was a great fighter and a far, far greater human being. Every great thing that ever happened to him, and there were many extraordinary blessings, was richly deserved. My thoughts and prayers tonight are with his family and his friends and his congregation. It’s a massive loss, but I feel blessed and privileged to have known him and spent countless hours in his presence. He’s with Ali now, and they are at peace with each other.”
The HBO Boxing series “Legendary Nights” took a look back at the fight.
Foreman defended his titles in 1995 against Axel Schultz, then relinquished them and retired in 1997 with a 76-5 career record, 68 by knockout.
Foreman was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame by the Boxing Writer Association of America in 2003.
George Foreman: The Pitchman
In the 1980s, Foreman lent his name to the George Foreman Grill product and hosted a series of infomercials. It was a surprising success. More than 100 million grills have been sold worldwide and are still selling. Foreman also promoted other clients and products as a pitchman and entrepreneur.
Following his retirement, Foreman brought his insights and his warm personality to HBO Boxing as a ringside analyst from 1992 to 2004. He’s written ten books and was the subject of a biographical film released in 2023, “Big George Foreman,” directed by George Tillman Jr. and starring Khris Davis as Foreman.
Until his death, Foreman tended to his ministry at The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, where he preached four times a week and spent time with his family on his ranch in Marshall, Texas.
