George Foreman Lifeless: Legendary Boxer Was 76

George Foreman has died on the age of 76.

Foreman was a two-time heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist. Nicknamed Massive George, in later years he turned the spokesperson for the George Foreman Grill, which bought hundreds of thousands of items.

The information was shared by his household on his official Instagram account on Friday, March 21.

“Our hearts are damaged. With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr. who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025 surrounded by family members. A religious preacher, a faithful husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and nice grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering religion, humility, and objective,” the assertion learn.

Foreman was born in Texas in 1949. He grew up in Houston. “I grew up within the Fifth Ward of Houston — the Bloody Fifth, we known as it. Each weekend somebody acquired killed,” he advised Esquire in 2006. His household was poor, and he dropped out of highschool at 15 and was concerned in petty crime. However at 16 he signed up for the Job Corps, the place he acquired his GED and realized carpentry and bricklaying. Throughout that point he additionally started coaching as a boxer.

“I went into boxing on the age of 17 to drop a few pounds and develop into an awesome road fighter,” he advised Ringside Report in 2000. “Subsequent factor I do know, I used to be preventing as a Golden Glover. It principally all occurred as an accident.”

In 1968, at 19 years outdated, Foreman gained a gold medal on the Mexico Metropolis Olympic Video games. “Profitable that gold medal on the finish, I needed the entire world to know the place I used to be from, so I picked up a small American flag and paraded across the ring to verify they knew,” he advised On the Ropes, a boxing radio present, in 2023. “This was my probability to signify my nation. That was better to me than even successful the boxing matches.”

The following 12 months, Foreman went skilled. He gained all 13 fights that 12 months, and all 12 fights in 1970. By the tip of 1971, with 32 wins and no losses, he was the number-one challenger on the planet and anticipated to face World Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier in a bid for the title.  

The 2 lastly fought in 1973’s The Sunshine Showdown, which Foreman gained by whole knockout. “I didn’t worry anybody besides Joe Frazier,” Foreman admitted in a 2023 interview with Andscape. “I hoped one thing would’ve occurred to him earlier than I’d ever battle for the title.”

“I’ve by no means advised anybody this, however that was the happiest time of my life in boxing as a result of I labored so arduous to meet my dream and develop into heavyweight champion,” Foreman defined. “It was the primary and final second I felt that.”

Foreman defended his title in opposition to José Roman and Ken Norton. In 1974, he confronted Muhammad Ali in a historic battle dubbed “the Rumble within the Jungle,” believed to be the most-watched reside tv broadcast of all time. Ali, a large underdog, defeated Foreman. 

By the years, Foreman advised totally different variations of the occasion, at instances alleging that the battle was fastened for Ali. He was upset that they by no means had a rematch. 

“For years afterwards I might agonize, ‘How may this occur?’” he advised Vogue Man Arabia in 2019. “That evening I misplaced every thing I ever was. It was essentially the most devastating occasion in my life as an athlete. I used to be not even a person no extra.” However he and Ali finally turned buddies.

Foreman continued to battle. He retired from boxing in 1977, and after a near-death expertise after his final match, turned a born-again Christian.

However 10 years later, amid monetary difficulties, Foreman returned to boxing on the age of 38. “It was like, I did it as soon as, I am gonna should do it once more,” Foreman advised USA Right now in 2023. “It was the one occupation I knew. Typically I needed I might been a golfer, it is a lot simpler than boxing.”

Foreman acquired title pictures in opposition to Evander Holyfield in 1991 and Tommy Morrison in 1993, however misplaced each. However in 1994 he beat Michael Moorer and reclaimed his championship.

“Whenever you battle for the heavyweight championship of the world it does really feel unbelievable, it doesn’t really feel such as you’re actually there, it might be a dream,” he advised Boxing Information in 2023. “‘You’re going to get up quickly, you don’t belong within the ring with these guys.’ The second time round, I may take care of all these ideas. It was a particular second, extra so than once I gained the battle with Frazier.”

As he succeeded as soon as once more within the ring, he additionally began to make extra public appearances and have become a celeb, even starring in a short-lived sitcom George. Foreman retired from boxing for good in 1999. He completed his profession with 76 wins and 5 losses. 

In 1994, Foreman launched the George Foreman Grill. To this point it has been so profitable that nicely over 100 million grills have been bought. “My lawyer got here to me and stated, ‘George, you make different folks rich, why do not you make your self rich?'” Foreman advised PEOPLE in 2003. “And he advised me about this grill.”

Foreman competed on The Masked Singer in 2022. He additionally govt produced the 2023 biopic Massive George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the As soon as and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World,

Foreman had 12 kids: Natalia, Leola, Michi,  Isabella, Courtney, Georgetta and Freeda (who died in 2019) and 5 sons all named George Edward Foreman. 

“I named all my sons George Edward Foreman so they might all the time have one thing in frequent,” Foreman wrote on his web site. “I say to them, ‘If certainly one of us goes up, then all of us go up collectively. And if one goes down, all of us go down collectively!'” Two of his grandsons additionally share the identify.

Foreman was married 4 instances. He was with Adrienne Calhoun from 1971 to 1974, Cynthia Lewis from 1977 to 1979 and Andrea Skeete from 1982 to 1985. In 1985 he married Mary Joan Martelly.

In 2022, Foreman was accused of kid sexual abuse. He denied the allegations.

Foreman is survived by his spouse and 11 kids.