Two-time heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist George Foreman died on Friday. He was 76 years old.
Foreman rose to prominence as a boxer, but after he retired, he launched a successful line of in-home grills, which sold millions. His family shared the news of his passing on his official Instagram account.
“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,” his family wrote. “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,” the post continued. “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.”
Born in Texas in 1949, Foreman grew up in a dangerous part of Houston known as the Fifth Ward, or “the Bloody Fifth,” he told Esquire in 2006. Growing up poor, he turned to petty crime and dropped out of high school, but at age 16, he joined the Job Corps, a career training and education program for low-income teens and young adults. He earned his GED and learned carpentry and bricklaying while also training to become a boxer, People Magazine reported.
“I went into boxing at the age of 17 to lose weight and become a great street fighter,” he told Ringside Report in 2000. “Next thing I know, I was fighting as a Golden Glover. It basically all happened as an accident.”
Foreman was just 19 years old when he won a gold medal at the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968.
“Winning that gold medal at the end, I wanted the whole world to know where I was from, so I picked up a small American flag and paraded around the ring to make sure they knew,” he told boxing radio show “On The Ropes” in 2023. “This was my chance to represent my country. That was greater to me than even winning the boxing matches.”
In 1969, Foreman became a professional boxer, winning all of his 13 fights in his first year and all of his 12 fights the next year. He won a total of 32 fights without losing by the end of 1971. In 1973, he faced World Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier and won by total knockout, admitting to ESPN’s Andscape in 2023 that the only person he feared was Frazier.
Foreman went on to defend the title against Jose Roman and Ken Norton. In 1974, Foreman battled the great Muhammad Ali in a fight referred to as “the Rumble in the Jungle.” Ali defeated Foreman despite being the huge underdog.
The loss crushed Foreman, who told Vogue Man Arabia in 2019 that he “lost everything I ever was” after that fight. “It was the most devastating event in my life as an athlete. I was not even a man no more,” he added.
Foreman retired from boxing in 1977, but returned in 1987 following financial struggles. He lost two title fights in 1991 and 1993, but reclaimed his title in 1994 after beating Michael Moorer.
After winning that fight, he became a more public figure and celebrity, launching the successful George Foreman Grill in 1994. The grill has since sold more than 100 million units worldwide.
Foreman officially retired from boxing in 1999, but continued to his celebrity appearances, including a 12-episode comedy travel show with Henry Winkler, William Shatner, and Terry Bradshaw called “Better Late Than Never.”
Foreman had 12 children; seven daughters (one of whom, Freeda, died in 2019) and five sons all named George.
“I named all my sons George Edward Foreman so they would always have something in common,” Foreman wrote on the “Did You Know?” section of his website. “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!’”
Foreman was married five times, and is survived by his wife Mary Joan Martelly and his 11 children.
