George Foreman, boxing legend, preacher, businessman, dies aged 76
Gifted with a fearsome, the twice world heavyweight champion is best known for his sensational loss to Muhammad Ali in 1974
George Foreman, heavyweight boxing legend who shone bright in the golden phase of the division, died on Friday aged 76, according to his family. As fierce a puncher as boxing has seen, Foreman lost the sensational “Rumble in the Jungle” world title fight in 1974 to Muhammad Ali in Zaire and then became a preacher before returning to become world boxing champion at 45 and a successful businessman.
“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,” his family wrote, announcing his death on social media. “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.”
Nicknamed ‘Big George’, Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas, and was raised by a single mother with six siblings. A school dropout, he took up street crime as a teenager before getting into boxing.
Foreman won the Olympic gold at the 1968 Mexico Olympics aged 19 and became world heavyweight champion twice, 21 years apart, the second one making him the oldest champion in the division at 45. His he had a sensational professional record of 76 wins, including 68 knockouts – he lost only five bouts – but his name will be carved in boxing history for the title fight he lost to Ali in Africa.
He had beaten reigning champion Joe Frazier in 1973, after knocking him down six times in the first two rounds of a --- round bout in Kingston, Jamaica. That paled in comparison to what came the next year.
Going into the title bout in Zaire, in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, a lot made it unlikely that Ali could regain the belt, having been stripped of the title in 1967 for refusing draft, opposing the Vietnam War. But Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history.
Ali was not just older than Foreman, he was also smaller with a relatively lighter punch to Foreman’s sledgehammer blows. The bigger man went in with great confidence, but Ali steadily wore him down, soaking him Foreman’s flurry of punches with his famous “rope-a-dope” trick, leaning on the rope and letting many fly past with amazing feints. Ali then took over against a drained Foreman, scoring a knockout win.
Foreman retired in 1977 and became a minister in the church he built in Texas, saying later that the loss to Ali perhaps was the best thing that could have happened in his life. He returned to the ring in 1987, winning 24 bouts before losing to Evander Holyfield, taking him to 12 rounds, in 1991.
In 1994, he became the oldest world heavyweight champion by knocking out Michael Moorer, 19 years his junior, to claim his two belts. Foreman retired a second time in 1997, but put his name to a best-selling grill, which sold more than 100 million units and earned him a much bigger fortune than the boxing career did.
In 2023 a biographical sports film ‘Big George Foreman’ was released with Khris Davis playing the title role. Foreman also appeared in many TV series.
