George Foreman, the intimidating heavyweight who later became a cherished champion, dies at 76

George Foreman became the heavyweight champion in his 20s, but he lost his title to Muhammad Ali in what is considered one of the most unforgettable fights in boxing history.

Twenty years later, in 1994, Foreman, at 45 years old, became the oldest person to win the heavyweight championship. He took Michael Moorer’s title with a perfect combination in a huge upset.

Few boxers had as many significant moments as George Foreman. Even after leaving the ring, his journey was far from over.

The intimidating heavyweight, who lost the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Ali before coming back as an unexpected champion and a successful businessman, passed away on Friday night at the age of 76.

Foreman’s family shared the news of his death on social media, without specifying how or where he passed away.

“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father and a proud grandfather and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” his family wrote.

“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.”

Born in Texas, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist. He quickly gained fame and fear as he rose to the top of the heavyweight division, knocking out Joe Frazier in 1973. However, his fierce reputation faded when Ali pulled off one of the greatest victories in boxing history in Zaire, taunting Foreman into losing his title.

“George was a great friend not just to me, but to my entire family,” said Top Rank president Bob Arum. “We’ve lost a family member, and we are completely heartbroken.”

Foreman was different early in his career from the grill-selling grandfather

In the early part of his boxing career, Foreman was very different from the friendly grandfather who later sold his grills on TV with great success.

Growing up in Houston’s Fifth Ward, Foreman was involved in minor crime, but he turned his life around through boxing. He made the U.S. Olympic team in 1968 and won a gold medal in Mexico City as a teenager, defeating a 29-year-old opponent in a performance that made him a star.

Over the next five years, Foreman climbed to the top of professional boxing, but he was often seen as distant and unfriendly, both because of his attitude and the racial views of the time.

Jim Lampley, a longtime boxing broadcaster who worked with Foreman for many years at HBO, told The Associated Press on Friday night that Foreman’s early behavior was part of an effort by his team to copy Sonny Liston, the tough heavyweight champion of the 1960s.

“At some point along the way, he realized that wasn’t who he truly was,” Lampley said.

Foreman shocked everyone by knocking out Frazier in Jamaica in January 1973 to win the title. His knockout led to Howard Cosell’s famous call: “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”

Foreman defended his title against Ken Norton before agreeing to fight Ali in the now-famous match promoted by Don King in Africa. Ali used a smart strategy against Foreman, known as the “rope-a-dope,” which frustrated and angered Foreman. Eventually, Foreman was knocked down for the first time in his career, and the fight was stopped in the eighth round.

Foreman told the BBC in 2014 that he agreed to fight Ali partly out of charity, as he suspected Ali might be financially struggling

“I said I was going to go out there and kill him, and people said, ‘Please, don’t say you’re going to kill Muhammad,’” Foreman said. “So I said, ‘OK, I’ll just beat him down to the ground.’ That’s how easy I thought the fight would be.”

Feeling tired and discouraged, Foreman stopped boxing in 1977 and spent much of the next decade preaching and working with children in Houston after his religious awakening. He made a comeback to boxing in 1987 at nearly 40 years old, aiming to challenge time with regular ring appearances.

He enjoyed a long streak of victories before losing to Evander Holyfield in a surprisingly close title fight in 1991.

Three years later, Foreman faced Moorer in Las Vegas, a fight that seemed to be more about his fame than his ability to beat Moorer. The champion seemed to control the first nine rounds easily, with Foreman unable to land his slower punches. But in the 10th round, Foreman came alive, hurting Moorer before landing a short right hand that sent Moorer to the canvas in a dramatic moment.

Lampley, who was announcing the fight, named his upcoming autobiography — which includes a prologue about Foreman — after his famous call of that moment: “It Happened!”

Foreman retired for good in 1997, though he sometimes mentioned the possibility of coming back. He settled into a life as a boxing analyst for HBO and a spokesperson for the grills that helped him gain fame and wealth. Many people soon knew Foreman as both a friendly figure and a fierce fighter.

“He started performing as this pitchman, this product pitchman with the big, ever-present giant grin on his face,” Lampley remembered. “When I was working with him, people would say, ‘George is a big clown.’ And I would say, ‘Well, you can call him a clown, but he’s actually a genius.

He may be the greatest genius I’ve ever met.’ And people would say, ‘Well, genius, what do you mean?’ I’d say, ‘Well, check the bank account. If that isn’t proof enough, I don’t know what is.’ So, he was a genius. He was a human genius.”

Foreman had a short role in a sitcom called “George” in the 1990s, and he even appeared on the reality singing competition “The Masked Singer” in 2022. A movie about his life was released in 2023.

Foreman had 12 children, including five sons, all named George Edward Foreman.

“Legendary boxing champion, life-changing preacher, husband, father, grand- and great-grandfather, and the best friend you could have,” WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman wrote on social media. “His memory is now eternal, may Big George rest in peace.”