Legendary boxer George Foreman died at the age of 76, according to a statement posted on his official Instagram account Friday night.
The family did not initially reveal the cause of death.
Foreman, a two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, is regarded as one of the most powerful punchers in boxing history. One of his most memorable punches was the knockout blow he delivered to Michael Moorer in 1994, when Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history at 45.
He was inducted into both the World and International Boxing Halls of Fame.
“But my life is much more than boxing – I’ve been knocked out more outside than inside the ring,” Foreman told USA TODAY in 2023.
He got married five times. He had 12 children, one of whom, Freeda, died in 2019 of apparent suicide.
One of his most well-known fights was against Muhammad Ali in the so-called “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire in 1974. He vowed to kill Ali inside the ring. Instead, Ali knocked Foreman out.
However, Foreman stated that he was less demoralized by being knocked out than by failing to knock out Ali.
“I just knew no one could stand up to my punch,” Foreman told USA TODAY Sports back in 2014. But Muhammad did. His taking those punches left me wondering, ‘What is going on here? ‘That is not supposed to happen. That irritated me more than anything.”
Only three years later, he retired from boxing. However, in 1979, at the age of 39, he returned to the ring and stunned the boxing world.
In 1994, two decades after losing to Ali, Foreman faced Michael Moorer, then 26, for the world championship. He won by knockout in the tenth round, and the news propelled him to the title for the second time in his career.
He retired permanently at the age of 48, having compiled a 76-5 record with 68 knockouts.
But his life outside the ring marked a significant shift in the public eye.
Foreman progressed from a villainous boxer who promised and then failed to kill Muhammad Ali in the ring. A few years later, Foreman had a religious awakening, and he went on to become a preacher and businessman, selling millions of George Foreman grills.
And Foreman and Ali, who died in 2016, transitioned from bitter enemies to close friends.
After becoming the oldest heavyweight champion, Foreman said he received a congratulatory letter from his former opponent.
“Can you imagine that?” In a 2014 interview with USA TODAY Sports, Foreman said this. “Who would have thought that nearly 20 years later, Muhammad, my conqueror, would congratulate me on fighting for and winning the world championship? …
“I was close to hating him; I desired vengeance. He became the best and longest-lasting friend I’ve ever had. “I still love him today.”
Foreman was born on January 10, 1949, in Marshall, Texas, and admits to having been a troubled youth. At age 15, he dropped out of school. Boxing saved my life. He began competing in the sport at the age of 16, and three years later, in 1968, he won an Olympic gold medal in Mexico City.
He turned professional in 1969, and his power became legendary. He knocked out ten of his first eleven opponents, and the majority of his fights ended with opponents on the canvas. He won the heavyweight championship for the first time in 1973, defeating Joe Frazier in the second round via TKO.
His record improved to 40-0 before Foreman was defeated by Ali in the “Rumble in the Jungle.”
The loss to Ali became a defining moment, but in a 2014 interview with USA TODAY, Foreman mentioned another moment with Ali.
Foreman stated that in 1989, Ali was in England with Frazier, Kenny Norton, and Larry Holmes as part of a “Champions Forever” tribute. Ali had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five years earlier.
“He was still mouthy,” Foreman told USA Today. “And he made a statement, which appeared on the front page of a London newspaper, that ‘God is Black.’ Frazier disliked the fact that a picture of him appeared on the front page. Frazier did not like Muhammad.”
Later, Foreman recalled, the boxers were putting on tuxedos for a photo session.
“(Ali) came down, and he was alone,” Foreman explained. “He couldn’t put on his cufflinks.” He couldn’t even get the bow tie around his neck. And I made sure there were no cameras around, and I took him into the room and fixed him up so that they could see the beautiful Muhammad Ali.”
Frazier witnessed what happened and was furious on his way home from the event that night, according to Foreman.
“Frazier stated, ‘Don’t help him. Don’t help him. Where are all the people who screamed Ali? Where are all the hangers-on now? Nobody should help him. “Leave him alone,” Foreman stated. “I remember telling him, ‘Joe, we are our brother’s keeper.'”
“There I was for the first time protecting what I was trying to destroy.”
As a boxing analyst for HBO, Foreman honed his likable persona and was engaging and available for interviews. However, as Mike Tyson prepared to face Jake Paul on November 15, Foreman communicated via text message.
“If he gets in shape like he is now, and then regains his timing, and all the other things fall into place, he will have a chance to fight for the title,” Foreman said before Tyson lost to Paul by unanimous decision.
While Foreman remained out of the public eye, lawyers fought on his behalf.
At the time of his death, Foreman was facing civil lawsuits from three women who claimed he had sexually abused them in the 1970s. He denied the charges.
“Frazier stated, ‘Don’t help him. Don’t help him. Where are all the people who screamed Ali? Where are all the hangers-on now? Nobody should help him. “Leave him alone,” Foreman stated. “I remember telling him, ‘Joe, we are our brother’s keeper.'”
“There I was for the first time protecting what I was trying to destroy.”
As a boxing analyst for HBO, Foreman honed his likable persona and was engaging and available for interviews. However, as Mike Tyson prepared to face Jake Paul on November 15, Foreman communicated via text message.
“If he gets in shape like he is now, and then regains his timing, and all the other things fall into place, he will have a chance to fight for the title,” Foreman said before Tyson lost to Paul by unanimous decision.
While Foreman remained out of the public eye, lawyers fought on his behalf.
At the time of his death, Foreman was facing civil lawsuits from three women who claimed he had sexually abused them in the 1970s. He denied the charges.
A court document filed with the United States District Court for the Central District of California on December 13 stated, “Plaintiff’s counsel is advised that the deponent’s ongoing health issues may cause a delay in the commencement of the deposition.”
