George Foreman dead at 76
The two-time world heavyweight champion boxer and Olympic gold medalist George Foreman has died at the age of 76.
George Foreman has died.
The two-time world heavyweight champion boxer and Olympic gold medalist passed away "peacefully" at the age of 76, surrounded by his family.
In a statement on Instagram, his family said: "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. 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."
Foreman was born in Texas in 1949. He grew up in Houston and turned to boxing at 17 in order 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.”
At just 19 years old, he won a gold medal at the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968.
George told On The Ropes: "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. This was my chance to represent my country. That was greater to me than even winning the boxing matches."
A hugely successful professional career followed, but in 1974, he faced Muhammad Ali in a historic fight dubbed 'the Rumble in the Jungle'.
Ali, the underdog, defeated Foreman, leaving the more experienced boxer devastated.
Foreman told Vogue Man Arabia: "That night I lost everything I ever was. It was the most devastating event in my life as an athlete. I was not even a man no more.”
Foreman retired from boxing for good in 1999, finishing with 76 wins and five losses.
In 1994, Foreman launched the George Foreman Grill and in 2022, he competed on The Masked Singer.
He fathered 12 children, daughters Natalia, Leola, Michi, Isabella, Courtney, Georgetta and Freeda (who died in 2019), along with five sons all named George Edward Foreman.
He is survived by his fifth wife Mary Joan Martelly, who he married in 1985 and his children.
