Mar
George Foreman, Legendary Boxer and Entrepreneur, Dies at 76
George Foreman, the two-time heavyweight boxing champion, Olympic gold medalist, and namesake of the wildly popular George Foreman Grill, has died at the age of 76.
The news was confirmed Friday night through a statement shared on Foreman’s official Instagram account. “Our hearts are broken,” the post read. “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.”
Widely considered one of boxing’s all-time greats, Foreman earned global fame not only for his formidable record in the ring but also for his success outside of it. He was a gold medalist at the 1968 Olympics and became a two-time heavyweight champion — once in the early 1970s, and again in 1994 at age 45, becoming the oldest fighter to ever hold the title.
Foreman’s Instagram tribute described him as “a humanitarian, an Olympian, and a two-time heavyweight champion of the world,” and someone “deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy.”
Born in Marshall, Texas, in 1949, Foreman began boxing as an amateur in 1967 and won Olympic gold just a year later by defeating Soviet fighter Jonas Čepulis in two rounds. He went professional in 1969 and quickly built a 37-0 record. In 1973, he beat the undefeated Joe Frazier for the heavyweight title, defending it successfully before losing to Muhammad Ali in the iconic 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle.”
After a near-death experience following a 1977 loss to Jimmy Young, Foreman retired and turned to faith, becoming a born-again Christian and eventually a pastor. He returned to boxing in 1987 and, in 1994, made history by defeating Michael Moorer to reclaim the heavyweight title.
Foreman retired from boxing in 1997 with an impressive 76-5 professional record. During his comeback, he began endorsing a portable electric grill by Salton Inc. The George Foreman Grill became a household name, eventually selling over 100 million units. The company paid Foreman over $137 million for the use of his name.
Beyond sports and business, Foreman also made several forays into entertainment. He starred in the 1993 ABC sitcom George, played himself in various shows including Sanford and Son and Home Improvement, and was a regular on NBC’s travel series Better Late Than Never alongside William Shatner, Henry Winkler, and Terry Bradshaw. In 2022, he appeared as “Venus Fly Trap” on The Masked Singer.
Reflecting on his TV experiences in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Foreman fondly recalled early appearances, saying, “Whenever it replays, people call me up like, ‘George, I just saw you!’” Of The Masked Singer, he joked, “It was work to put on a costume… but my push-ups and sit-ups came in handy again.”
In recent years, his life was celebrated in the 2023 biopic Big George Foreman, starring Khris Davis, produced by Affirm Films and Sony. He was also prominently featured in the Oscar-winning documentary When We Were Kings, which chronicled the Ali-Foreman showdown in Zaire.
Among those paying tribute was actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, who co-starred with him on George. “George had a smile as wide as his spirit and a heart full of kindness,” she wrote on Instagram. “He showed up with joy, humility, and heart. Rest well, my friend.”
Foreman is survived by his wife, his six daughters, and his five sons — all of whom he famously named George.
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