Boxing legend George Foreman, the subject of ‘Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World.’
Preview:
- George Foreman has died aged 76.
- An Olympic gold medalist in boxing, he then became a heavyweight champion.
- Foreman in later years embraced his pop culture status and backed a grill bearing his name.
George Foreman, the charismatic boxer who rose from a life of crime and bad behavior in his youth to become an Olympic boxer and heavyweight champion, has died. He was 76.
His family took to social media to announce his passing:
“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.”
Related Article: George Foreman and Forest Whitaker Talk Boxing Biopic ‘Big George Foreman’
George Foreman: Early Life and Sports Career
(L to R) Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in ‘When We Were Kings’. Photo: Gramercy Pictures.
Born January 10th, 1949, Foreman grew up in tough conditions in the east Texas city of Marshall.
Living an impoverished life in his youth, he turned to crime and bullying before his attitude was turned around by the Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps, a program developed to help disadvantaged kids by teaching them vocational job skills.
Foreman traveled to California which is where he met Doc Broaddus, who was a Job Corps counselor and a boxing coach. It was Broaddus who encouraged Foreman to become a boxer.
Once he began to train at the gym, Foreman rapidly established an impressive amateur record. The culmination of his amateur boxing career came at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, where he won a gold medal in only his 25th amateur fight. He got extra attention when he brandished an American flag after his win.
He said of that moment in his biography:
“There was a big element of patriotism in what I did; being in the Olympics, you couldn’t help but love your country more than before. But I meant it in a way that was much bigger than ordinary patriotism. It was about identity. An American –– that’s who I was. I was waving the flag as much for myself as for the country. I was letting everyone know who I was and at the same time saying that I was proud to be an American.”
In 1969, Foreman turned professional and within two years, he was ranked the Number one challenger by the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council. By 1972, he had a perfect 37-0 record which included 35 knockouts.
The committed young boxer got his shot at the world heavyweight championship when he fought Joe Frazier on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica.
Frazier was the favorite going into the bout, but Foreman knocked him down six times en route to a second round knockout. An unprecedented TV audience watched Foreman become the champ because the fight was HBO Boxing’s first-ever broadcast.
After becoming the champion, Foreman successfully defended his title twice. He beat Puerto Rican heavyweight champion Jose Roman in only 50 seconds, which at the time was the shortest heavyweight championship match ever.
Foreman also beat Ken Norton, who had just beaten Muhammad Ali, in a mere two rounds. Winning those two fights then set up one of the most famous fights in history: “The Rumble in the Jungle,” which ended in victory for Ali.
In 1977, after losing a fight, Foreman had a religious experience that changed his life forever. He gave up boxing and became a born-again Christian.
He was ordained a minister in 1978 and began preaching in his hometown of Houston, Texas. In 1984, he founded the George Foreman Youth and Community Center, a non-denominational place for kids who needed direction like he once did.
Yet by the mid-1980s, Foreman’s financial fortunes had turned for the worse, and facing the possibility of closing the youth outreach program, he returned to the boxing ring.
Despite concerns about his age and his time out of the ring, Foreman won 24 consecutive fights during his comeback including 22 by knockout. Now at age 42, Foreman’s success and popularity earned him a chance at the title against unbeaten Evander Holyfield. The fight went the full 12 rounds and while Holyfield won in a decision, Foreman gained a great deal of credibility.
In 1994, Foreman took on the new heavyweight champ, Michael Moorer, and knocked him out in the 10th round. With the victory, at the age of 45, Foreman became the oldest fighter ever to win the heavyweight crown as well as the boxer with the most time between one world championship and the next.
George Foreman as Salesman and in Pop Culture
Khris Davis stars as George Foreman in ‘Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavy Weight Champion of the World.’ Photo: Alan Markfield.
After finally retiring from boxing again in 1997, Foreman returned to something he’d shown a talent for since the early 1990s: salesmanship.
By the end of the decade, he was making millions off of his appearances in infomercials marketing the George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine. To date, more than 100 million of the device have sold worldwide.
Foreman also spent over a decade promoting Meineke Car Care Centers and grew the business to over 1000 franchises, and launched a host of other products and companies.
Utilizing his considerable charisma, Foreman has also appeared in a number of movies and TV shows, often as himself.
On the small screen, he’s graced the likes of ‘Sanford and Son,’ ‘Good Sports,’ ‘Home Improvement,’ ‘The Larry Sanders Show’ and ‘King of the Hill.’
Movie-wise, Foreman had a role as a factory worker in 1975’s ‘Let’s Do It Again,’ and showed up in ‘Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,’ and played a fight announcer in ‘The Fighter’ and ‘Play it to the Bone.’
He’s the focus of 2023 biopic ‘Big George Foreman,’ in which Khris Davis plays him.
“When life gives you a second chance, don’t do it for yourself. Do it for everyone you love.”
75
2 hr 9 minApr 28th, 2023
The likes of Mike Tyson and Scottie Pippen have already paid tribute via twitter posts…
Mike Tyson tweet:
Condolences to George Foreman’s family. His contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/Xs5QjMukqr
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) March 22, 2025
Scottie Pippen tweet:
Rest in peace, George Foreman. Your legacy lives on, champ. ?️ pic.twitter.com/7v5XBSZfTi
— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 22, 2025
George Foreman in ‘When We Were Kings’. Photo: Gramercy Pictures.
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