George Foreman, the former heavyweight champion who stunned the world by reclaiming the title at age 45 is dead.
He passed away on Friday at the age of 76.
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“With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr., who peacefully departed on 21 March, 2025, surrounded by loved ones,” his family said in an Instagram post.
Foreman’s legacy in boxing is legendary.
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A powerful, fearsome puncher in his prime, he first won the heavyweight title in 1973 by dismantling Joe Frazier in just two rounds.
However, he lost the belt in the famous 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” against Muhammad Ali, who used his rope-a-dope strategy to wear Foreman down before knocking him out in the eighth round.
Two decades later, a very different Foreman—heavier, older, but still dangerous—staged one of the most improbable comebacks in sports history. In 1994, at age 45, he knocked out Michael Moorer to become the oldest heavyweight champion ever, cementing his place as one of boxing’s great second acts.
Foreman’s remarkable journey was about more than just sports. Born on 10 January, 1949, in Marshall, Texas, he grew up poor in Houston’s tough Fifth Ward, raised by his single mother along with six siblings.
As reported by Reuters, Foreman dropped out of junior high school and got into street crime, but his life changed when he joined the Job Corps, part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” programmes.
“George’s journey from the streets of Fifth Ward to boxing and business success was an inspiration,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a statement. “He never forgot where he came from … Houston will forever be proud to call George Foreman one of our own.”
Through the Job Corps, Foreman was encouraged to channel his energy into boxing. Just a few years later, at age 19, he won the heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He turned professional soon after, winning his first 37 fights before demolishing Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica, to claim the world heavyweight title.
His stunning loss to Ali in 1974 deeply affected him. He took a year off before returning, but after another defeat in 1977, he retired from boxing to become an ordained minister. For years, he focused on his faith and his community, founding a youth centre in Texas.
But in 1987, Foreman shocked the world by announcing a comeback—at age 38 and weighing 315 pounds (143 kg). He fought his way back into contention, losing a title bout to Evander Holyfield in 1991 but continuing his journey. In 1994, he completed his stunning return by knocking out Moorer and reclaiming the heavyweight crown.
He finally retired in 1997, finishing with an incredible record of 76 wins and only five losses.
Foreman was married five times, but his longest and final marriage was to Mary Joan Martelly, whom he wedded in 1985.
Together, they raised a large family, including five sons—all named George—and seven daughters, two of whom were adopted.
