George Foreman Dies at 76; Boxing Legend Won 2 Heavyweight Titles, Olympic Gold Medal

George Foreman, a two-time heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist in the ring and an ordained Christian minister and successful entrepreneur out of the squared circle, has died at the age of 76.

Foreman's family confirmed the news via social media on Friday evening.

"Our hearts are broken," the statement began.

"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.

"A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two time heavyweight champion of the world, He was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name—for his family.

"We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own."

Foreman won Olympic gold at the age of 19 at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Three of his four matches ended via knockout or referee stoppage.

He turned professional one year later and proceeded to dominate the sport for five years, winning his first 40 matches. Only three of them went to the judges' decision, and all were unanimous.

Foreman notably beat Joe Frazier via second-round TKO to win the WBA, WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles in January 1973. He then successfully defended his titles against José Roman and Ken Norton, who would eventually win the WBC heavyweight belt.

At that juncture, Foreman had won eight straight matches via first- or second-round knockout or TKO. Up next was a date with the iconic Muhammad Ali in the October 1974 Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire.

Foreman was a heavy favorite, but Ali utilized the now infamous "rope-a-dope" tactic en route to winning via eighth-round knockout.

Foreman won his next five matches, but he lost his second career bout in March 1977 to Jimmy Young via unanimous decision.

After the fight, Foreman had a near-death experience in the locker room after suffering from heatstroke.

"I had an experience. In a split-second I was dead and alive," Foreman said during an interview with NBC's TODAY in 2007. "Of course, I'm only witness to it because I was there. All around me there was nothing … I started screaming. Jesus Christ was coming to life in me. I didn't even believe in religion."

Foreman became a born-again Christian and later an ordained minister. He later served as minister of Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston and did not box for 10 years.

At the age of 38, Foreman returned to the boxing ring in March 1987. He proceeded to win 24 of 24 boxing matches over a three-and-a-half year period in an incredible comeback.

That set up a championship match with Evander Holyfield in April 1991 for the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles. Foreman went the distance but lost by unanimous decision.

Foreman then won three straight matches before getting another title shot, this time against Tommy Morrison for the WBO crown in June 1993. Once again, Foreman went the distance, but he lost via unanimous decision.

The third time was the charm, though, in Foreman's second act as a professional boxer.

His next fight occurred in November 1994 against Michael Moorer for the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. This time, Foreman won via 10th-round knockout, becoming a world champion at 45 years and 299 days old.

With that, Foreman became the oldest fighter in history to win a boxing world championship. That record stood until 2011, when Bernard Hopkins (age 46) won the WBC and The Ring light heavyweight titles against Jean Pascal.

Foreman successfully defended the UBF title against Axel Schulz one year later while winning the (now-defunct) WBU heavyweight crown. He then won the vacant IBA heavyweight title against Crawford Grimsley in 1996.

He wrapped up his illustrious boxing career with two fights in 1997: a split-decision win over Lou Savarese and a majority-decision loss to Shannon Briggs. Foreman finished his career with a 76-5 record (68 knockouts).

In his non-boxing life, Foreman was well-known for the George Foreman Grill, the Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine. He told journalist Graham Bensinger that he earned $5 million per month off the grill.

The grill, obviously, was a massive commercial success, as noted by Trung Phan of Workweek.

In 2023, a biographical film about his life, Big George Foreman, was released. During that year, Foreman also conducted numerous interviews, including one that covered a host of topics with former NFL wide receivers Brandon Marshall and DeSean Jackson for I Am Athlete.

Many people expressed their condolences and remembrances of Foreman upon news of his death:

The beloved boxer is survived by his wife, Mary Joan Martelly. Foreman is the father to 12 children. He is also a grandfather and great-grandfather.