The world is mourning the loss of boxing legend, businessman and Texas native George Foreman after his family announced his death on Friday, March 21, 2025. He was 76.
“Our hearts are broken,” a post/statement on Foreman’s Instagram page said. “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.”
As stated by his family on the post, Foreman, affectionately known as “Big George,” was a humanitarian, 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.”
The family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers they’ve received and asked for privacy as they honor the “extraordinary life of a man” whom they loved.
Born George Edward Foreman in Marshall, Texas, on Jan. 10, 1949, and raised in Houston’s Fifth Ward, Foreman overcame a life of adversity on his journey to eventually become the heavyweight champion of the world.
He was an impoverished youth who went into the Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps, a program developed to help disadvantaged kids by teaching them vocational job skills. According to his bio, Foreman traveled to California, where he met Doc Broaddus, a Job Corps counselor and a boxing coach. It was Broaddus who encouraged Foreman to become a boxer.
In the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, he won a gold medal. In 1969, he went pro. Within two years, he was declared the no. 1 challenger by the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council. By 1972, Foreman had a 37-0 record, which included 35 knockouts, his bio states.
Foreman became the heavyweight champion of the world after he fought Joe Frazier on Jan. 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica. He successfully defended the title twice, before challenging Muhammad Ali in one of the biggest bouts in sports history—“The Rumble in the Jungle.”
On Oct. 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)), Foreman and Ali went toe to toe in the historic battle, which became a benchmark for greatness in the boxing and sports worlds. The fight received much global attention, turning all eyes to the continent of Africa. According to CNN, over 1 billion people worldwide watched the fight, making it one of the most watched events of its time. Though Foreman lost to Ali, the fight helped further solidify both of their names in sports history. To this day, it is one of the greatest sporting events the globe has ever seen.
Both Ali and Foreman’s families joined together at a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, to reflect on the 50th anniversary of the “Rumble in the Jungle.” The gathering represented a monumental combination of history, legacy, and love, celebrating not just the battle but the bridge it built between nations, cultures, and families.
Ali’s daughters and Foreman’s children honored Big George at the event, giving him his “flowers” and highlighting the respect and admiration shared between their families.
“Our fathers spent so many years really talking about how much they cared for each other and loved each other. They passed that down to us,” George Foreman Jr. explained during an interview with d-mars.com. “This was our first time as a group getting together for a picture and it was like we showed up to a family reunion with long-lost cousins. We didn’t skip a beat. It was amazing.”
In addition, Minister Didier Budimbu, DRC Minister of Sports and Entertainment, announced the renaming of the stadium in DRC, where the fight took place, to the “Ali-Foreman” Stadium.
Foreman was also known for being a man of faith, having had what some may call a “spiritual awakening” after a fight in Puerto Rico on March 17, 1977. In 1978, he became an ordained minister and began preaching in Houston. In 1980, Foreman founded The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Big George was also known for his philanthropic work. In 1984, he founded the George Foreman Youth and Community Center, a place for kids in need of guidance and direction.
Foreman was no stranger to being a successful businessman. To this day, more than 100 million George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine units have reportedly been sold worldwide. He also had a line of cleaning products, an exclusive line of personal care products, a prescription shoe for diabetics to prevent amputations, a restaurant franchise called UFood Grille, and 10 books, according to his bio.
The d-mars.com team sends our prayers and condolences to his family and loved ones as they mourn this great loss.
