George Foreman was the two-time heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist who later parlayed his fame into a successful entrepreneurial career.
- Died: March 21, 2025 (Who else died on March 21?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 76.
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Foreman was an Olympic gold medalist who became an instant boxing legend when he knocked out the then undefeated Joe Frazier (1944–2011) in 1973 to become world heavyweight champion, a title he lost the following year to Muhammad Ali (1942–2016). Foreman later came out of retirement while in his 40s, and in 1994, at the age of 45, he defeated 26-year-old Michael Moorer to become the oldest heavyweight champion in history.
He did this while also selling over 100 million of his popular George Foreman Grills, making him a household name on two fronts.
“He and my father had a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for each other,” Ali’s daughter, Laila, said on Facebook. “Not only was he a phenomenal heavyweight champion, but he truly had one of the kindest and most giving hearts. May his love and legacy continue to inspire his family and countless others who lives he touched.”
Foreman was born in 1949 in Marshall, Texas, one of seven children. In his autobiography, Foreman discussed his tumultuous youth, which saw him turning to crime as a teen. However, desiring to turn his life around, he signed up with the federal Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps, moved to California, and began training to become a boxer.
He racked up a strong record as an amateur, and in 1968, he etched himself into boxing history when he won gold at the Olympics in Mexico City. It was just his 25th fight. He went pro the following year, and by 1972 he was the No. 1 challenger in the world, boasting a 37-0 record with 35 knockouts. That was his record when he stepped into the ring with the also undefeated Joe Frazier on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica.
Foreman won, setting the boxing world on fire in the process. He defended his title twice, but he lost to Ali in the now legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” fight in 1974. In 1977, a religious experience turned Foreman from boxer to preacher, an endeavor he pursued for the next decade until returning to the ring in 1987. Even in his 40s, he won 24 straight fights, 22 by knockout, and had a 12-round clash (which he lost) against Evander Holyfield.
He made history when he beat Michael Moorer in 1994, despite Moorer being two decades his junior, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in history. He retired again in 1997, opting not to defend his title. He retired with a 76-5 career record.
As all this unfolded, he also put his name on a massively popular home appliance: the George Foreman Grill, hawking the grill on television and eventually selling more than 100 million units. At one juncture, the grill sold so well, he was earning $4.5 million a month from sales.
For Foreman, his biggest source of pride was rising above his time on the streets and earning a Gold Medal at the Olympics. “Let me tell you, there has been nothing that comes close to the feeling I had as a 19-year-old boy who’d never had a dream come true. That was spectacular,” he told Square Mile in 2017.
Comedian Jeff Dye said of him, “Loved this guy. Had the pleasure of traveling, talking, crying, arguing, eating and hanging with this guy all over the globe.” Writer Gene Park said it was Foreman’s non-boxing status that he remembers most. “I know you didn’t invent it, but we all grew up on the grill because … you sold it well to so many young folks in the early century.”
