Boxing legend and businessman George Foreman passed away at the age of 76, as announced by his family on his Instagram account.

The announcement stated, “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.”

Foreman, a former heavyweight world champion boxer, was known as a devoted preacher, loving husband, father, and grandfather. He made a significant comeback in his career and gained widespread recognition for selling electric cooking grills, becoming an iconic symbol of self-improvement and success.

Born in Marshall, Texas, on January 10, 1949, Foreman grew up in poverty in the segregated South, and his family moved to Houston. He dropped out of junior high and resorted to street robberies before joining the Job Corps, which helped him focus his energy andsize on boxing.

Foreman won the gold medal in heavyweight boxing at the 1968 Olympics and turned pro, winning 37 consecutive matches. He won the heavyweight title by beating Joe Frazier and defended it twice before his famous loss to Muhammad Ali in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974.

After the loss, Foreman took a break from boxing and became an ordained minister. He made an astonishing comeback in 1987, starting a 24-win streak, eventually becoming the oldest heavyweight champion at age 45 when he defeated Michael Moorer.

Foreman retired from boxing in 1997 with a professional record of 76 wins and five losses. He had four marriages in the 1970s and 1980s and a fifth marriage to Mary Joan Martelly in 1985, with whom he remained together until his death. He had ten biological children and two adopted daughters.

In addition to his boxing career, Foreman was a successful pitchman for various products, most notably electric grills from Salton Inc. In 1999, the company paid Foreman and his partners $137.5 million to put his name on the grill and other products.

Foreman believed in falling in love with the products he sold, as he mentioned in his autobiography, “By George,” stating, “What I do is fall in love with every product I sell. That’s what sells. Just like with preaching.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/22/boxing-champion-george-foreman-dies-at-age-76