Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Boxing legend George foreman passes away at 76

POSTED ON March 22, 2025 •   SPORTS      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
US boxing heavyweight champions, Muhammad Ali (L) (born Cassius Clay) and George Foreman (R) fight in Kinshasa on October 30, 1974. l Credit: AFP

Former heavyweight champion George Foreman, who fought and lost to Muhammad Ali in the legendary 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” before regaining the title two decades later, passed away on Friday at the age of 76, as announced by his family in a statement.

“With deep sadness, we share the news of the passing of our cherished George Edward Foreman Sr., who gently left us on March 21, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones,” said Foreman’s family in a message on the boxer’s official Instagram account.

“We appreciate all the love and prayers, and we respectfully request privacy as we celebrate the remarkable life of a man we were fortunate to call our own.”

Born in Texas on January 10, 1949, Foreman was raised in Houston. The man who brought him up was often absent and frequently intoxicated.

Foreman discovered only after he won the heavyweight championship that J. D. Foreman was not his biological father, as his real father, a decorated World War II veteran, reached out.

As a teenager, Foreman dabbled in crime and dropped out of high school at the age of 16. “At 13 years old, George was about 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and the terror of the neighborhood,” his younger brother Roy told the BBC in 2024. “When you're bigger and stronger and believe you’re superior to everyone else, you tend to take things.”

At 16, he began boxing. “I wanted to be a football player,” Foreman stated on his website. “I tried boxing just to prove to my friends that I wasn't scared. Well, 25 fights and a year later, I had become an Olympic gold medalist.”

During the 1968 Mexico Games, the 19-year-old Foreman fought his way to the super-heavyweight gold medal. As he celebrated his victory, 10 days after fellow African Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a Black power salute after the 200m track final, Foreman waved an American flag in the ring.

Standing at 6-foot-4 (1.93m), 'Big George' was larger and stronger than other leading heavyweights of the era.

He was agile on his feet yet fought his way through the professional ranks, ultimately earning a title shot against champion Joe Frazier, whom he defeated in just two rounds.

By the time he faced Ali in his third title defense over 15 rounds in October 1974 in Kinshasa, Foreman boasted an unbeaten record of 40 professional fights. He had secured victories in all but three of those fights within the distance and had not yet needed to build stamina.

Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ strategy wore down the towering fighter, who lost in eight rounds. The loss shattered Foreman’s intimidating reputation, particularly in his own eyes. “I just couldn't believe I lost the world title,” he remarked later. “It was the most humiliating moment of my life. It shifted from pride to pity. That was devastating.”

His bid for another title shot collapsed when he lost by points to contender Jimmy Young in March 1977 on a sweltering night in Puerto Rico. Following the fight, Foreman fell ill and claimed he sensed God directing him to change his life.

He retired at 28 and became an ordained minister. When he announced his return to boxing 10 years later, he was bald where he had once worn an afro and out of shape instead of fit, which appeared to many as a boxing gimmick. He later stated that he needed money for his youth center.

Over the next three years, he fought 21 times against mostly average opponents, winning every bout, 20 of which were by knockout. As a prominent figure in a weakened and fragmented division, he earned a title shot against Evander Holyfield in 1991 and then against Tommy Morrison two years later, losing both by points.

In November 1994, he faced Michael Moorer, who had dethroned Holyfield. In the same shorts he had worn 20 years and six days earlier against Ali, Foreman was losing badly until he connected with Moorer in the 10th round for a knockout. At 45 years and 299 days old, he became the oldest heavyweight world champion.

He was stripped of his WBA title and then his IBF title for refusing to face nominated challengers but won three more fights and remained the 'lineal' world champion when he lost on points to Shannon Briggs in 1997 at the age of 48, retiring once more.

Foreman had 81 professional fights, winning 76, with 68 of those victories coming by knockout. In 1994, he endorsed the “George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine,” featuring in cheerful TV ads, and became a celebrity outside the boxing ring.

Foreman, who hosted a 1996 TV show titled ‘Bad Dads’, was married four times and fathered 10 children while adopting two.

He named all five of his sons George Edward, explaining that he wanted them to understand, “If one of us rises, we all rise together, and if one falls, we all fall together!”

READ ALSO
Rio Ferdinand Urges Manchester United to Secure Victor Osimhen Amidst Transfer Rumors
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 9, 2025 0

Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand has once again advised the club regarding their searc...

READ ALSO
Ex-D’Tigers coach Brown sets goals for new job
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 9, 2025 0

The former head coach of the Nigerian men's national basketball team, D'Tigers,Mike Brown,has s...

READ ALSO
Real Madrid Edges Borussia Dortmund 3–2 in Thrilling FIFA Club World Cup Clash
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 6, 2025 0

Real Madrid emerged victorious from a heart-stopping 3–2 thriller against Borussia Dortmund in...

READ ALSO
PSG Triumphs over Bayern Munich 2-0, Advances to FIFA Club World Cup Semifinals
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 5, 2025 0

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the European club football champion, has defeated Germany's Bayern Munich...

READ ALSO
FG Delivers on Housing Promise to 1994 Super Eagles
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 25, 2025 0

The Federal Government has at last honored its long-standing commitment to provide housing allocatio...

READ ALSO
Chelsea Advances to Last 16 of Club World Cup with 3-0 Win Over Esperance
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 25, 2025 0

Liam Delap netted his first goal for Chelsea during a 3-0 victory over Tunisian champions Esperance...

READ ALSO
Osimhen Willing to Join Manchester United for Under £200,000 a Week
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

Victor Osimhen is reportedly willing to accept a weekly wage of just under £200,000 at Manches...

READ ALSO
Mertens Announces Retirement from Football, Cites Age and Fatigue
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

Belgian football star Dries Mertens has officially announced his retirement from professional footba...

OUR CHANNELS:

Oyo Speaker Advocate Creation of State Police amidst 700,000 Lives Lost to Insecurity
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 17, 2025 0

The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, has advocated for the creation of s...


Police kill six suspected kidnappers in Delta
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 17, 2025 0

The Delta Police Command reports that six kidnapping suspects have been eliminated in the state.&nbs...


US-Nigeria Trade Relations Face Significant Decline Amid New Tariffs
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 17, 2025 0

The trade ties between the United States and Nigeria have encountered a notable decline, with offici...


President Tinubu Leads Tributes for Buhari and Oba Adetona
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 16, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has guided countless Nigerians in grieving the loss of his predecessor, Muhamm...


Buhari Dies in London after Brief Illness
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 14, 2025 0

Nigeria’s immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, has died in London. Buhari died on Sund...


SERAP files Lawsuit against NNPCL over Missing $2.5bn, N825bn for Refinery Rehabilitation
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 14, 2025 0

SERAP files lawsuit against NNPCL over missing $2.5bn and N825bn earmarked for refinery rehabilitati...


Accord Party Calls for Abolishment of State Electoral Commissions to Restore Election Integrity
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 13, 2025 0

The Accord Party has emphasized the necessity for the National Assembly to eliminate the State Indep...


Tinubu Returns to Abuja after Successful Diplomatic Missions in Saint Lucia and Brazil
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 16, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - President Bola Tinubu returned to Abuja late Saturday following official trips to S...


Leadership Crisis Hits Benue ADC as Over 500 Members Defect Back to PDP
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 16, 2025 0

The Benue chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is currently enmeshed in a leadership cri...


Voter Apathy: Young Residents Express Doubts About Electoral Process
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 16, 2025 0

LAGOS, Nigeria- Despite appeals for civic engagement from election officials and stakeholders during...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu