He also had a colourful life away from boxing, making millions from kitchen appliances, becoming a minister and having 12 children. US heavyweight boxing legend George Foreman has died at age 76. The two-time champion fought Muhammad Ali in one of the sport’s most legendary fights, the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then known as Zaire. (Photo: Late George Foreman).

Foreman was also known for putting his name to a popular range of electric grills. A statement on his Instagram account said he died peacefully on Friday “surrounded by loved ones” after an “extraordinary life”. His family said, “our hearts are broken”. They called him “a devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather” – and said he lived with “unwavering faith, humility, and purpose”. President Donald Trump posted a tribute on X, saying he had known the sportsman well.

He wrote: “George Foreman is dead. What a GREAT FIGHTER!!! He had, without question, the heaviest and biggest punch in the history of boxing. With the exception of Ali, when you got hit, you went down. He was something really Special, but above all, he was a Great Person, with a personality that was bigger than life.” Speaking to Sky News’s Sam Washington, former heavyweight world champion David Haye called Foreman “one of the greatest to ever do it”. (Photo: Foreman and Ali in Zaire).

Praising his “perseverance” as a fighter, the British star said Foreman did “the unthinkable” becoming the oldest champion in history in 1994, two decades after his famous Rumble in the Jungle with Muhammad Ali. Calling him a “magnificent human being both inside and outside the ring”, Haye praised Foreman’s “thunderous right and left uppercuts”, adding: “I would not have wanted to be behind one of George Foreman’s punches”. Mike Tyson said on X that his “contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten”.

Sharing a photo of Foreman in his youth alongside a similar image in his later years, another boxer, Chris Eubank Jr, wrote: “Rest in Peace to one of my boxing heroes – The Legendary George Foreman.” Former NBA basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson called Foreman one of his “boxing heroes”, going on to call him “a knockout artist in the ring,” and that “it was a pleasure getting to know him not only as a boxer but as a man”. Mentioning the product now so associated with his name, Johnson went on: “After leaving the ring, he turned into an amazing businessman.

I even bought one of the first George Foreman grills! Cookie and I will be praying for his family during this time.” Foreman was considered virtually unbeatable in the famous 1974 fight in DR Congo. Ali, then 32, was trying to return to the top against his fearsome, undefeated opponent – just 25 at the time. Despite being a huge underdog, Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ tactics of soaking up Foreman’s attacks wore out the brutal puncher and he regained the title. Believed to be one of the most-watched sports events ever, a documentary about the fight, When We Were Kings, won an Oscar in 1996. (Photo: Joe Frazer, Foreman and Ali).

Foreman was devastated by the loss, but 20 years later staged his own miraculous comeback – knocking out Michael Moorer to become the oldest-ever heavyweight champion at the age of 45. Outside the ring, his transformation from a brooding boxer to a jovial, TV-friendly personality helped make him a fortune with his range of grills in the 1990s. The boxer known to fans as ‘Big George’ was born in Marshall, Texas, on 10 January 1949. He and his six siblings were raised by a single mother. Foreman dropped out of school and got mixed up in street robberies, but left Texas at 16 and was encouraged to direct his energy into boxing.

Just three years later, in his 25th amateur bout, he won gold at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Foreman turned pro and reeled off 37 wins before demolishing the undefeated Joe Frazier in two rounds to become heavyweight champion for the first time in 1973. Crushed by his shock loss to Ali a few fights later, he took a year off before stepping inside the ring again. But after a second career defeat in 1977 – and what he described as a near-death experience in the dressing room – he stopped fighting. He became a born-again Christian and ordained minister. However, ‘Big George’ was back inside the ropes a decade later.

Trimming down his physique along the way, he won 24 fights in a row before losing on points to Evander Holyfield in 1991. Foreman wasn’t done though – and his long road back was finally complete in Las Vegas three years later. Wearing the same red shorts from the Ali fight and behind on the scorecards, he knocked out Michael Moorer, 19 years his junior, to win the IBF and WBA titles. Foreman’s 20-year gap between world titles was a record – and he retired for good in 1997 with a record of 76 wins and five losses. He was married five times and had five sons – all called George – and seven daughters.

Courtesy: By Dan Cairns, Sky News, news reporter