George Foreman Dies: Heavyweight Boxing Champion Was 76
Boxing champion and businessman George Foreman has died at 76.
Foreman’s family announced the news on Instagram on Friday, March 21. “Our hearts are broken,” they wrote on a post on Foreman’s account. “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. 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.”
Foreman’s brother Ray said the cause of death was not known, according to The New York Times.
“A humanitarian, an Olympian, and [a] 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 Instagram statement continued. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.”
View this post on Instagram
Foreman was born on January 10, 1949, in Marshall, Texas, per the Times. He became a boxer at age 17 and became an Olympic heavyweight champion just a year and a half later at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, knocking out Soviet competitor Ionas Chepulis in the second round.
He became a world heavyweight champion by defeating Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1973, but he lost the title to Muhammad Ali in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire the following year. It was Foreman’s first professional loss.
After retiring at age 28 and become a nondenominational Christian minister, Foreman got back in the ring and eventually reclaimed his former title in a 1994 bout against Michael Moorer — becoming the oldest-ever heavyweight champion at the time — before retiring from boxing for good in 1997.
The same year as his Moorer fight, Foreman pivoted to business and started endorsing a hamburger grill named after himself. In other ventures, Foreman starred in the ABC sitcom George in 1993, served as ringside analyst for HBO Sports for 12 years, and competed on Fox’s The Masked Singer in 2022.
Mike Tyson, another heavyweight champ, sent condolences to Foreman’s family in an X post on Friday, writing, “His contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten.”
Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the World Boxing Council president, also paid tribute to Foreman in an X post, writing that Foreman was a “legendary boxing champion, life-changing preacher, husband, father, grand and great-grandfather, and the best friend you could have.”
View this post on Instagram
In an Instagram statement, the boxing promotional company Top Rank called Foreman “one of the biggest punchers and personalities the sport has ever seen.”
And Jim Lampley, a sportscaster who worked alongside the former boxer at HBO Sports, said Foreman was “a great fighter and a far, far greater human being,” per ESPN.
“Every great thing that ever happened to him, and there were many extraordinary blessings, was richly deserved,” Lampley added.
From TV Guide Magazine
How Hulu's 'Mid-Century Modern' Is a 'Golden Girls' for Our Times
Settle in for some older and bolder laughs with the BFFs of a certain age in the new comedy starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Nathan Lee Graham. Read the story now on TV Insider.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services