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World heavyweight boxing champion, Olympic gold medalist and later preacher George Foreman passed away Friday at the age of 76, his family said.
“Our hearts are broken,” read the announcement on Foreman’s Instagram page.
“In profound sadness, we have announced the death of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr., who set out for peace surrounded by our loved ones on March 21, 2025.” “A venerable preacher, devoted husband, loving father and proud grandfather, he lived a life characterized by unwavering faith, humility and purpose.”
No cause of death was provided.
Foreman, known as “Big George,” won the Olympic gold medal in boxing at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, 19 years old.
He won the World Heavyweight Championship five years later in 1973 with a stunning knockout of Joe Frazier in the second round, but he lost it the following year in the famous “Rumble of the Jungle”.
However, Foreman was not finished. At 45, Foreman regained his heavyweight title when he defeated Michael Mooler.
He became a preacher in 1978 and was also known as an entrepreneur. He became the common name for “George Foreman Grill.” Officially called the George Foreman Lean Average Grill Machine.
More than 100 million people have been sold worldwide, and has become a fixture for television shows promoting devices on aprons, according to the Foreman website.
“A venerable preacher, devoted husband, loving father and proud grandfather, he lived a life characterized by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” read the statement announcing his death on Friday.
Humility and purpose were not the character traits that Foreman is known to him.
He explained on his website that he was “from thugs to boxers.” He was born on January 10, 1949 in Marshall, Texas, but grew up in the 5th district of Houston.
Foreman was coached by the Job Corps program, launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which led him from crime to a boxing career.
“I was literally saved from the ditch. I was hiding from the police,” Foreman told NBC News in a 2023 interview. “What you know is, I’m in the Job Squad program where I get three meals in a day. They built me into what I became.”
This is a developing story. Please check for updates.
Joe Cottke contributed.
This story first appeared on nbcnews.com. More from NBC News:
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