Heavyweight Boxing Legend George Foreman Dies At 76

Former heavyweight champion George Foreman, who faced Muhammad Ali in the legendary 1974 Rumble in the Jungle before regaining the title two decades later, passed away on Friday at 76, according to his family.

Affectionately referred to as Big George, Foreman left school as a teenager and eventually became an Olympic gold medalist and a boxing icon. In his professional career, he fought 81 times, achieving 76 victories, with 68 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

Beyond his boxing career, he became synonymous with the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine, where he appeared cheerful and approachable in television commercials, gaining fame outside of the boxing ring.

Born in Texas on January 10, 1949, Foreman spent his childhood in Houston. The man who raised him was often absent and frequently intoxicated. Foreman discovered that J. D. Foreman was not his biological father only after he won the world heavyweight championship when his actual father, a decorated World War II veteran, reached out to him.

Foreman dabbled in crime during his teenage years and dropped out of school at 16. At the 1968 Mexico Games, the 19-year-old Foreman fought his way to the gold medal in the super-heavyweight category.