Remembering George Foreman – Okayplayer

“Our hearts are broken. 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,” Foreman’s family announced.

“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father,” the post continued. “And a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose.”

Born in Marshall, Texas, Foreman would become one of the most prominent boxers of all time. As a fighter, he was known as “Big George,” who at age 19 won an Olympic gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Five years later, he took the world heavyweight championship in a knockout of the legendary Joe Frazier in two rounds — before Foreman lost to Muhammad Ali in the iconic “Rumble In the Jungle” in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He shocked the boxing world by retiring in 1977 and becoming a born-again Christian. According to NBC, he said he’d had a religious experience after losing to Jimmy Young that year in Puerto Rico. He became an ordained minister — founding and building the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Texas.

In the 1990s, he became the pitchman for his famous George Foreman Grill — known as “Lean Mean Grilling Machine.” The Foreman Grill became a popular kitchen fixture from the moment he released it in 1994. That same year, at age 45, he reclaimed the heavyweight title by defeating Michael Moorer — becoming the oldest boxer ever to win the heavyweight championship.

His passing was met with an outpouring of grief and tributes.