Boxing Legend George Foreman, 76, Passes Away – A Shock to the Sports World!

Foreman, who snagged Olympic gold in 1968, was a two-time heavyweight champ and a Hall of Famer.

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Most fans remember him for the iconic Rumble in the Jungle against Muhammad Ali in 1974. It was a shocking upset—Foreman was knocked out in the eighth round in Zaire. The match became legendary, even inspiring the Oscar-winning documentary When We Were Kings.

Foreman kept making history. After losing the heavyweight title to Ali at just 25, he fought five more times, including a fifth-round TKO against Joe Frazier (who he originally beat in two rounds to claim the title) and a thrilling fifth-round KO of Ron Lyle in a wild slugfest.

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At 28, Foreman stunned the boxing world by announcing his retirement. He then became an ordained minister in his home state of Texas.

After a decade away from the ring, Foreman made a jaw-dropping comeback in 1987 at 38. What seemed like a publicity stunt turned into one of the greatest sports comebacks ever.

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He started by stacking easy wins, including a quick second-round KO over Gerry Cooney. But in 1991, he showed he was serious, taking on Evander Holyfield in a classic heavyweight title fight at 42. Though he lost, Foreman proved he was still a force.

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Just five fights later, Foreman made history again. After losing to Tommy Morrison, he faced Michael Moorer for the heavyweight title in 1994. Down on the scorecards, Foreman landed a brutal two-punch combo that floored Moorer for the full count. At 45 years and 299 days, Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champ ever—a record that stood for 20 years.

The moment was immortalized by HBO commentator Jim Lampley, who repeatedly shouted, “It happened! It happened!”

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Outside the ring, Foreman thrived. He joined Lampley as an HBO boxing analyst for 12 years. But his biggest win outside boxing was the George Foreman Grill, which launched the same year he defeated Moorer. The grill became a massive hit, selling over 100 million units. In 1999, Foreman sold the rights for a whopping $138 million.

His final fight was in November 1997—a narrow decision loss to Shannon Briggs. He kept his HBO analyst gig until 2004.

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Foreman’s punching power was legendary—The Ring ranked him the ninth-greatest puncher ever and one of the top 25 boxers of the past 80 years.

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Top Rank boxing Chairman Bob Arum described him as “George was a great friend to not only myself but to my entire family. We’ve lost a family member and are absolutely devastated.”

Jim Lampley, heartbroken over the news, called it a “massive loss” and that he feels “blessed and privileged to have known him.”

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“Tonight, I am flooded with tears after learning of the death of my dear friend and broadcast partner George Foreman. I loved him,” Lampley said in a statement. “He was a great fighter and a far, far greater human being. Every great thing that ever happened to him, and there were many extraordinary blessings, was richly deserved. My thoughts and prayers tonight are with his family and his friends and his congregation.”