George Foreman, a heavyweight boxing legend who made an extraordinary comeback to reclaim his title at the age of 45 and later turned his fame and charismatic persona into a highly successful grill business, passed away on Friday night at a Houston hospital. He was 76.
His family shared the news of his passing on his Instagram account. Roy Foreman, George’s brother, stated that the cause of death was not immediately known.
Foreman’s return to boxing after a decade-long hiatus was met with widespread doubt, as many questioned whether a fighter of his age could compete with younger opponents, let alone reclaim a world championship. However, in 1994, he defied expectations by defeating the undefeated Michael Moorer to regain the heavyweight title, stunning the boxing community. Foreman’s remarkable career bridged multiple eras: he faced Chuck Wepner in the 1960s, Dwight Muhammad Qawi in the 1980s, and Evander Holyfield in the 1990s, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s most enduring and iconic figures.