The boxing world has lost one of its all-time greats. George Foreman, a two-time heavyweight champion and one of the most devastating punchers in history, passed away at the age of 76 in a Houston, Texas hospital on Friday, March 21. His name belongs among the giants of the sport—Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, and Mike Tyson—fighters who redefined what it meant to be a champion.

Foreman’s power was the stuff of legend. His professional record—76 knockouts in 81 fights, with only five losses (just one by KO)—cements his place as one of the hardest hitters to ever step into the ring. That lone knockout defeat came in the famous Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) on October 30, 1974, when Muhammad Ali executed a masterclass in strategy to reclaim the heavyweight crown.

“Big George,” as he was affectionately known, holds a rare distinction in boxing history—winning a world championship at 45 years old. When he shocked Michael Moorer in 1994 to reclaim the heavyweight title, he joined an elite group of fighters who claimed championships past the age of 40, alongside Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins, and the great Archie Moore. Foreman’s sudden passing took many by surprise, and according to his brother, Roy Foreman, the exact cause of death remains unknown.

A CHAMPION’S JOURNEY

Born on January 10, 1949, in Marshall, Texas, Foreman’s early years were anything but smooth. A troubled youth in Oregon, he found salvation in boxing at age 14. Just five years later, he stood atop the podium at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, draped in gold as the heavyweight champion.

Foreman’s professional debut came on June 23, 1969, when he stopped Don Waldhelm in three rounds. It was the beginning of a terrifying reign of destruction. The towering Texan (standing 6’3”) steamrolled opponent after opponent, racking up knockout after knockout until he earned a title shot against the undefeated Joe Frazier.

On January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica, Foreman put on one of the most dominant performances in heavyweight championship history. He sent Frazier crashing to the canvas six times in just two rounds, capturing the WBA and WBC titles in brutal fashion. His first title defense lasted only 77 seconds, as he obliterated Puerto Rico’s Joe “King” Roman. Next, he traveled to Caracas, Venezuela, to face former Marine Ken Norton, annihilating him in two rounds in front of a packed house at the newly opened Poliedro arena.

THE FALL IN ZAIRE AND THE SHADOW OF DEPRESSION

By 1974, Foreman seemed invincible. He was 40-0, with 37 wins by knockout, and there was no obvious threat on the horizon—except one.

On October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire, he stepped into the ring for the Rumble in the Jungle against Muhammad Ali. The fight, the first world title bout ever held in Africa, was orchestrated by the flamboyant Don King and watched by an estimated 300 million people worldwide.

Ali, 32 years old and hungry to reclaim the belt he lost for refusing military service, shocked the world. Employing his now-legendary rope-a-dope tactic, Ali leaned against the ropes, absorbing Foreman’s relentless assault while waiting for his moment. Foreman, swinging with all the fury of a young champion, punched himself into exhaustion. In the eighth round, Ali struck with a lightning-fast combination, sending Foreman staggering. He collapsed in slow motion, as if struck by fate itself.

Legendary writer Norman Mailer captured the moment in The Fight:

“Then came a tremendous projectile, the size of a fist inside a glove, landing flush in the center of Foreman’s mind—the best punch of that stunning night, the shot Ali had saved for his entire career. Foreman, doubled over in disbelief, eyes locked on Ali, began to stumble… He fell like a butler who had just received tragic news—yes, a long, slow collapse over two seconds, piece by piece, as Ali circled him, ready to strike again. But there was no need; it was a private escort to the canvas.”

Referee Zachary Clayton counted to ten. At 2:58 of the eighth round, Ali had done the impossible.

The loss shattered Foreman. He fell into depression and stepped away from boxing for nearly two years. When he returned in 1976, he rattled off five straight knockouts—Ron Lyle, Scott LeDoux, Pedro Agosto, John Dino Denis, and a rematch with Joe Frazier. But after dropping a 12-round decision to Jimmy Young on March 17, 1977, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Foreman collapsed in the locker room, suffering from an irregular heartbeat. He took it as a sign from above.

He retired, became an ordained minister, and reinvented himself as a businessman. His George Foreman Grill, a runaway success, made him a household name.

THE MIRACULOUS COMEBACK

A decade later, in 1987, at 38 years old and more than a decade removed from competition, Foreman did the unthinkable—he returned.

Few believed he had a shot. But he defied expectations, stringing together 17 consecutive knockouts before losing close decisions to Evander Holyfield, Tommy Morrison, and Shannon Briggs. The loss to Briggs on November 22, 1997, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City was his final farewell, at nearly 49 years old.

But before that, he had one last legendary moment. On November 5, 1994, Foreman, nearly 46 years old, stunned the world by knocking out Michael Moorer to reclaim the heavyweight championship, becoming the oldest man ever to hold the title. It was a feat thought impossible—until Bernard Hopkins surpassed it in 2013, winning the light heavyweight crown at 48.

In total, Foreman fought 40 more times after his initial retirement, winning 30 by knockout. He left the sport as one of its most beloved figures—a stark contrast to his younger years, when he was feared but not adored.

Now, the man who once struck fear into the heavyweight division and later became one of the sport’s most endearing ambassadors has left us.

A champion. A legend. A man whose journey—filled with triumph, defeat, redemption, and reinvention—will never be forgotten.

Rest in peace, Big George.