George Foreman, one of professional boxing’s most fearsome and greatest champions, died on Friday at the age of 76, his family announced.
Foreman’s death was announced in a social media post that included the following statement:
“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose. A humanitarian, an Olympian and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected. A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family.”
In the ring, Foreman’s greatness is impossible to ignore.
He not only recorded a 76-5 record (with 68 wins by knockout) as a professional boxer, but he was also a part of some of the biggest and most noteworthy moments in the modern era of the sport.
His most famous fights included a second-round technical knockout of Joe Frazier in 1973 to claim the heavyweight title, a title he held until he lost to Muhammad Ali in 1974’s Rumble in the Jungle. Following an extended retirement, he eventually returned to boxing, and at age 45, he knocked out 26-year-old Michael Moorer to win the unified WBA and IBF titles.
Along with his heavyweight titles, he also won an Olympic gold medal at the 1968 games in Mexico City.
But what makes Foreman such an iconic figure in pop culture is that he is the type of superstar and presence that became famous to everybody for contributions outside of his sport.
You didn’t need to know boxing to know who George Foreman was.
That is because he allowed his name and likeness to be used to sell the George Foreman Grill, a cooking device marketed as a way to grill healthier, fat-reduced foods and promote a healthy eating lifestyle.
That cooking device became a staple for college kids, single people and just about anybody who wanted to make quick, easy and relatively healthy meals. It even worked its way into multiple episodes of popular TV show “The Office” and became a huge part of Michael Scott lore.
Foreman ended up making far more money from that endorsement, and arguably became more famous, than he ever did from boxing.
Put it all of it together, and it made Foreman one of the most captivating people in sports. A dominant, word-class athlete and champion. An engaging personality and fantastic spokesperson. He could do it all, and he did it all spectacularly well.
