Foreman exchanging punches with Muhammad Ali in their famous Rumble in the Jungle fight
George Foreman, the boxing heavyweight legend, has died aged 76, his family said.
Known as Big George in the ring, the American competed for decades starting in the 1960s, winning gold at the Olympics and numerous title belts, including the world heavyweight title twice.
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Born George Edward Foreman on 10 January 1949 in Marshall, Texas, his amateur boxing career peaked at the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City, where he won a gold medal and famously waved a small US flag after his win.
In his autobiography, he said he was waving the flag “as much for myself as for the country”.
“I was letting everyone know who I was and at the same time saying that I was proud to be an American.”
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After turning professional in 1969, he quickly rose up the ranks. By 1972, he had a winning streak of 37 fights – 35 of which were knockouts. His first shot at the world heavyweight championship came in 1973, when he knocked out the then-undefeated world champion, Joe Frazier.
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Foreman won the title at the age of 24, and successfully defended it twice.
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Foreman then lost his heavyweight title to Muhammad Ali in their famous 1974 Rumble in the Jungle fight. To wear out Foreman, Ali spent eight rounds leaning back on the ropes, a tactic he called “rope-a-dope”.
He once called the loss the “most embarrassing moment” of his life.
“I just couldn’t believe I’d lost the world title”, he said, adding: “It went from pride to pity. That’s devastating.
His opponent, Foreman said, was “the toughest human being I ever had an encounter with”.
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A big change came in 1977: shortly after losing a fight to American boxer Jimmy Young, Foreman gave up boxing and turned to religion, becoming an ordained minister in 1978. He later founded the George Foreman Youth and Community Center and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He told the BBC his defeat to Ali became the “best thing that ever happened to me” as it ultimately led him to “get my message out” through preaching.
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After nearly ten years away from boxing, Foreman decided to pick the gloves back up in 1987 and return to the ring to raise funds for his youth centre. During his successful return to the sport, he won 24 matches before losing to Evander Holyfield after 12 rounds in 1991.
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In 1994, he took a jab at a new venture, becoming the face of the George Foreman Grill – also known as the “Lean Mean Grilling Machine”. Over in the boxing ring, he also became the oldest heavyweight champion aged 45 that same year. He retired from boxing three years later, in 1997, amassing a stunning record of 76 wins and 5 losses.
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Foreman had 12 children – including five sons who are all also named George. He is pictured here with his son George III. He once explained that he named them after himself so they “they would always have something in common”. He continued his work in the church until his death, preaching at his ministry four times a week, according to his website.
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