George Foreman, Ageless Heavyweight Champion, Dies at 76
Source: NY Times
George Foreman, a heavyweight boxing champion who returned to the sport to regain his title at the improbable age of 45, and parlayed his fame and amiable personality into a multimillion-dollar grill business, died on Friday. He was 76.
His family announced his death on his Instagram account. No cause was given.
When Foreman returned to the ring after 10 years away, there was skepticism that a fighter of his years could beat any younger fighter, much less come back to the top of the game. But in 1994, he beat the undefeated Michael Moorer to reclaim the world title, shocking the boxing world.
Foreman’s career spanned generations: He fought Chuck Wepner in the 1960s, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali in the ’70s, Dwight Muhammad Qawi in the ’80s and Evander Holyfield in the ’90s.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/sports/george-foreman-dead.html
This sucks. RIP Sir.
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mwmisses4289
(982 posts)Kinda sad, but I understand he was kind of a jerk. Also, didn't he have something like ten kids, and he named them all (boys and girls) george?
H2O Man
(76,707 posts)
Polybius
(19,839 posts)But I've never heard him being a jerk at all.
bagimin
(1,559 posts)a gentleman fighter, if that's possible.
Response to mwmisses4289 (Reply #1)
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Archae
(47,119 posts)I never use it though!
(Parents gave it to me years ago.)
oasis
(52,241 posts)a good person.
May he rest in peace.
LSparkle
(12,007 posts)As a long-time apartment dweller with no outdoor space, I relied on George’s grills for steaks and burgers and grilled chicken for decades! And I still have the last one I bought because it does such a great job on skinless chicken breasts. Rest in peace, Mr. Foreman ... and thank you!
marble falls
(65,029 posts)marble falls
(65,029 posts)... and finally did once. The thing is very handy for panninis. I'll finish off asparagus with it (I steam asparagus when I buy it and use it as I need it.
Really, you ought to try it once.
RockRaven
(17,179 posts)I tried it more times than I even wanted to before giving up, and giving it away the next time I moved.
To each their own, but it wasn't for me, or how I like to cook or stock my kitchen with gear. It didn't do anything I couldn't do otherwise with more basic or versatile equipment. And what it did do, it didn't do it that great to justify the cabinet space.
Silent Type
(9,148 posts)H2O Man
(76,707 posts)After watching Wide World of Sports' coverage of the weigh-in for the second Frazier-Ali fight, my brother & I crossed the street and walked arounbd MSG. We were with a small group when Howard Cosell came out, followed by Big George. Then Ali. My brother & I were ringside, a few feet from George. He got up and walked out in the second round. Being a stupid teenager, I Yelled, "Ali will kill you!" For a fraction of a second, he looked at me. The guy was huge.
About a decade ago, I became friends with his son "Monk." This was when he boxed.
Maybe a year ago, my son contacted George, to ask him to give a shout-out to Job Corp. The next day, Big George did.
StevieM
(10,569 posts)It seems like a great "What if" question.
H2O Man
(76,707 posts)been a lot of debate about exactly that since shortly after Muhammad regained the crown.
First, I won't say I'm totally objective. I was in high school. In social studies, the teacher said Foreman would KO Ali. I said, "Put your money where your mouth is." So we bet. Three guys in the class wanted in on it. Now, I was a poor kid. No money. Couldn't have paid if George won. The next day, I brought a brown paper lunch bag to class, and collected on all four bets.
Now, I put Big George only after Ali in "who would beat who" among heavyweight champions -- tied with Liston, just ahead of Louis. But he was mentally damaged -- not physically -- after that loss. Yes, he fought an all-time great war with Ron Lyle. But most of his fights, he was not stable mentally. Remember the gimmick of fighting five guys the same day. Then in what was supposed to be a warm-up for a second Ali fight, Jimmy Young beat him. Then the retirement, before his historic comeback.
Ali was -- in my opinion -- the mentally strongest fighter of the modern era -- maybe ever. So while George was always dangerous, I'd favor Ali. He was physically a lot stronger than people understood --- because the young Ali rarely got hit, and had supreme confidence. In the second half, people came to understand how tough he was. Liston had only really hit him in the 5th round of their first fight, and Dundee later said they really hurt (then) Cassius. But the next round, he knocked the shit out of Liston. With Foreman, Ali did the rope-a-dope. Just as it seemed insane to fight Liston with his hands at his side, imagine letting Big George throw bombs at you, waiting for him to tire. Then knocking the shit out of him! Crazy.
Greatest of respect for both of them!
StevieM
(10,569 posts)Do you believe that Jimmy Young was the rightful winner of his bout with Muhammad Ali? What about Ken Norton in their second and third matches?
The reason I wonder if Foreman was better than Ali is because it seems like Foreman was able to dominate Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, both men who posed incredible challenges to Ali. Is that right?
H2O Man
(76,707 posts)Styles make fights. Jimmy Young was a heck of a good heavyweight. However, if you purposely lean outside the ropes to get the referee to call a break -- back to the center of the ring -- it can be counted as a knockdown. It's up to the referee. Young did that often in his big fights, including with Ali. Even if the ref doesn't call it a knockdown, when it is a tactic used frequently, you lose the round.
Ken's style always caused problems for Muhammad. Norton's trainer studied the Cassius Clay vs Doug Jones fight. It was tougher than expected -- though the ref's card had the correct score. Futch knew how to jab upward when Ali was jabbing. Thus, it frustrated Ali's ability to land combinations. It didn't matter if Jones or Norton's jab landed cleanly. And it allowed them to follow up. When we think of Ali's fights with Smokin' Joe, we see the risks associated with jabbing down at the opponent. Not that Jones or Norton fought from as low a stance, but the idea is much the same. Unless you dip at the knees when punching an oppoent who is lower, you always leave an opening.
Back to styles making fights. While Frazier could take a hell of a punch -- only Foreman and Ali TKOed him -- Norton was knocked out by hard punchers throughout his career, starting with Garcia. Now, I have great respect for Norton. (He stayed across the hall from my brother & I at the Statler Hilton for the second Frazier vs Ali fight, and was such a nice guy.) And Frazier was such a great warrior. (His son Marvis used to help me train my son.) But neither Ken or Joe would have gone two rounds with Sonny Liston or the great Joe Louis. Same with a prime Mike Tyson. Styles dictate.
Yet the version of Ali in the first part of his career handled Liston, and even at the reduced level of his second-half, knocked out Big George. I think Joe would have made for a heck of a fight against the Ali of, say, the Williams or Terrell fights. Joe was such a tough guy mentally. But Ali's speed of hand & foot at that time would have made Norton an easier win. Just my opinion, of course.
pat_k
(11,171 posts)RIP
Foreman, the 2017 documentary doesn't appear to be streaming anywhere. Perhaps it will turn up now. From the bits I've read, his evolution as a person and a boxer sounds so interesting.
AmericaUnderSiege
(777 posts)A dignified art compared to some in the fighting world. Many people found a way in it. Many people found inspiration in it. Foreman helped the world through his craft and his character.
rsdsharp
(10,722 posts)I was selected to go to the home office in Houston for a week of, for want of a better word, training. The VP of credit for the company came it one afternoon and told a George Foreman story.
Foreman liked jewelry, and was fond of Gordon’s. One Friday night the credit guy got a call from the manager of a store in Houston. It seems the manager had made a very large sale ( mid five figures), and the guy wanted to pay with a check. The problem was there was no way to determine if the check was good until Monday morning when the bank opened, and the customer wanted to take the merchandise right then.
The manager told the credit VP that the guy said his name was George Foreman, and that the VP would vouch for him. “Well, is it George Foreman?” the VP asked. “I don’t know” replied the manager. “You don’t recognize the World Heavyweight Champion?” “No, I’m not a sports fan,” said the manager.
The VO told the guy to describe the customer. “He’s black, 6’4””, is real mean looking, and his hands are so big if he punches me, my whole face will break.” “That’s George Foreman,” said the VP. “ Give him the jewelry and my best wishes.”
Archae
(47,119 posts)Dad said he had the biggest hands he had ever seen.
iluvtennis
(21,173 posts)in Peace and May his Memory be a Blessing.
DENVERPOPS
(11,968 posts)Now, we are seeing, with the massive money involved with "on line betting", I am beginning to wonder about ALL professional sports.
Sure would explain all the totally corrupt Referee calls/non calls, in the NFL, NHL, etc As well as all missed passes, receptions, etc by players.......Vegas, Mafia, etc can make a lot of money by controlling the people who can easily control the outcome of a game......
DENVERPOPS
(11,968 posts)Not sure what you mean H2O...............
H2O Man
(76,707 posts)about boxing being fixed.
Polybius
(19,839 posts)If more than three people know it, the secret gets out. No way could all sports be fixed with that many people knowing.
Bengus81
(8,739 posts)marble falls
(65,029 posts)
LetMyPeopleVote
(162,388 posts)dawgdan
(19 posts)One of the best heavyweight fights ever. R.I.P Mr.Foreman
Raine
(30,780 posts)he had such a big smile. 🙏
R-I-P George
SalamanderSleeps
(775 posts)That's a win.
yonder
(10,058 posts)RIP, Sir. 
BumRushDaShow
(151,667 posts)He was remarkable and iconic, not just in the ring, but as someone who could parlay his fame into another career - "businessman".
I never had one of his big grills that eventually came out, but did have one of his small electric "tabletop" grills. The little grill was a game-changer for having the ability to grill "year-round", and was great for anyone in an apartment or in a location without the ability to grill outside. I use a Cuisineart griddler one nowadays.
R.I.P. and condolences to his family.
Clouds Passing
(4,540 posts) 
FakeNoose
(37,242 posts)I've never been a fan of professional boxing. However George Foreman in his later years seemed to be a man of courage with a big heart. He is an example to the Black community and to all of us.
LetMyPeopleVote
(162,388 posts)May he rest in peace
Link to tweet
•1968 Olympic Gold Medalist
•1973 World Heavyweight Champion
•1975 Fought Muhammad Ali in “Rumble in the Jungle”
•1994 World Heavyweight Champion
•Final Record 76 wins (68 by knockout) and 5 losses
You were bigger than life in and out of the ring. RIP 🐐
GenThePerservering
(2,824 posts)From a brooding menace to a genial, powerful man. I'm so, so sorry that he's gone.
One of the best documentaries ever made, to my mind, is "When We Were Kings" - there you see the old George Foreman and the flashy Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire. You don't need to be a boxing fan, or even particularly a sports fan, to enjoy it - the film is about a time and a place, the run-up to the fight, what happened during it, and has an incredible sound track. Watching Foreman walk to his doom to the hushed music of Miriam Makeba is like watching a Greek tragedy.
George had a revelation one day in 1977 after a fight when he was in the ready room feeling like he'd been almost beaten to death. It was actually a true 'come to Jesus' moment and he changed his life. He did not become a preacher of hate as we see how, but a true ambassador of the spirit. That's when we went from a menace to a leader - you can see flashes of it in the documentary.
His fight with Michael Moorer at the age of 45 was incredible as it was won by knockout. Moorer danced around old slow George, but George countered, shifted, used his experience, and still had one of the hardest punches in the division. He wore his 'lucky shorts' which he had worn during one of his Ali fights and his cornerman told him he was getting arm weary from pulling those old drooping old things up between rounds.
George preached at a small church, and many of his parishoners (who were often white, BTW), didn't even know he was a boxer - they liked his sermons and his inspiring kindness.
I never used a George Foreman grill as I cook in a wok, but lots of people love it. Not sure why anyone wouldn't "admit' to using one (?1).
Try watching "When We Were Kings", though - it's a real piece of history.
Sorry for the TED talk lol - I'm a boxing historian and it's hard to stop.