George Foreman has died at the age of 76, but leaves a lasting legacy not just in sports, but in the entire health and fitness industry. And, while many people will remember “Big George” for his Rumble in the Jungle with Muhammad Ali, this brilliant boxer had a legendary life in and out of the squared circle.
Born in Marshall, Texas, in 1949, he rose from a challenging childhood marked by poverty in order to become an Olympic gold medalist and a two-time world heavyweight champion. After retiring from boxing, Foreman further reinvented himself as an entrepreneur and became the face of the phenomenon that is the George Foreman Grill. To celebrate the life and times of a true icon, here are seven facts that you may or may not be aware of.
George Foreman became an Olympic Gold medalist at just 19 years of age
George Foreman’s boxing journey blasted off at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where the fighter won the heavyweight gold medal with a second-round technical knockout against Soviet boxer, Ionas Chepulis. At just 19, Foreman famously waved a small American flag in the ring, a spontaneous gesture of pride that contrasted with the political protests of the time. His victory launched a professional career and captured the attention of the world.
George Foreman: The Youngest Heavyweight Champion in Boxing
Not one for wasting time, Foreman followed up on his young Olympic success by turning pro and becoming the world heavyweight champion at the record breaking age of 24 (later surpassed by a 20 year old Mike Tyson). On January 22, 1973, Foreman claimed his first world heavyweight title by knocking out Joe Frazier in two rounds in Kingston, Jamaica. Foreman, who stood six-feet and three-and-a-half-inches tall, and weighed 218 pounds at the time, knocked Frazier down six-times in the course of those two torturous rounds, cementing himself as the best boxer in the world.
The Rumble in the Jungle Took Its Toll on George Foreman
In 1974, during the “Rumble in the Jungle” held in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), Foreman was outboxed. His wrecking ball firsts appeared to be no match against the smarter Ali, who exhausted his more powerful opponent with the rope-a-dope technique, goading Foreman into wasting his energy. The loss hurt Foreman because he’d been the odds-on favorite to win and so his mental health, and his pride, also took a big hit. “Now that I’m not the champ, people I thought were my friends passed me by,” Foreman said in the wake of his defeat. “Before I was champ, I didn’t have any hate. Now there’s a lot of hate in me. I don’t forgive easily. I’m short with people, and I’m wary, so wary.”
George Foreman Found Faith After Dealing with Dark Thoughts
After his loss to Ali, Foreman struggled to make a successful comeback at first, and in 1977, after losing to Jimmy Young, the boxer says that thoughts of death crept into his consciousness. He became a born-again Christian and retired to focus on ministry, founding a church in Houston and later establishing the the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in 1984, reflecting his commitment to giving back—a lesser-known facet of his life that shaped his post-boxing years
George Foreman Made a Successful Comeback at 45 Years of Age
Foreman’s devastating loss to Muhammad Ali could have defined the career of a lesser boxer, but this would not be his last reign as champion. After significant time away from boxing, “Big George” stunned observers by making a long-lasting comeback in 1987, leading him to take back the title on November 5, 1994, knocking out Michael Moorer at 45 years of age. This made him the oldest boxing heavyweight champion in history, a record that stands as a testament to his enduring physicality and determination. The comeback defied sceptics and showcased Foreman’s ability to reinvent himself and inspired the rest of us into thinking that age really is just a number.
George Foreman nNamed All of His Children… George
Passing down his winning name, the sporting icon named all five of his sons George. That is George Jr., George III (“Monk”), George IV (“Big Wheel”), George V (“Red”), and George VI (“Little George”). He once explained the thought process on his official website, stating “I wanted them to always have something in common. I say to them, ‘If one of us goes up, then we all go up together. And if one goes down, we all go down together!’”
The George Foreman Grill has sizzled for more than 30 years
While Foreman didn’t invent the “Lean, Mean Fat-Reducing Machine,” his famous name helped boxes to fly off the shelves. When asked about his favorite foods to cook on his grill, he answered, “There was a time when I would have said instantly, ‘Half a dozen cheeseburgers!’ But my favorite thing to cook on the grill is salmon steaks. I love them! I can have them for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. And my wife never complains about my health!”
The popularity of the George Foreman Grill still endures to this day and has made many people think differently about the way that they cook in order to fry less and consume less fat. The George Foreman Grill sold more than 100 million units in the first 15 years and continues to cook much of the competition to this day. Foreman was not just a scintillating boxer, but a savvy businessman to boot. He told the AARP in 2014 that he’d made “much more” than $200 million from the grills and was reaping in as much as $8 million per month. Now that’s what you call putting food on the table for your family!
Rest in Peace George Foreman. 1949 – 2025.