Heavyweight Boxing Champ George Foreman Dead at 76
Famed boxing champion George Foreman died Friday at the age of 76, his family announced in a statement on social media.
'With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr., who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025 surrounded by loved ones,' the family said. 'Our hearts are broken.'
The family did not immediately reveal the cause of death.
The statement described Foreman as a 'devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather.'
Boxing promotion company Top Rank called Foreman 'one of the biggest punchers and personalities the sport has ever seen.'
'George was a great friend to not only myself but to my entire family,' Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said in a statement posted on the organization's website. 'We've lost a family member and are absolutely devastated.'
Condolences poured in on social media, where Mike Tyson paid his respects.
'His contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten,' he wrote in a post on X.
Basketball legend Scottie Pippen joined in.
'Rest in peace, George Foreman,' he wrote on X. 'Your legacy lives on, champ.'
Foreman, who grew up in Houston, Texas, won the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City and turned pro the following year. In 1973, he captured the heavyweight title against Joe Frazier, having done so with an undefeated record.
Foreman unsuccessfully defended his title against Muhammad Ali in 1974's famous 'Rumble in the Jungle' and retired for the first time in 1977.
He returned to the sport after 10 years and became the sport's oldest heavyweight champion at 45 years old in 1994. Foreman hung up the gloves for the final time in 1997 and was soon inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
After his retirement, Foreman was a boxing analyst for HBO for several years, and as a businessman launched the George Foreman Grill, selling over 100 million units.
'We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own,' the family said.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
18 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Tyrese Haliburton's rapid rise to superstardom is unprecedented
We're witnessing something unprecedented: The coronation of a superstar in hyperspeed. Usually the rise is gradual. We see it coming. The tide rises slowly, like the ebb and flow of waves, before the tsunami hits. But Tyrese Haliburton's ascension has been different. He's a spark that turned into a raging inferno in record-setting time, catching everyone by surprise. The NBA has never seen anything like it. Just last summer, Haliburton used self-deprecating humor to cope with the disappointment — and embarrassment — of hardly getting any playing time for Team USA during the Olympic Games. He posted a photo of himself on Instagram wearing the gold medal and wrote, "When you ain't do nun on the group project and still get an A." In February, he didn't make the All-Star team after a lingering hamstring injury prevented him from training much over the summer. And heading into the postseason, he was voted by his own peers as the most overrated player in the league in a poll by The Athletic. Haliburton wasn't even on the radar for becoming the league's next superstar, with names like Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic towering over him. But in a whiplash-inducing span of just under two months, Haliburton has completely rewritten the narrative. Said LeBron James: "Players will run through a wall for certain guys, and they will do that for Hali." Added Dwyane Wade: "Haliburton is a f---king superstar." The thing is, Haliburton's greatness is impossible to ignore. It's flashy and gaudy and has come in the form of four buzzer-beaters or go-ahead shots in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or in overtime this postseason. (He has five in his career.) Only one player has made more clutch shots than him, James, who has had eight such shots over his 22-season career. Making four of those shots in a 47-day span is stunning. To do it during the playoffs? That's something else altogether. They instantly went viral on the internet. They were replayed on every sports show. They were visceral. They were digestible, leaving even people who don't care about sports with their mouths ajar. Haliubrton has slapped us all across the face with his superstardom. It's different from any other player's. Take Nikola Jokić, for example. You can watch him dominate for two hours and still be surprised that he had 20-plus points, 20-plus rebounds and 20-plus assists. His dominance is subtle, artful, easily overlooked. Perhaps the excitement of Haliburton's run this postseason can most easily be compared to the awe that Stephen Curry inspires when he has his famous shooting explosions. But we saw Curry's rise. When he led Golden State to their first championship in 40 years in 2015, the Warriors had the best record in the league that season. We watched him for seven months before he crowned himself as a superstar in the playoffs. Really, with everyone else who has become a superstar in the NBA, we have had our finger on their pulse. We saw the pressure they faced, we watched them overcome obstacles, we cheered (or heckled) them as they crossed the finish line. Kobe Bryant's went from air-balling the ball four times in a playoff game his rookie year to turning himself into the Black Mamba. James went from being a 16-year-old who was labeled "The Chosen One" into a 40-year-old who was top-five in MVP votes this year. Michael Jordan went from being the Detroit Pistons' punching bag to becoming a six-time champion. Haliburton is obviously nowhere near their level. But we've had our eyes fixed on the young players in the league, waiting to see who was going to become the next face of the league. If Edwards was having this type of performance in the postseason, no one would've batted an eye. If Doncic had led the Lakers three wins shy of a championship, as Halibuton has with the Pacers, we would've understood how that happened. But Haliburton? The Pacers weren't even necessarily expected to get past the first round of the playoffs. He seemingly came out of nowhere. And he has done it in the most dramatic of fashions, helping the Pacers cheat death four times this postseason. In each of those games, he made either a buzzer-beater or the go-ahead bucket. In Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs, the Pacers won after trailing the Milwaukee Bucks by seven points in the final 35 seconds, The dagger: Haliubrton made a layup with 1.3 seconds left to force overtime. In Game 2 of the second round of the playoffs, the Pacers won after trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers by seven points in the final minute. The dagger: Haliburton made a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers won after trailing the New York Knicks by 14 points in the final 3 minutes, The dagger: Haliubrton made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. In Game 1 of the Finals, the Pacers won after trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder by nine points in the final 3 minutes, The dagger: Haliubrton made a 21-footer with 0.3 seconds left. Haliburton's rise has quite simply been incomparable. To go from being considered the most overrated player in the league to the face of the postseason in fewer than two months? We've never seen anything like it. It's hard to define a superstar. Does a player need to win an MVP to deserve that classification? A championship? Do fans determine who gets that label? Do former superstars crown the next generation? This much is for sure: Haliburton has taken the basketball world by storm. We didn't even know to be watching for him. Now, we simply can't take our eyes off him. Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @ melissarohlin . FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Tyrese Haliburton Indiana Pacers National Basketball Association recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Abdullah Mason vs. Jeremia Nakathila: Predictions, odds for fight in Top Rank main event
Abdullah Mason vs. Jeremia Nakathila: Predictions, odds for fight in Top Rank main event Abdullah Mason vs. Jeremia Nakathila will serve as the new headliner for Top Rank's card on Saturday, after the promotion was forced to pivot on Friday. It will be a 10-round lightweight showdown held at the Scope Arena in Virginia. The fight will serve as the main event following the cancellation of the WBO lightweight world title fight between Keyshawn Davis and Edwin De Los Santos. Davis did not make weight and was stripped of the title. Mason enters the fight unbeaten with a record of 18 wins and 16 knockouts during his career. Nakathila has a record of 26-4, with 21 of those wins coming by knockout. He also has been defeated twice by knockout. It will be Nakathila's first fight back in the United States after winning three consecutive fights in Southern Africa. He lost his last two fights to Ernesto Mercado and Raymond Muratalla. Here are the current predictions, odds and how to watch Abdullah Mason take on Jeremia Nakathila. More: Why Keyshawn Davis vs. Edwin De Los Santos fight was canceled Abdullah Mason vs Jeremia Nakathila predictions DAZN: Mason expected to overcome experienced Nakathila Mark Lelinwalla writes: 'Yes, Nakathila has an experience edge that Mason will have to overcome. Still, DAZN News has the Ohio native with a 2-1 edge heading into Saturday night's bout as he certainly possesses all the sweet science tools to deliver a scintillating statement.' Bet365: Mason expected to earn quick victory Rob Tebbutt writes: 'Not one to waste time, Mason has only been past four rounds in three of his 18 professional contests, and it's fair to say that I don't expect that to change this weekend. "My lock is for the fight to be over inside the opening six minutes, but given both Muratalla and Mercado finished the job in two rounds, I fully expect Mason to one-up them and try and close the show in the opening round…' Betfred: Mason to win it Joey Mills writes: 'I am going to go for Mason to take this in round five at 8/1, allowing for the underdog to have brought a smidgen of self-preservation into his game.' Abdullah Mason vs Jeremia Nakathila odds Odds according to BetMGM as of Saturday, June 7 at 2 a.m. ET. Abdullah Mason: -3000 -3000 Jeremia Nakathila: +850 How to watch Abdullah Mason vs Jeremia Nakathila: Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025 Time: 10 p.m. ET (Undercard 5:10 p.m. ET) Location: Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia TV: ESPN Streaming: ESPN+
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida: How to watch Top Rank boxing match, full fight card and more
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Japan's Junto Nakatani faces Ryosuke Nishida in a Top Rank Boxing match this weekend, here's how to tune in. (YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty Images) This weekend, a unification title clash will determine who is the best bantamweight fighter of them all. WBC champion Junto Nakatani will fight IBF title-holder Ryosuke Nishida in Tokyo, and both boxing titles will be on the line in one single match. The main drawback? If you're in the U.S., you'll have to wake up pretty early to catch it all; the entire fight card will stream on ESPN+ starting at 4:30 a.m. ET, and the main ringwalks are expected around 5:30 a.m. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the Nakatani vs. Nishida fight. How to watch the Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida fight: Date: Sunday, June 8 Advertisement Start time: 4:30 a.m. ET Fight time (approximate): main card ringwalks at approx. 5:30 a.m. ET Location: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan. TV Channel/Streaming: ESPN+ When is the Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida fight? Junto Nakatani will fight Ryosuke Nishida this Sunday, June 8 at 4:30 a.m. ET. The fight will take place at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan. Where to watch the Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida fight: Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida will stream on ESPN+. Watch Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida ESPN+ You can catch tall of this weekend's Top Rank Boxing with an active ESPN+ subscription. Whether you purchase a standalone plan, add-on, or Disney Bundle plan, the service provides access to thousands of sports events every year, including this weekend's bout between Junto Nakatani and Ryosuke Nishida. Right now you can get your first three months of ESPN+ for just $5/month. $11.99/month at ESPN+ Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida fight card Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida ; Bantamweight, for the WBC and IBF titles Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Victor Santillan ; Bantamweight Van Thao Tran vs. Tomoya Tsuboi ; Bantamweight Riku Masuda vs. Michell Banquez ; Bantamweight Rukia Okubo vs. Takumi Yoneya; Strawweight Other ways to watch the Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida fight:
