Boxing legend George Foreman dies aged 76
The former boxing heavyweight champion George Foreman died on Friday at the age of 76, his family announced in a social media post.
Foreman took part in the iconic "Rumble in the Jungle" match against Muhammad Ali in 1974. Although he lost that fight, he was a two-time heavyweight champion as well as an Olympic gold medalist.
"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," his family said in a statement post on Foreman's Instagram page.
"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."
Two-time heavyweight champion
Born in Texas in 1949, Foreman took up boxing aged 16. He won global acclaim at the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968, where he fought his way to the super-heavyweight gold, at just 19.
He subsequently went pro and won his first heavyweight title against reigning champion Joe Frazier.
He defended the title twice before losing it to Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire — now the Democratic Republic of Congo — despite being bigger than his opponent, standing at 6-foot-4 (1.93 meters).
The loss took a toll on Foreman, who eventually retired from boxing and became an ordained minister. A decade later he returned to the ring to start a run which eventually landed him with his second heavyweight title in 1994. At age 45, he was the oldest-ever holder of the title.
Life outside of boxing
The legend finally retired in 1997. Out of his 81 professional matches, Foreman won 76, 68 of which were by knockout.
Foreman married five times, fathering 10 children and adopting another two. He gave his name — George Edward — to all five of his sons, with the explanation that he wanted them to know: "If one of us goes up, then we all go up together, and if one goes down, we all go down together!"
Following his boxing career, Foreman was able to remain a household name in part due to the fact that he lent his name to the "George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine" — a portable electric grill.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
5 days ago
- Observer
Swiatek, Sabalenka into French Open semis
PARIS: Three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek set up a blockbuster French Open semifinal clash with world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday, as reigning men's holder Carlos Alcaraz powered his way into the last four. Alcaraz blew away American 12th seed Tommy Paul for the loss of just five games in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Spaniard needed just one hour 34 minutes to dismantle Paul 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 and set up a last-four meeting with Italy's Lorenzo Musetti. "I'm sorry you wanted to watch more tennis, I had to do my work," Alcaraz told the crowd. "It was one of those matches where I could close my eyes and everything went in. It was like my feeling today was unbelievable." Earlier, Swiatek, the fifth seed, got past Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5, after top women's seed Sabalenka won a tense quarterfinal against Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. World number five Swiatek has been struggling for her best form and has not reached a final since winning the French Open title last year. But she gave 13th seed Svitolina little opportunity on her favoured clay surface, breaking in the fourth game to ease through the first set, in windy conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier. The pair exchanged consecutive breaks of serve early in the second set, before Swiatek forced the breakthrough at 5-5 with a powerful forehand down the line. She then sealed the win with back-to-back aces. "Even though the first set, the score looks pretty straightforward, it wasn't, I had to fight for every point." said Swiatek. AlCARAZ, MUSETTI REMATCH Swiatek is aiming to become the first woman to win four straight Roland Garros crowns since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago. "(Aryna) has been having a great season so I'm not going to lie, it is going to be a tough match. But I'm happy for the challenge," said Swiatek, after reeling off her 26th win in a row at the French Open. Both players have shared the number one ranking between them since April 2022. Sabalenka ended Swiatek's 11-month reign as world number one last October but the Pole leads 8-4 in their previous meetings. Earlier, reigning US Open champion Sabalenka avenged her recent loss to Zheng in Rome. "The last tournament I was pretty exhausted," said Sabalenka. "Today I was more fresh, I was ready to battle." Sabalenka once again got the upper hand over Zheng, who had been on a winning streak of 10 matches on the Paris clay after her run to Olympic gold last year. Zheng broke and led 4-2 in the first set. But numerous unforced errors — 31 in total — allowed the Belarusian to come back. "I gave her the chance, so easy," said Zheng, who has lost seven times in eight meetings with Sabalenka, including in last year's Australian Open final. Madrid Open champion Sabalenka feels she is ready to go all the way in Paris, where her previous best was the semifinals two years ago. "It's high-level matches. I'm super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win," said Sabalenka. Alcaraz, 22, dispatched former world number nine Paul after Musetti had earlier seen off Paul's 15th seeded compatriot Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. The second seed hit 40 winners and made just 22 unforced errors against Paul, who he also beat on his way to silver at the Paris Olympics last year. Eighth seed Musetti, 23, took over two hours 45 minutes to get past Tiafoe and qualify for his second Grand Slam semifinal, after Wimbledon last year. Musetti's serve proved to be a major weapon on the day as he fired down eight aces with an 81 per cent success rate on his first serve. He also saved two of the three break points engineered by Tiafoe, who had 51 unforced errors to the Italian's 32. It will be the third time Alcaraz and Musetti meet this clay-court season. Alcaraz has dominated that series — beating the Italian in the final in Monte Carlo before also stopping him in the last four on his way to the Rome title. — AFP
Observer
6 days ago
- Observer
Japan's baseball legend Nagashima dies at 89
TOKYO: Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani led the tributes to Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima following his death on Tuesday aged 89. Known as "Mr Pro Baseball", Nagashima starred for Japan's most popular team, the Yomiuri Giants, winning nine straight Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973. He formed a lethal partnership with Sadaharu Oh, who holds the world record for hitting the most home runs, and the pair are credited with cementing baseball's status as Japan's favourite sport. Their batting exploits captivated a Japanese public enjoying new economic prosperity out of the ruins of World War II, with families tuning in to watch games on black and white televisions. Nagashima's outsized personality and easy charisma made him a popular public figure and symbol of a confident new Japan. He hit a dramatic walk-off home run to seal a win for the Giants in the first professional game ever attended by Japan's emperor in 1959. "May your soul rest in peace," Ohtani wrote on Instagram to his 9.5 million followers, along with a picture of himself with Nagashima. Oh also paid tribute, telling reporters that he was "really shocked" to learn of his former team-mate's death. "I'm really disappointed that Mr Nagashima, who shines brightly in the history of Japanese baseball, has departed after a long bout with illness," the 85-year-old Oh was quoted as saying by the Kyodo news agency. "He taught me a lot of things. I'm grateful to have been able to play with him." Nagashima retired in 1974 after a 17-year playing career during which he won the Central League batting title six times and was home run king twice. He played in 2,186 games and hit 444 home runs. He also had two stints as the Giants' manager, winning two Japan Series titles over 15 seasons. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary said Nagashima was "a sunny person". "He left so many brilliant records in the world of professional baseball for many years and gave bright dreams and hopes to society as a national star," he said.
Muscat Daily
01-06-2025
- Muscat Daily
Oman Sail's high-performance team head to Greece for 49er European Championship
Muscat – Oman Sail's high-performance 49er team will join 56 crews from 25 nations in Thessaloniki, Greece, for the 2025 49er European Championships, organised by the Hellenic Sailing Federation and International 49er and Nacra Class Association. The event, which also features 49erFX and Nacra 17 competition, begins on 3 June and runs through until 8 June, with a practice race on 2 June. Representing Oman will be Musab al Hadi and Waleed al Kindi, with three races scheduled for each day of qualifying, culminating in a final series and medal race on the last day of competition. Hashim al Rashdi, Oman Sail's head performance coach, said, 'This is a prestigious event where we will line up against some of the most accomplished 49er sailors in the world. The qualification campaign for the Asian Games 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will begin soon and events like this in the build up are valuable experience to make sure our preparations are on track and our sailors realise the levels they need to reach. We are looking forward to testing ourselves against such a diverse fleet in Greece and progressing throughout the year.' Musab al Hadi added, 'We are incredibly focused and determined to achieve our ultimate goal of qualifying for the Olympic Games and representing the nation in the sailing competition. Together with Waleed al Kindi, we have been working on our tactical and technical approach to racing, and we are both looking ahead to improving on the water this season. The 49er European Championship is the first step on what we hope will be a successful journey.' The team will be coached during the Championship by experienced Polish coach Jacek Nowak. A former Polish national 49er team sailor himself, Nowak has also gained experience on board the Poland team in the Star Sailors League 2023 and on board the victorious Cape31 Team 'Aspire'. He has been coach of the Finnish national 49er team and guided a variety of crews through European and World Championship campaigns. Nowak said: 'The tactical and technical aspect of the championship is vital to the long-term success of Oman's 49er team. The crew need to be able to anticipate and adapt to changing conditions and situations to score points and secure a place in the final series. We have been working on tactics and how to overcome challenges on the water, stay focused and make the correct choice under pressure. This ability will be important in Greece but also extends beyond a single event to build a winning mentality.' After the conclusion of the 49er European Championship in Greece, the team will then return to Oman before departing for Germany to take part in Kieler Woche from 21-25 June. The team will also be competing at the 49er World Championship in Italy from 7-13 October and the Asian Sailing Championship in November.
