Latest news with #TheRumbleintheJungle
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
George Foreman's daughter in Minneapolis remembers her dad
The Brief George Foreman's oldest daughter, Michi, lives in Minneapolis and is mourning the loss of her father earlier this week. She remembers him as a pillar in her life, a preacher and someone with wisdom. Foreman tells Fox 9, she believes his cause of death was from all those years in the ring. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minnesota woman is grieving the death of her father – legendary boxer and heavyweight champ George Foreman – after he died in Texas last week. What we know Most of us knew him from moments like The Rumble in the Jungle. But Michi Foreman who knew him as simply as "dad." "He was a big kid, he played with us like he was one of the kids and all of a sudden try to be serious," Michi Foreman tells FOX 9. What they're saying Now Michi is mourning the loss of her father, who she says lived an extraordinary life. "The last time I saw my father, the life was sort of just not there," said Foreman. She tells FOX 9 her father was more than just someone who took on Muhammad Ali. He was a pillar in her life, a preacher, and someone who often gave her wisdom. She believes his cause of death was from all those years in the ring."I told my brothers and sister, I said he's tired. And they were like, yeah, but he's still fighting. I said, sit back and let God do his work. And two hours later, he was gone," said Foreman. A daddy's girl Michi says she has known her father to be a fighter since she was little. She went to see her father fight during his comeback, but it wasn't easy. "You can't see someone you love like that get hit," said Foreman. She remembers when he became the champ once again. "Everybody was cheering for him, and he won the second time the championship of the world. Went straight down to his knees after the fight, and prayed and thanked God," said Foreman. Michi also talked about how her father was sensitive and cared about people. Whenever a celebrity was going through adversity, he'd give them a call to check on them. Dig deeper Foreman has seven daughters and five sons. All of the sons are named after him. "He was like, well, I don't want any of my sons to feel like they're less than the other one," said Foreman.
USA Today
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
George Foreman vowed to kill Muhammad Ali in the ring before a friendship bloomed
George Foreman vowed to kill Muhammad Ali in the ring before a friendship bloomed Show Caption Hide Caption George Foreman, former heavyweight boxing champ, dies at 76 George Foreman, the two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist died, his family announced in a statement. Upon learning Friday night George Foreman had died at 76, Muhammad Ali's daughter Rasheda Ali-Walsh said she sent a text message to George Foreman Jr., the oldest son of the former heavyweight champion. 'Please know that we're here for you, sending much love and support,'' Rasheda Ali-Walsh told USA TODAY Sports she texted, followed by, 'Your dad is sparring with my dad in heaven.'' Probably wearing not only boxing gloves but smiles. Ali-Walsh agreed. In one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Ali and Foreman went from bitter rivals who clashed in 'The Rumble in the Jungle'' to something altogether different. 'He and my dad became really good friends, and if I'm not mistaken, (Foreman) inspired my dad into being a pastor and a spiritual advisor,'' Ali-Walsh said. Foreman attended Ali's memorial and funeral service when Ali died in 2016. But the relationship got off to a rocky start in 1974 leading up to "The Rumble in the Jungle,'' their fight in Zaire. Foreman, then 40-0 and one of the hardest punchers in the sport, said multiple times he was going to kill Ali, a heavy underdog. Ali continuously mocked Foreman, such as when he told reporters, 'George Foreman is nothing but a big mummy. I've officially named him, 'The Mummy.' ' Ali walked like a Mummy, delighting the press but not Foreman. Then their fight sent shockwaves around the world, not the least because Ali sent Foreman crashing to the canvas with an eighth-round knockout. 'Daddy was always trying to get in his opponent's head,'' Ali-Walsh said. 'And I think he got in George's head.'' George Foreman, Muhammad Ali form friendship Three years after 'The Rumble in the Jungle,'' Foreman said, he was hit by something more powerful than Ali. He called it a religious experience that prompted him to quit boxing in 1977 at age 28. Hana Ali, one of the boxer's seven daughters, said years later her father gave her 60 hours of taped phone conversations. One of her favorites, she told USA TODAY Sports in 2014, is an hour-long talk her father had with Foreman in 1979. She said Foreman was preaching while Ali, then in his later 30s, still was fighting and, in retrospect, showing early signs of Parkinson's disease. "George Foreman begins by warning my father not to do these boxing exhibitions that are going to lead him back to the ring," Hana Ali told USA TODAY Sports in 2014, "and he doesn't want him there. He said, 'I had a dream,' and he's telling him, 'God doesn't want you in the ring. You need to stop.' My dad says, 'It's just a boxing exhibition.' And he goes, 'No, stop now because it's going to lead apparently to something else.' And then, of course, my father only follows his own mind." Yet Foreman, after a decade-long absence from boxing, returned in 1987 at age 38. In 1994, at 45, Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer, then 26, and became the oldest heavyweight champion in history. In 2014, Foreman told USA TODAY Sports that he received a congratulatory letter from his old nemesis, the one who called him a mummy. "Can you imagine that?" Foreman said. "Who would think almost 20 years later, there's Muhammad, my conqueror, congratulating me in fighting for the championship of the world and winning it." George Foreman, Muhammad Ali inspire celebration In 2012, Foreman was at Ali's 70th birthday party at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. It was a fundraiser spurred by Ali, who suffered from Parkinson's disease. 'They always was supportive of each other in their endeavors,'' Rasheda Ali-Walsh said. In an Instagram post Friday, Hana Ali said she used to FaceTime Foreman so her father could talk with him. "They'd reminisce, share laughs, and lovingly debate who had it better—George with his sons, or Daddy with his daughters,'' Hana Ali wrote. In December, Rasheda Ali-Walsh said, she and her six sisters gathered in Houston. It was near the home of Foreman, and they were there to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 'The Rumble in the Jungle.'' The daughters of Ali celebrated with some of Foreman's children, Ali-Walsh said. 'It was like celebrating the lineage, legacy and the love between my dad and George Foreman,'' she said. 'There was, of course, the iconic fight. But just their relationship in general, how they had a deep love and respect for one another.'' At the 50th celebration, according to many of the children of both boxers gathered for a photo after which George Foreman Jr. said, "Our fathers spent so many years really talking about how much they cared for each other and loved each other. They passed that down to us. This was our first time as a group getting together for a picture and it was like we showed up to a family reunion with long-lost cousins. We didn't skip a beat." Rasheda Ali-Walsh said her father's old boxing rival-turned-friend was ailing then. "I got a chance to see George for the last time,'' she said, "and thank him for the wonderful times that he spent with my dad and for his friendship, too.''
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mike Tyson Breaks His Silence On George Foreman's Death At The Age Of 76
Mike Tyson has broken his silence on the death of boxing legend George Foreman after his passing at the age of 76. Tyson expressed his condolences to Foreman's family while lauding his "contribution to boxing and beyond." While announcing the news of his death, George Foreman's family shared a statement noting he passed away "peacefully." Condolences to George Foreman's family. His contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten. — Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) March 22, 2025 Mike Tyson took to social media in the later hours of yesterday to pay his last respects to Foreman. Posting two pictures of them together, Tyson wrote, "Condolences to George Foreman's family. His contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten." Foreman was a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneur, and preacher. He was featured in two of the most iconic boxing games of all time: fighting Joe Frazier in "The Fight of the Century" in 1971 and then Muhammad Ali in "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974. Following his loss against Ali, he retired from boxing and became a Christian minister. He is one of the great second acts in sports, as he came out of retirement 10 years later to reclaim the heavyweight crown. View this post on Instagram A post shared by George Foreman (@biggeorgeforeman) It was a sad day for the boxing world as Foreman's family took to social media to announce the death of the legend. "Our hearts are broken. With profound sorrow, we announced the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman St., who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones," the statement read. "A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose," they continued. "Humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected - a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name - for his family." Foreman's family added, "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." Fans of Foreman have since flooded his social media page with tributes after the news of his passing. On Instagram, a person wrote, "RIP TO MY FAVE FIGHTER OF ALL TIME… I'm heartbroken, so i can only imagine his family…i hope he knew how many people he inspired." Another individual noted, "So sorry for your loss. He was a great man, more than just a great boxer. He was a wonderful human being. Absolutely heartbreaking news. My deepest sympathies." "So saddened to hear this," a third fan commented. "As a fellow Houstonian, I truly loved him. He bought a home for his mother in our neighborhood, and we would see him very often. He was so nice and generous. We'll miss you so much, Big George." During the heights of both boxers' prime, Tyson and Foreman never faced each other in a professional boxing match, despite talks and speculation around a potential fight in the early 1990s. Although Tyson is also respected in the boxing world with a career spanning more than 2 decades, he once shared that his biggest regret was never facing "Big George" in the ring. Speaking to The Ring Magazine, Tyson claimed: "I would have liked to fight George Foreman. "There have been many fans who wondered who was the bigger puncher. I would have liked to put an end to the discussion - one way or the other." Tyson has previously spoken highly of the deceased boxer, claiming in another interview that he may be the only boxer who could hit harder than Foreman. When asked about the hardest hitter ever in the heavyweight division, he told Fight Camp (via TalkSport): "[It's George Foreman], I can't match somebody's power who's that big and that much man." "Only thing that allowed me to be excited was that I did it faster than the other guys," he added. Many boxing fans in the 80s would have been left wondering why Tyson and Foreman never faced off, but reports allege that the now 58-year-old boxer was "scared" of Foreman and never agreed to fight him. Bobby Goodman once shared that Tyson's promoter at the time, Don King, tried to make the fight happen, but Tyson did not want to face Foreman. "Georgie, you'll never believe this, but f-cking Tyson is scared sh-tless of Foreman and wants no part of him," Goodman is quoted as saying in a 2005 article by Boxing Scene, per the Daily Mail. "I was there when Don was trying to make the fight. He was telling Tyson that Foreman represented huge money, plus he was old and slow and would be no problem." He continued, "Tyson got up and screamed at King saying, 'I'm not fighting that f-cking animal if you love the motherf-cker so much, you fight him!" RIP, George Foreman.
The National
22-03-2025
- Sport
- The National
Heavyweight boxing great George Foreman dies aged 76
George Foreman became the heavyweight champion of the world in his 20s, only to lose his belt to Muhammad Ali in perhaps the most memorable fight in boxing history. A full 20 years later in 1994, the 45-year-old Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship, throwing one perfect combination to steal Michael Moorer's title in an epic upset. Few fighters ever had more big moments than Big George Foreman – and even after he finally left the ring, he was only getting started. The fearsome heavyweight, who lost 'The Rumble in the Jungle' to Ali before his inspiring second act as a surprising champion and a successful businessman, died Friday on night. Foreman was 76. Foreman's family announced his death on social media, not saying how or where he died. 'A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,' his family wrote. 'A humanitarian, an Olympian and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected. A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name – for his family.' A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medallist who inspired fear and awe as he climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt. Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening. The middle-aged fighter then pulled off one of the most spectacular knockouts in boxing history, flooring Moorer – 19 years his junior – with a surgical right hand and claiming Moorer's two heavyweight belts. Foreman's 20 years is easily the longest gap between heavyweight title reigns. Foreman's transformation into an inspirational figure was complete, and he fought only four more times – finishing 76-5 with 68 knockouts – before moving on to his next career as a genial businessman, pitchman and occasional actor. Outside the ring, he was best known as the face of the George Foreman Grill, which launched in the same year as his victory over Moorer. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and made him much wealthier than his sport ever did. 'George was a great friend to not only myself, but to my entire family,' Top Rank president Bob Arum said. 'We've lost a family member and are absolutely devastated.' In the first chapter of his boxing career, Foreman was nothing like the smiling grandfather who hawked his grills on television to great success. Foreman dabbled in petty crime while growing up in Houston's Fifth Ward, but changed his life through boxing. He made the US Olympic team in 1968 and won gold in Mexico City as a teenager, stopping a 29-year-old opponent in a star-making performance. Foreman rose to the pinnacle of the pro game over the next five years, but was also perceived as an aloof, unfriendly athlete, both through his demeanour and through the skewed racial lenses of the time. Jim Lampley, the veteran boxing broadcaster who worked alongside Foreman for many years at HBO, told the Associated Press on Friday night that Foreman's initial demeanour was an attempt by his camp to emulate Sonny Liston, the glowering heavyweight champ of the 1960s. 'At some point somewhere along the way, he realised that wasn't him,' Lampley said. Foreman stopped Frazier in an upset in Jamaica in January 1973 to win the belt, with his knockout inspiring Howard Cosell's iconic call: 'Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!' Foreman defended his belt against Ken Norton before accepting the fight with Ali in the now-immortal bout staged in Africa by promoter Don King. Ali put on a tactical masterclass against Foreman, showing off the 'rope-a-dope' strategy that frustrated and infuriated the champion. Foreman was eventually knocked down for the first time in his career, and the fight was stopped in the eighth round. Foreman told the BBC in 2014 that he took the fight almost out of charity to Ali, who he suspected to be broke. 'I said I was going to go out there and kill him, and people said, 'Please, don't say you're going to kill Muhammad,'' Foreman said. 'So I said, 'OK, I'll just beat him down to the ground.' That's how easy I thought the fight would be.' Exhausted and disillusioned, Foreman stopped fighting in 1977 and largely spent the next decade preaching and working with kids in Houston after his religious awakening. He returned to boxing in 1987 in his late 30s with a plan to defy time through frequent ring appearances, and he racked up a lengthy series of victories before losing to Evander Holyfield in a surprisingly competitive title fight in 1991. Three years later, Foreman got in the ring with Moorer in Las Vegas, more for his celebrity than for his perceived ability to beat Moorer. The champion appeared to win the first nine rounds rather comfortably, with Foreman unable to land his slower punches. But Foreman came alive in the 10th, hurting Moorer before slipping in the short right hand that sent Moorer to the canvas in earth-shaking fashion. Lampley, who was calling the fight, named his upcoming autobiography – which includes a prologue about Foreman – after his famous call of that moment: 'It Happened!' Foreman quit the ring for good in 1997, although he occasionally discussed a comeback. He settled into a life as a boxing analyst for HBO and as a pitchman for the grills that grew his fame and fortune. Much of the world soon knew Foreman as both a loveable friend and a ferocious fighter. 'He started performing as this pitchman, this product pitchman with the big, ever-present giant grin on his face,' Lampley recalled. 'When I was working with him, people would say, 'George is a big clown.' And I would say, 'Well, you can call him a clown, but he's actually a genius. He may be the greatest genius I've ever met.' 'And people would say, 'Well, genius, what do you mean?' I'd say, 'Well, check the bank account. If that isn't proof enough, I don't know what is.' So, he was a genius. He was a human genius.' Foreman briefly starred in a sitcom called 'George' in the 1990s, and he even appeared on the reality singing competition 'The Masked Singer' in 2022. A biographical movie based on his life was released in 2023. Foreman had 12 children, including five sons who are all famously named George Edward Foreman. 'Legendary boxing champion, life-changing preacher, husband, father, grand- and great-grandfather and the best friend you could have,' WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman wrote on social media. 'His memory is now eternal, may Big George rest in peace.'
The Guardian
22-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
George Foreman obituary
Redemption was a long time coming for George Foreman, and when it finally arrived he grabbed it with both fists. For years Foreman, who reigned as world heavyweight champion during his division's greatest era, was forced to act as an antidote to the more popular successes of his main rivals, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. In the buildup to the Rumble in the Jungle in what was then Zaire in 1974, Foreman, who has died at the age of 76, was characterised as a humourless ogre in stark comparison to Ali's ebullient charm: a persona Foreman did little publicly to try to change. But in later years, beginning with his herculean triumph over Michael Moorer in 1994 to become the oldest heavyweight champion at the age of 45, Foreman would fashion a remarkable change in his public perception, which ultimately made him one of the most enduringly popular American sportsmen. Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas in 1949 and endured a troubled childhood, responding to local bullies by becoming, by his own admission, a juvenile delinquent, involved in shoplifting and mugging, and frequently finding himself in trouble with the police. After dropping out of high school at the age of 16, Foreman enrolled for the local job corps, a decision he credits with helping to turn his life around. It was during a session that he caught a glimpse of an Ali fight against Floyd Patterson and convinced himself he could become a boxer. Just over a year after winning his first amateur fight, Foreman won the right to represent the US in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Three straight wins took him through to the gold medal match against Ionas Čepulis, before which Foreman admitted he was 'scared'. Foreman's devastating second-round win paved the way for an inevitable professional career. Over the course of the next three years, he cut a swathe through the heavyweight division, winning all but three of his first 37 paid bouts inside the distance to force a meeting with reigning champion Frazier in Jamaica. Frazier went into the bout also unbeaten, having won the title from Ali. But Foreman destroyed him, knocking the champion down six times before the referee called a halt midway through the second round. Foreman seemed invincible, swatting aside two top-level challenges to raise the inevitable prospect of a bout against the ageing Ali, then 32 and still struggling to regain the form he had shown prior to being banned for avoiding the Vietnam draft. The bout was set for the heart of Africa and Foreman was the overwhelming favourite. But Ali courted the populist vote during the lengthy buildup to the fight, which was extended by an extra month when Foreman suffered an eye injury in training. By the time of the first bell for the bout that would become forever known as The Rumble in the Jungle, there was a sense of something special, and Ali duly provided it, soaking up extraordinary punishment before pouncing in the eighth round to sink Foreman to the canvas and win back his belts. Foreman fought six times more, including another win over Frazier, before retiring after defeat to Jimmy Young in 1977. But a full decade later, having become ordained as a priest in the meantime, he announced a remarkable comeback attempt. Working his way back through the ranks, Foreman did enough to earn a shot at then-champion Evander Holyfield in 1991, which he lost on points. But three years later, despite another loss in the meantime to Tommy Morrison, he stunned Moorer and the world by winning back the title at the age of 45. By the time Foreman finally hung up his gloves in 1997, he had completed his remarkable journey from unloved street tough to national treasure. But Foreman still had one more epilogue up his sleeve – or rather in his stomach. Crediting his successful comeback to healthy eating, Foreman gave his name to a grill that went on to sell in the millions, earning Foreman figures that dwarfed his boxing career, and he also evolved into a prominent television celebrity and boxing pundit. Married five times, Foreman had 12 children, including five boys, all of whom he named George. 'I named all my sons George so they would always have something in common,' Foreman said. 'I say to them, if one of us goes up, we all go up. And if one goes down, we all go down together.' George Edward Foreman, boxer and entrepreneur, born 10 January 1949; died 21 March 2025
