US heavyweight boxing legend George Foreman has died age 76, according to a statement on his Instagram account.
The two-time champion fought Muhammad Ali in one of boxing’s most legendary fights, the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.
He also became known to millions around the world through his popular range of electric grills.
The statement said he died peacefully on 21 March “surrounded by loved ones” after an “extraordinary life”.
It added: “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 also called him a “humanitarian” and “force for good”.
Mike Tyson was one of the first to pay tribute, posting on X that his “contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten”.
Foreman was considered virtually unbeatable in 1974’s fight with Ali in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
However, Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ tactics of soaking up Foreman’s attacks wore out the feared puncher and he claimed an improbable win to regain the heavyweight title.
It’s believed to be one of the most-watched sports events ever and a documentary on the fight, When We Were Kings, won an Oscar in 1996
Ali (right) knocked out Foreman in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in 1974. Pic: dpa/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
The Texas-born fighter took the loss hard, but in 1994 staged his own miraculous comeback when he knocked out Michael Moorer to became the oldest-ever heavyweight champion at age 45.
Outside the ring, Foreman’s transformation from a brooding boxer to a jovial, TV-friendly personality helped him make a fortune through his range of fat-reducing grills in the 1990s.
The boxer known to many as ‘Big George’ was born in Marshall, Texas, on 10 January 1949.
He and his six siblings were raised by a single mother.
Foreman dropped out of school and got mixed up in street robberies, but said years later that President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Job Corps initiative “rescued me from the gutter”.
The 16-year-old left Texas and was encouraged to get into boxing.
Just three years later, in his 25th amateur bout, he won gold at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
Foreman turned pro and reeled off 37 wins before demolishing Joe Frazier in two rounds to become heavyweight champion for the first time.
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