Michael Tran / AFP
Former heavyweight champion George Foreman, who lost to Muhammad Ali in boxing's iconic 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" before reclaiming the title two decades later, died Friday aged 76.
Fondly known as Big George, Foreman dropped out of school as a teenager and went on to become an Olympic champion and later a legend of boxing.
He fought 81 times as a professional, winning 76, 68 of those by knockout.
"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," Foreman's family said in a statement on Instagram.
At 45 years and 299 days old he was the oldest heavyweight world champion.
He was stripped of first his WBA title and then his IBF crown for refusing to fight nominated opponents but won three more fights and was still "lineal" world champion when he lost on points to Shannon Briggs in 1997, aged 48, and retired again.
