Two-Time Heavyweight Champion Who Changed the Game — and the Kitchen
George Foreman, a towering figure in boxing and an unlikely kitchen appliance mogul, died Friday night in Houston at age 76. His family confirmed the news on Instagram, while his brother Roy Foreman said the cause of death was not yet known.
Foreman made history by capturing the world heavyweight title twice — first in his 20s and again in his 40s — before becoming a pop culture staple through the wildly successful George Foreman Grill.
A Boxing Career That Spanned Decades and Eras
Born George Edward Foreman on Jan. 10, 1949, in Marshall, Texas, he grew up rough, describing himself as a bully and petty criminal before turning his life around in the Job Corps. He began boxing at 17 and just a year and a half later, won Olympic gold at the 1968 Mexico City Games, defeating Ionas Chepulis of the Soviet Union with a second-round knockout.
After that win, Foreman waved a small American flag in the ring, a moment that stood in contrast to the protest raised by fellow Black Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos just days earlier. “I was just glad to be an American,” he said. “Some people have tried to make something of it, calling me an Uncle Tom, but I’m not. I just believe people should live together in peace.”
He turned pro and fought frequently, racking up 37 wins before facing Joe Frazier for the heavyweight title in 1973. Though considered an underdog, Foreman dismantled Frazier in just over four minutes, knocking him down six times in a fight famously called by Howard Cosell: “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”
Foreman defended his title twice before facing Muhammad Ali in the legendary 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire. Ali’s rope-a-dope strategy handed Foreman his first loss, a knockout in the eighth round.
Foreman won five more fights, including another against Frazier, but after a loss to Jimmy Young in 1977, he stepped away from boxing at age 28, citing religious reasons and his mother’s wishes. He became a Christian minister and opened a youth center in Houston.
An Unbelievable Comeback at Age 45
A decade later, Foreman returned to boxing — driven by both a desire for a second title and the need to rebuild his finances. “You know that story about how you have four pockets in your pants, and you better save what’s in one pocket so you can live?” he said. “I saved one pocket. I’ve got money for steak and potatoes. But the other three pockets I just blew.”
He fought frequently again, racking up 24 straight wins and earning a shot at Evander Holyfield’s title in 1991. He lost a competitive decision, but proved he still had power and grit.
In 1994, at 45 years old, he got another title shot — this time against 26-year-old Michael Moorer. Trailing on the scorecards, Foreman landed a thunderous right hand in the 10th round to knock Moorer out and reclaim the title. He became the oldest heavyweight champion in history.
“Anything you desire, you can make happen,” Foreman said after the fight. “It’s like the song, ‘When you wish upon a star your dreams come true.’ Well, look at me tonight.”
Foreman defended his title once, but was eventually stripped of his belts for refusing mandatory challengers. His final fight was a decision loss to Shannon Briggs in 1997 at age 48. He retired with a 76-5 record and was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.
The Knockout Business of George Foreman Grills
Foreman’s friendly charm made him a natural in front of a camera. In 1994, he started promoting the George Foreman Grill — a countertop electric grill that became a household name. With taglines like “It’s a knockout,” the product took off.
In 1999, Salton Inc. paid $137.5 million for global rights to use Foreman’s name on the grills, with Foreman reportedly receiving 75 percent of the payout. The product remains one of the most successful celebrity-endorsed kitchen appliances ever sold.
He also appeared in commercials for mufflers, fried chicken, and snack chips, and even starred in a short-lived sitcom, George, in 1993-94. In 2022, he showed up on The Masked Singer in a Venus flytrap costume.
Family, Faith, and Legacy Beyond the Ring
Foreman is survived by his wife, Mary Joan Martelly, whom he married in 1985, along with six daughters — Natalia, Leola, Michi, Georgetta, Isabella, and Courtney — and five sons, all named George: George Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and George VI. A daughter, Freeda Foreman, also a boxer, died in 2019.
In 2005, he co-wrote a children’s book titled Let George Do It!, inspired by his uniquely named household.
Foreman often said that his biggest key to success was personal connection: “They want to touch you; they want to know you. Then… they buy you.”
From Olympic gold to heavyweight titles to kitchen counters across the world, George Foreman carved out a legacy unlike any other — equal parts thunderous fists, wide smile, and relentless spirit.
