Heavyweight boxing legend dies aged 76, says family

The legend of george foreman boxing trucks died at the age of 76.

Known as Big George in the ring, the American built one of the most remarkable and lasting careers in sport, winning Olympic gold in 1968 and winning the world heavyweight title twice, 21 years apart – the second making him the oldest champion in history at the age of 45.

He lost his first title against Muhammad Ali in their famous Rumble in the Jungle fight in 1974. But overall, he praised an astonishing total of 76 victories, including 68 KB, almost double that of Ali.

Foreman retired in 1997, but not before he agreed to put his name to a successful grill – a decision which brought him a fortune that overshadowed his boxing gains.

His family declared in an article on Instagram on Friday evening: “Our hearts are broken. A devotee preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father and a proud grandfather and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by a faith, a humility and an unwavering goal.”

The statement added: “A humanitarian champion, Olympian and twice the heavyweights of the world, he was deeply respected – a force for good, a man of discipline, a conviction and a protector of his inheritance, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good reputation – for his family.”

Tributes have flocked to other people through sport, the former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson saying that “contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten”.

Ring magazine, often nicknamed the boxing bible, described it as “one of the biggest heavy goods vehicles of all time”.

“”[He] We will remember him as an icon of sport forever. “”

Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas on January 10, 1949, and grew up with six brothers and sisters by a single mother in the separate South American.

He abandoned the school and turned to street flights before finally finding his release in the ring.

Foreman won the heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, at the age of 19, before becoming a professional and winning 37 consecutive games. He has lost only five fights during his career.

He previously defeated the unbeaten reigning champion Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1973, overthrowing him six times during the first two laps.

His rumble in the 1974 jungle against Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, remains one of the most famous boxing matches of all time.

Ali, the older man was the oppressed after being stripped of his crown seven years earlier for refusing to be drafted in the Vietnam War.

Foreman thought about the legendary fight 50 years later in October Interview with BBC World Service Newshourexplaining that everyone thought he was going to decimate Ali.

“Oh, he’s not going to last a lap,” said the boxer that experts were planning at the time.

Foreman told the BBC that he would generally become “really nervous” and would have “butterflies” above all boxing, but that night – it was the “more comfortable” that he had felt.

But the cunning Ali used a tactic which later became known as “Corde-a-Dope”, which exhausted against the foreman, making him throw hundreds of punches before Ali was discharged on the eighth round and marked a knockout.

After a second professional loss, Foreman retired in 1977 and became minister ordered to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Texas, which he founded and built.

He told the BBC that his defeat against Ali became the “best thing that never happened to me” because it finally led him to “send my message” through preaching.

He recalled that his preaching had started small, on the corners of the street and with friends, then grew up.

“We started to meet informally in various houses in Houston, and before a long time, the crowd has become too large for most houses to adapt,” said Foreman on his website.

“Finally, we bought land and an old dilapidated building on the northeast side of Houston.”

Foreman came out of his retirement in 1987 to collect funds for a youth center he founded. He won 24 games before losing against Evander Holyfield after 12 laps in 1991.

In 1994, Foreman knocked out Michael Moower Invainu to become the oldest heavyweight champion at 45 years old.

He became Ad Pitchman for his George Foreman Grill, that millions of people bought since he hit the market in 1994, partly thanks to his memorable slogan, the “average grill machine”.

Foreman got married five times. He has a dozen children, including five sons who are all called George.

He explained on his website that he had appointed them according to himself so that they “they would always have something in common”.

“I say to them:” If one of us goes up, then we all go up together, “he said.” And if we go down, we all go down together! ‘”