Boxing legend George Foreman dies at 76

George Foreman, one of the most iconic figures in sports and a symbol of personal reinvention, has passed away at the age of 76, his family announced. Foreman, a two-time heavyweight boxing champion, Olympian, and celebrated product pitchman, was a force to be reckoned with both in and out of the ring.
Born in Marshall, Texas, Foreman grew up in poverty in the segregated American South. As a troubled youth, he dropped out of junior high school and turned to street robberies before the Job Corps program intervened, encouraging him to channel his rage and bulk into boxing. This pivotal moment set Foreman on a path to greatness.
At the age of 19, Foreman captured the heavyweight boxing gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, turning pro shortly after. He went on to win the heavyweight title in 1973, defeating reigning champion Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica. However, his reign was short-lived, as he lost the title to the legendary Muhammad Ali in the iconic "Rumble in the Jungle" match in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1974.
The loss devastated Foreman, and he took a year off before returning to the ring. After a second professional loss, he retired in 1977 but a decade later, Foreman staged an unlikely comeback, determined to raise money for a youth center he had founded in Texas.
He went on to win 24 straight matches, gradually slimming down along the way, before losing to Evander Holyfield in 1991. Three years later, at the age of 45, Foreman knocked out undefeated southpaw Michael Moorer to become the oldest ever heavyweight champion, cementing his status as one of the great second acts in sports history.
Foreman's family described him as "a humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world" who 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."