World heavyweight boxing champion and pastor, George Foreman, passed away last Friday at the age of 76, his family announced on medios de comunicación social.

Foreman was globally renowned for being an Olympic champion, a worldwide athlete, and an entrepreneur of the indoor grills that bear his name.

“Our hearts are broken,” Foreman’s family shared on social media. “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 said Foreman, known as “Big George,” was a deeply respected “force for good” who fought tirelessly to “preserve his good name—for his family.”

A cause of death was not provided.

Boxing Champion Turned Pastor

Born in Marshall, Texas, Foreman describes himself on his sitio web as going from “thug to boxer.”

Foreman said he often “bullied younger children” in his youth. He credited the Job Corps program, started by President Lyndon B. Johnson, with providing him with mentoring that led him from a career in crime to boxing.

He earned his first claim to fame at age 19 when he won an Olympic gold medal in boxing at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.

From there, his fighting career exploded, and he won the world heavyweight championship in 1973 in a two-round knockout of Joe Frazier, according to his website. He lost the title the next year in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” match against Muhammad Ali.

Foreman initially retired from boxing in 1977 after losing to Jimmy Young. It was following this that Foreman became a Christian.

“It was in his dressing room after the fight that Foreman had a religious experience that changed his life forever,” his website said. “Foreman gave up boxing and became a born-again Christian.”

He was ordained as a minister the next year and then founded the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1980. Additionally, in 1984, he founded the nonprofit George Foreman Youth and Community Center in Houston, according to his website.

Returning to the Ring

When his community center needed more money to keep it open, Foreman said he decided to return to boxing.

“Foreman saw how much the Center was helping people, so he was determined to do what was necessary to keep it open,” his website said. “In 1987, after not fighting for almost 10 years to the day, Foreman returned to the ring.”

Foreman later reclaimed the heavyweight title in 1994 at age 45. The comeback made him the oldest fighter ever to win the championship, according to his website.

He ultimately retired in 1997.

Foreman started selling his grill in 1994, and to date, more than 100 million units have been sold worldwide.

Foreman has been featured on TV several times. He starred in a one-season sitcom called Jorge in 1993, then a one-season reality TV show called Family Foreman aired in 2008, and from 2016-2018 he starred in a comedy called Better Late Than Never. 

In 2023, Foreman’s life story was depicted in the film Big George Foreman.

Abuse Lawsuits Filed Against Foreman

Foreman experienced controversy in 2022 when two women accused Foreman of grooming and sexually abusing them when they were minors in the 1970s. Foreman denied the allegations, ABC News reportado.

The women allege the abuse started when they were as young as nine and continued until they were teenagers.

“Two women have been trying to extort millions of dollars each from me and my family,” Foreman said in a statement at the time. “The pride I take in my reputation means as much to me as my sports accomplishments, and I will not be intimidated by baseless threats and lies. I am, and always will be, guided by my faith and trust in God.”

In March 2024, Foreman lost a court request to partially toss out one of the lawsuits, Courthouse News Service reportado. The two women then merged their cases into one.

Their case is now pending in federal court, according to registros de la corte.

Condolences Pour in Online

Since his death, many have been mourning Foreman online.

Fellow world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson shared his sympathies on X. “Condolences to George Foreman’s family. His contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten,” Tyson wrote.

ESPN etiquetado Foreman as “one of the most influential and recognizable boxers of all time.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Foreman’s death marks “a legend lost.”

“The world knew Foreman as a two-time heavyweight champion,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said on medios de comunicación social. “We knew him as a proud member of our community—a man whose heart was as big as his powerful punch.”

In a 2023 interview with El mensaje cristiano, Foreman remarked, “(I)t doesn’t matter what you achieve, what you accomplish in this life. . .

“The most important thing is to keep your eye on the true prize, and that’s serving God. It doesn’t matter what happened; believe all things are possible. Don’t ever give up on possibility, and your life can be turned and changed for the better.”

Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.