‘Evangelist at heart’: George Foreman, boxing champion-turned-pastor, dies at 76
George Foreman, world heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist-turned-Christian pastor, died Friday at 76.
"Our hearts are broken," an announcement on Foreman's Instagram page read.
"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," it read.
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“A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he 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 — for his family.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.”
Foreman won an Olympic gold medal in boxing at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City when he was 19 years old and won the world heavyweight championship five years later in a knockout of Joe Frazier in two rounds in 1973. He lost that title to Muhammad Ali in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974.
At 45, "Big George” reclaimed the heavyweight title in 1994 when he beat Michael Moorer, making him the oldest boxer to win the championship. In 1977, Foreman retired from boxing after a near-death experience brought him to the Lord.
In a 2023 interview with The Christian Post, Foreman recalled how, in his dressing room in Puerto Rico, he understood the truth of the Gospel for the first time.
“I was dead. There was nothing left of me,” he said. “I stared at nothingness, no hope. I was pulled out of this dirty place, and given a second chance to live. That has kept me grounded.”
Determined to spend the rest of his life sharing the Gospel, Foreman became a minister and, in 1980, founded The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“You come to a point in your life and you realize the only important thing in your life is [to be] an evangelist,” Foreman told CP.
“‘Evangelistic’ is the word that has been so powerful to me in my life. If something happened to me tomorrow … I know I've done a good job, and I'm happy about that, trying to spell out to the world, ‘Jesus Christ has come alive in me.’”
Foreman’s path to success wasn’t easy: Born in 1949 in Marshall, Texas, he was one of seven children and had a problematic childhood defined by instability, violence and poverty. After dropping out of school in the 10th grade, Foreman began abusing alcohol and engaging in violent crime on the streets of Houston's Fifth Ward.
In 1965, he left Houston for the Job Corps in California, a program developed to help disadvantaged youth by teaching them vocational job skills. It was there that Doc Broaddus, who was a Job Corps counselor and a boxing coach, encouraged Foreman to channel his anger through boxing.
Foreman documented his remarkable story in his 2000 book By George: The Autobiography of George Foreman, which was later turned into a major motion picture.
Foreman retired from boxing for the final time at 48. In 1994, he launched a brand of grills, and since then, more than 100 million George Foreman Grills have been sold.
In 1984, he founded the George Foreman Youth and Community Center, a non-denominational place for youth who need guidance like he once did.
"I was given so much advice from so many different people, and it's a matter of trusting," he said. "Trust that people will give you advice. Listen when they have something to tell you. And I think that that is the key to all the riches in the world, is listening to people who care about you."
Foreman told CP that Psalm 1:1 guided his life: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.”
“It doesn't matter what you achieve, what you accomplish in this life,” he said. “The most important thing is to keep your eye on the true prize, and that's serving God."
“Find God, have faith in God,” Foreman added. “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.”
News of Foreman’s death sparked an outpouring of reactions on social media, including one from fellow world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who shared his condolences.
"Condolences to George Foreman’s family. His contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten," Tyson wrote on X.
Charles Barkley, Hall of Fame NBA player, wrote: “I got to know Mr. Foreman a little bit, seeing him at all the boxing matches and I always picked his brain about trying to be an entrepreneur when your career is over. It hurts a lot because he was obviously one of the greatest boxers ever, but just a gentle man, was a pastor. This just hurts.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said, "A legend lost."
"The world knew Foreman as a two-time heavyweight champion," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a statement. "We knew him as a proud member of our community — a man whose heart was as big as his powerful punch."
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
