US heavyweight boxing legend George Foreman has died age 76.
The two-time champion fought Muhammad Ali in one of the sport’s most legendary fights, the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.
He was also well known for his popular range of electric grills.
A statement on his Instagram account said he died peacefully on Friday “surrounded by loved ones” after an “extraordinary life”.
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It added: “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.”
Mike Tyson was one of the first to pay tribute, saying his “contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten”.
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Foreman was considered virtually unbeatable in the famous 1974 fight in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ali, 32, was trying to return to the top against his fearsome, undefeated opponent – just 25 at the time.
Despite being underdog, Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ tactics of soaking up Foreman’s attacks wore out the brutal puncher and he regained the title against the odds.
Believed to be one of the most-watched sports events ever, a documentary on the fight called When We Were Kings won an Oscar in 1996.
Image: Foreman at the weigh in for the ‘Rumble In The Jungle’. Pic: AP 
Image: Foreman was knocked out by Ali in the eighth round. Pic: AP
Foreman was devastated by the loss, but 20 years later staged his own miraculous comeback – knocking out Michael Moorer to became the oldest-ever heavyweight champion at age 45.
Outside the ring, his transformation from a brooding boxer to a jovial, TV-friendly personality helped make him a fortune with his range of grills in the 1990s.
Image: Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer in November 1994 to become champion for a second time. Pic: Reuters
The boxer known to fans as ‘Big George’ was born in Marshall, Texas, on 10 January 1949.
He and his six siblings were raised by a single mother.
Foreman dropped out of school and got mixed up in street robberies, but years later said President Johnson’s Job Corps initiative “rescued me from the gutter”.
The 16-year-old left Texas and was encouraged to get into boxing.
Just three years later, in his 25th amateur bout, he won gold at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
Image: (L-R) Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali in London in 1989. Pic: Reuters
Foreman turned pro and reeled off 37 wins before demolishing the undefeated Joe Frazier in two rounds to become heavyweight champion for the first time in 1973.
Crushed by his shock loss to Ali a few fights later, he took a year off before stepping inside the ring again.
But after a second career loss in 1977 – and what he described as a near-death experience in the dressing room – he stopped fighting.
He became a born-again Christian and ordained minister. However, ‘Big George’ was back inside the ropes a decade later.
Image: Foreman became a church minister between his spells in the ring. Pic: AP
Trimming down his physique along the way, he won 24 fights in a row before losing on points to Evander Holyfield in 1991.
Foreman wasn’t done though – and his long road back was finally complete in Las Vegas three years later.
Wearing the same red shorts from the Ali fight and behind on the scorecards, he knocked out Michael Moorer, 19 years his junior, to win the IBF and WBA titles.
Foreman’s 20-year gap between world titles was a record – and he retired for good in 1997 – with a record of 76 wins and five losses.
He was married five times and had five sons – all called George – and seven daughters.
