George Foreman dies at 76

George Foreman, Hall of Fame boxer, preacher, and grill pitchman-extraordinaire, passed away on Friday at the age of 76, his family announced. No cause of death was given.

A boxing legend

The man who shares his last name with the leader of a construction crew came from bleak beginnings, dropping out of school at the age of 15 and becoming a "mugger and brawler" on the streets of Houston.

Foreman found his way to boxing at 16, then won an Olympic gold medal at 19. He also won two heavyweight titles throughout his career.

• The first was secured in a historic match against Joe Frazier in 1973, which included Howard Cosell's iconic call: "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!"
• The second occurred more than twenty years later, in 1994, when Foreman – after 10 years spent away from boxing as a preacher – knocked out Michael Moorer to become the oldest world champion in history at 45.

Other notable fights of Foreman’s include a 1974 match against Muhammed Ali known as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” which culminated in Ali winning in an 8th-round knockout.

Outside the ring…Foreman landed a gig pitching smokeless indoor grills (beating out Hulk Hogan). The George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine – aka the George Foreman Grill – has sold 100+ million units since its introduction in 1994, generating ~$200 million in earnings for the retired boxer (more than he made competing in the age-old sport of fisticuffs).