In October 2024, Foreman, who passed away on March 21, commemorated the historic match’s 50th anniversary.
George Edward Foreman was an American professional boxer, novelist, businessman, and clergyman who lived from January 10, 1949, to March 21, 2025. He was known as “Big George” and was a boxer from 1967 to 1997. He won an Olympic gold medal and was a two-time world heavyweight champion. He was well-known as an entrepreneur for the George Foreman Grill.
In one of his last social media tweets prior to his passing, George Foreman recalled his illustrious time spent in the ring alongside Muhammad Ali.
In the months preceding his passing, the two-time heavyweight boxing champion and renowned pitchman commemorated several of his boxing anniversaries, including the 50th anniversary of his famous 1974 bout with the late Ali in October 2024. He passed away on March 21 at the age of 76.
Foreman posted a picture of himself with a dish of cake on Instagram at the time, reflecting on the bout, which he called “the Rumble in the Jungle,” in the comment.
Foreman won a gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in the heavyweight/boxing division. Foreman defeated Jonas Cepulis of the Soviet Union in the finals; the second round was stopped by the referee. Â Cepulis had to accept a standing eight count early in the second round since his face was already bleeding from Foreman’s punches in the first round. Fighting from Lithuania, Cepulis was a 29-year-old veteran with a 12-year amateur career, more than 220 fights under his belt, and ten years more experience than Foreman.
The gold medallist from the Olympics wrote, “Can you believe 50 years ago, the ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ fighting Muhammad Ali.” “Looking back at the best time of my life — celebrate with me with a slice of cake, as I relive the ‘Rope-a-Dope.'”
In 1974, the bout, which was once thought to be the most viewed live television event, didn’t always proceed as planned by Foreman.
Foreman vs. Ali
It was momentous when Foreman defended his title against Muhammad Ali on October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire. The fight that was billed as the “Rumble in the Jungle” surpassed all expectations.
Ali started off more aggressively than anticipated when they finally faced off in the ring, outpacing Foreman with faster punches. Ali withdrew behind the ropes during the second round, protecting his head and repeatedly striking Foreman in the face. Foreman subsequently claimed that Angelo Dundee, Ali’s longtime trainer, had loosened the ring ropes, which were abnormally slack, as part of Ali’s strategy to lean back and away from the wild swings In addition to tightening the ropes since they were so slack from the heat, Dundee claimed that Ali came up with the “rope-a-dope” tactic all by himself before slamming Foreman in the head.
The rope-a-dope approach worked perfectly since Foreman hadn’t had a bout that went past the fourth round since 1971, despite Ali’s reputation as a fighter of speed and mobility.
Ali kept suffering severe injuries in return for the chance to give Foreman a forceful blow to the head. After the fight, Ali claimed to have been “out on his feet” twice. Foreman’s punches lost their force and were more erratic as he grew weary. By mid-bout, an increasingly self-assured Ali started to persistently mock the worn-out champion, who was now only pawing and delivering innocuous rubber-armed blows.
Ali stunned Foreman and sent him reeling backwards late in the eighth round with a string of increasingly precise and forceful right punches to the side and rear of his head. After being squared up by a lightning-fast barrage of punches, Ali finished the fight with a straight right flush to the jaw and a good left hook that sent Foreman reeling to the ground for the first time in his career [32]. Ali led the three scorecards at the halt by 68–66, 70–67, and 69–66.
In retrospect, Foreman said, “it just wasn’t my night.”
Foreman and Ali grew close in the next years. After finally retiring from boxing in 1977, Foreman made a comeback ten years later, winning the title again in 1994. Then, in 1999, he officially retired. (In the midst of all of this, he invented the George Foreman Grill in 1994.)
“We have broken hearts. We regret to inform you of the quiet departure of our dear George Edward Foreman Sr. on March 21, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones. He led a life characterized by unshakeable faith, humility, and purpose. He was a proud grand and great grandfather, a loving father, a dedicated husband, and a faithful preacher,” the message said.
