[ Source: BBC Sport ]

Boxing heavyweight legend George Foreman has died aged 76, according to his family.

Foreman, known as Big George in the ring, competed for decades starting in the 1960s, winning gold at the Olympics and numerous title belts, including the world heavyweight title twice.

He lost his first title to Muhammad Ali in their famous Rumble in the Jungle fight in 1974. But his professional boxing career boasted an astonishing 76 total wins and 68 knock outs, almost double that of Ali. Foreman lost five bouts over his career.

He won his first world heavyweight championship in 1973 then did it again in 1994 when he was 45. He retired from the sport in 1997.

His family said in a post on Instagram on Friday night: “Our hearts are broken.

“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.”

The statement added: “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,” the family said, describing Foreman in a post on Instagram.

Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas, on 10 January 1949, and raised along with six siblings by a single mother in the segregated American South.

He dropped out of school and turned to street robberies before eventually finding his outlet in the boxing ring.

Foreman won the heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, aged 19, before turning pro and winning 37 consecutive matches.

He beat previously undefeated reigning champion Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1973 knocking him down six times in the first two rounds.

Foreman also saw success outside the ring, becoming a preacher and successful entrepreneur.

He became the ad pitchman for his George Foreman Grill, which millions have purchased since it hit the market in 1994, thanks to his catchphrase, the “Lean Mean Grilling Machine”.

Foreman has a dozen children. Five of his sons are named George.

He explained on his website that he named them after him so they “they would always have something in common”.

“I say to them, ‘If one of us goes up, then we all go up together,” he explained. “And if one goes down, we all go down together!'”

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