In boxing and beyond, how Foreman captivated his fans

Ex-world champion George Foreman leaves a huge legacy in sport and popular culture a heavyweight in every sense

- ALEX PATTLE

George Foreman was a two-time world heavyweight champion whose remarkable career saw him go from feared knockout artist to beloved elder statesman of boxing.

A ferocious puncher in his youth, Foreman, who has died at the age of 76, is best remembered for his legendary 1974 showdown with Muhammad Ali in the "Rumble in the Jungle", in which he suffered his first professional defeat. He would later stage one of the most extraordinary sporting comebacks of all time, returning to the ring a decade after retiring and reclaiming the world title at the age of 45 - becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in history.

Outside the ring, Foreman achieved global fame as the face of the George Foreman Grill, which sold over 100 million units and transformed him into one of the wealthiest ex-athletes of all time.

George Edward Foreman was born on January 10, 1949 in Marshall, Texas, and grew up in Houston's tough Fifth Ward. By his own admission, he was a troubled child who dropped out of school at 15 and engaged in petty crime before seeking work as a carpenter and bricklayer. His life changed when he discovered boxing at 16, joining the Job Corps, a US government programme that helped young people learn trades.

A quick learner with natural power, Foreman rose rapidly through the amateur ranks and won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, stopping Soviet fighter Jonas Cepulis in the second round. Celebrating his victory, he famously waved a small American flag in the ring - a gesture that divided opinion during a time of political turbulence in the US.

Foreman turned professional in 1969, quickly establishing himself as a wrecking ball of a fighter. He ploughed through the heavyweight division with a series of brutal knockouts, setting up a title fight with undefeated champion Joe Frazier in 1973.