Sports legends and boxing fans are paying tribute to the icon and businessman George Foreman, who died aged 76, according to his family
Former world champion Mike Tyson says Foreman's "contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten"
The two-time heavyweight world champion is best known for his 1974 fight against Muhammed Ali in Zaire, dubbed the Rumble in the Jungle
He later staged one of sports most unlikely comebacks, regaining the world heavyweight championship in his 40s
Following his comeback in the 1990s, the Olympic gold medallist went on to massive business success with a range of grills that he endorsed
Edited by Jenna Moon
We can now bring you a tribute from another NBA star, Charles Barkley.
Speaking on CBS Sports, Barkley says he got to know Foreman and always "picked his brain about trying to be an entrepreneur when your career is over."
The former basketball player says Foreman's death "hurts a lot."
"He was obviously one of the greatest boxers ever, but just a gentle man, he was a pastor – and it just hurts man, plain and simple", he adds.
"I’m shook up right now, that caught me so off guard"
A tribute now from Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, and the person widely seen as leading the country's investment in boxing.
He has been the driving force behind a number of recent mega fights, including the two bouts between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, and the contests between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.
"Sad news for me and the boxing world," he wrote in a post on X.
Posting his message alongside a picture of Foreman with his rivals Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, he wrote: "The last boxing pillar for an unforgettable era has passed away today… May his soul rest in peace, Big George Foreman!"
Magic Johnson, pictured here in the audience of one of Foreman's 1993 fights, said the boxer was one of his heroes
We have now had some tributes through from two NBA stars on X, Magic Johnson and Scottie Pippen.
Johnson says he was sad to hear of the death of one of his "boxing heroes", adding that he attended many of Foreman's fights throughout his career.
"He was a knockout artist in the ring, and it was a pleasure getting to know him not only as a boxer but as a man", Johnson says.
The former NBA player says he bought "one of the first" George Foreman grills, referring to him as an "amazing businessman".
Alongside a picture of Foreman during one of his wins, Pippen writes: "Rest in peace, George Foreman. Your legacy lives on, champ."
Let's take a look back now at one of the iconic moments of George Foreman's career: his gold medal win at the 1968 Summer Olympic games in Mexico City, after which he famously waved a small US flag.
Coming in the same games that athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a defiant Black Power salute on the podium, the then 19-year-old Foreman's gesture drew some controversy.
In his autobiography, he said he stood by the gesture and was waving the flag "as much for myself as for the country".
"I was letting everyone know who I was and at the same time saying that I was proud to be an American."
The Ring magazine, often called the Bible of Boxing, has paid tribute to Foreman, calling him "one of the greatest heavyweights of all time".
"The Ring is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of boxing legend George Foreman," it said in a post on social media.
"[He] will be remembered as an icon of the sport forever. Our deepest sympathies are with George’s friends and family at this time."
Along with his remarkable comeback, George Foreman's boxing career is most associated with a fight which he lost against Muhammed Ali – but which is now regarded as possibly the most iconic bout in the sport's history.
The 1974 Rumble in the Jungle saw a 25-year-old Foreman facing off against Muhammed Ali, who at 32, was thought to be past his peak and a heavy underdog against his bigger, stronger opponent.
Staged in Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), the fighters walked to the ring at 04:00 local time, to accommodate for television times in the US.
Foreman reflected on the legendary fight 50 years later in an October interview with BBC World Service Newshour, explaining that everyone thought he was going to decimate Ali.
"Oh, he's not going to last one round," the boxer said experts were predicting at the time.
But the wily Ali used a tactic that later became known as "rope-a-dope", which wore out Foreman, causing him to throw out hundreds of punches before Ali unloaded on him in the eighth round and scored a knockout.
After a second professional loss, Foreman retired in 1977 and became an ordained minister at the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Texas, which he founded and built.
Tyson and Foreman in New York in 1990 at a press conference ahead of a double-header event in Las Vegas
Heavyweight champion and Olympian Mike Tyson has shared some old photos with George Foreman, as the boxer posts his condolences to social media.
"Condolences to George Foreman’s family. His contribution to boxing and beyond will never be forgotten," Tyson says.
He accompanied the post with the photo above, as well as another taken more recently.
While active in the sport at similar times, Tyson and Foreman never fought one another.
Known as Big George in the ring, the American built one of the most remarkable and enduring careers in the sport, winning Olympic gold in 1968 and claiming the world heavyweight title twice, 21 years apart – the second making him the oldest champion in history aged 45.
He lost his first title to Muhammad Ali in their famous Rumble in the Jungle fight in 1974.
But Foreman's professional boxing career boasted an astonishing total of 76 wins including 68 knockouts, almost double that of Ali.
He retired from the sport in 1997 but not before he agreed to put his name to a best-selling grill – a decision that went on to bring him fortunes that dwarfed his boxing earnings.
Heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman holds a press conference in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974
Tributes have begun to pour in following the death of boxing icon George Foreman at the age of 76.
The news was confirmed in a social media post by his family on Saturday evening, saying their hearts "were 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."
George Foreman is known for his legendary fight with Muhammed Ali, staging one of sports greatest comebacks, and his association with a massively successful grill.
We're going to bring you some of the latest tributes being paid to the iconic figure, which are now coming in from the boxing world and further afield.
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