Two-time heavyweight champion George Foreman dies at age 76 - ESPN

«Big» George Foreman, one of the most influential and recognizable boxers of all time, died Friday, his family announced on his social media account.

He was 76.

Foreman, who captured an Olympic gold medal in 1968, was a two-time heavyweight champion and Hall of Fame boxer.

He's perhaps best known for the historic Rumble in the Jungle bout with Muhammad Ali in 1974 in Zaire, a fight Foreman lost in an upset via eighth-round KO. It's arguably the most famous fight of all time, and the «When We Were Kings» film that chronicled the fight won an Oscar for best documentary feature.

Foreman made history yet again later in his career. He fought five more times after he lost the heavyweight championship to Ali at age 25, including a fifth-round TKO victory over Joe Frazier (whom he stopped in two rounds to first win the title) and a fifth-round KO of Ron Lyle in a classic slugfest.

After that fifth fight at 28, Foreman shockingly announced his retirement and began a career as an ordained minister in his native Texas.

Foreman was retired for 10 years. He returned to boxing in 1987 at age 38 and mounted arguably the most impressive sports comeback ever.

At first, Foreman padded his record with easy wins. One of them was a second-round knockout of Gerry Cooney. But then, in 1991, Foreman proved this comeback was for real when he pushed the great Evander Holyfield to the brink in a classic heavyweight title fight at age 42. Though he was unsuccessful in his bid to become a two-time heavyweight champion, Foreman was undeterred.

Five fights later, after a loss to Tommy Morrison, Foreman accomplished the unthinkable.

Down on the scorecards in another title fight, Foreman landed a two-punch combination that laid Michael Moorer down for