Former boxing heavy weight champion George Foreman died on Friday at the age of 76.



Born in 1949 in the southern US state of Texas, he turned pro after winning a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He went on to become the world heavy weight champion in 1973.



He was known as one of the most powerful punchers in boxing history. However, he suffered a stunning defeat to Muhammad Ali in 1974 in a match in Kinshasa, Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has gone down in history as "The Rumble in the Jungle."



Foreman retired from the sport in 1977, but later returned to the ring. He clinched the world heavy weight title once again in 1994 at the age of 45.



Foreman reportedly passed away on Friday with his family at his bedside.



In a social media post, his family described him as "a man of discipline, conviction and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name --- for his family."