“Such a beautiful human”: Jeff Fenech pays tribute to boxing great George Foreman

Aussie boxing legend Jeff Fenech has paid tribute to his ‘great friend’ George Foreman who the sport’s world has lost aged 76.

Jeff Fenech has paid tribute to his “great friend” George Foreman, who passed away at the age of 76 this weekend.

The family of the two-time heavyweight champion of the world announced the sad news via social media on Saturday, saying he passed away surrounded by loved ones.

Fenech is holidaying in Thailand and had just spoken to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman about Foreman before speaking with this masthead.

George Foreman and Jeff Fenech at a press conference at Bellagio Las Vegas in 2012. Picture: Denise Truscello/WireImage

“He was such a beautiful human, we spent a lot of time together,” Fenech said.

“I never even heard he was sick, but he’d been in hospital – he’s very private.

“When I first met him, it was like, ‘Wow!’ Not so much intimidating, but just the size of the guy.”

Fenech and Foreman received custom made WBC watches alongside Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Lennox Lewis and Roberto Duran in 2012, and would spend time together at fights and conventions around the world.

Michael Buffer, Roberto Duran, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Jeff Fenech, Julio Cesar Chavez, Azuma Nelson, Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Lennox Lewis and Larry Holmes at "A Legendary Evening With Hublot And WBC" at Bellagio Las Vegas in 2012. Picture: Denise Truscello/WireImage

Foreman first won the heavyweight title with one of the most destructive wins boxing history, knocking Joe Frazier down six times en route to a second round knockout in 1973.

His loss to Muhammad Ali in Zaire 21 months later was memorialised in the classic ‘When we were Kings’ documentary.

In one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history, he regained the title with a 10th round TKO of Michael Moorer an astonishing 20 years after his loss to Ali.

“He wasn’t just a normal person,” Fenech said. “He was something special.

“Straight away you think of the rivalry he had with Ali and how big it was. Something like that, I don’t think will ever happen again.

“His comeback in the ‘90s, that’s something you never forget either.

“He was an amazing fighter, and a very, very special man.”

Originally published as “Such a beautiful human”: Jeff Fenech pays tribute to boxing great George Foreman