Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 04/25/23

The Comeback Kid Old Guy. Currently the preaching pastor at The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston, Texas, George Foreman is best known as a two-time heavyweight boxing champion (and, of course, grillionaire) who in 1987 regained his title at the ripe age of 45, becoming the oldest fighter ever to win the heavyweight crown. His amazing comeback story (some may call it a miracle) finally is a major motion picture. Big George Foreman hits the big screen this Friday (4/28). I got to speak with him and, besides his powerful story and sincere faith, I was totally knocked out by his great sense of humor. He definitely knows how to deliver a punch line.

JWK: You’re an executive producer on Big George Foreman. I’m wondering if you went to the studio with the movie idea or if they came to you.

George Foreman: Well, we all came together bit by bit. Of course, the book (God In My Corner) was done and (I had) a lot of success with the book. Then it was about putting it to the screen and then the story in pictures. We had a lot of meetings and we talked about it. I even tried to convince them (that) since it was going to be my movie we can write it. Why not change the Rumble in the Jungle to where I actually beat Ali?!

JWK: That would be a twist!

GF: (They said) “This ain’t a (fictional) movie! We can’t change that, George!” I didn’t like that part. What’s the use of doing a movie if you can’t change the outcome?

JWK: So, what do you hope people take from the movie?

GF: The idea that it doesn’t matter how far down you go, you can always come up and not only once or twice. America is the place where you get second, third and even fourth chances – and then finding God there’s no end to the chances you can get. That’s what the movie is all about.

JWK: Tell me about your near-death experience and how that led to your change in attitude.

GF: After a boxing match in Puerto Rico (against Jimmy Young in 1977) I wanted to get (away) because I had lost. I had gone 12 rounds. I didn’t feel that bad. I just wanted to prove to the world – to the world of boxing, that is – that I could go 12 rounds. I went back into the dressing room (and was) cooling off . That’s when business picked up.

“You’re George Foreman. You don’t have to worry about that boxing match. You still got your money!” I said “I can go home to my ranch. I can retire and die!” That word sticked in my conversation and I realized in the dressing (that) I was fighting for my life! I heard about athletes dying but I didn’t want to be (one of them). I fought for my life – and I lost!

I heard a voice from within me. It said to me “You believe in God. Why are you scared to die?” I was afraid! Because I didn’t really believe in dying or religion. I tried to make a deal with God. I said “I got money! I’m still George Foreman! I can give to charity and to cancer!”And the voice answered me back – deep within – “I don’t want your money. I want you!” I knew I had come up against something I had never thought existed – especially turning down money!

I lost my life that night. It gave out on me. I said “God, I believe in You.” Before I could say another word, I was out of this life in a deep, dark river of sadness. Nothing. I was dead. There was no hope! I didn’t think I was gonna come out of that! I lost everything! All of my wealth disappeared and crumbled.

I got mad and said “I don’t care if this is death! I still believe there is a God! When I said that it was like a gigantic hand reached into nothingness and pulled me out – and I was back alive in that dressing room breathing, blood flowing through my face (and) screaming that Jesus Christ has come alive in me! I felt blood on my forehead and on my head. I tried to express it to them. They thought I was crazy but I fought eight men to get in the shower and I started screaming “Hallelujah, I’m clean! Hallelujah, I’m born again!” And, from that point on, I’ve been screaming it forever since.”

JWK: And you became an ordained minister after that.

GF: It didn’t take me long to realize I could go to church and tell this story. The only people that didn’t think I was crazy was people in church. All of my friends and family thought I had lost my mind. Finally, I gave a testimony here. Then I was ordained a year afterwards so that I could go visit prisoners and hospitals and all of that. That was the beginning of my ministry. I’ve been telling that same story all these 45 years now.

JWK: What brought you back into the ring?

GF: The most profound event happened in my life. I got broke! I had all these kids to feed, all these people who were dependent on me. Like I tell everybody, I wish I had been a golfer! I could have gone out and played golf on the green! But all I knew was boxing. I had to go back into boxing. I was a great big man – 315 pounds! I had to lose a lot of weight! And train!

And I had to listen to people make jokes about me. “How can George Foreman be the prodigal son of boxing when he’s looking like the fatted calf?!” “He’ll never be the champion of the world as long as his training camp is next to Baskin-Robbins.” I had to listen to all of that – but I kept training! I kept my mission and, eventually, I got my chance to fight for the championship of the world again.

JWK: Did you really believe you were going to become heavyweight champion again?

GF: I was a minister (seeking to connect with) money because that’s the way I would support my youth center. The third day at one of the (church) meetings (someone) said “Now, it’s time to give to George. Come on!” He counted the money and said “We can give more to George than this!” And it embarrassed me. It really did – that, with all of things that I had in life, there I was asking people for their money who didn’t even have it. I said right then “I know how to get money. I’m gonna become heavyweight champion of the world again! That’s how I’ll get money!”

Now, I didn’t say I was gonna go back to boxing to get money. I said was going to be heavyweight champion of world again! That’s what, I guess, really gave me the encouragement that I needed to keep boxing and to become champ of the world again. I started to believe!

JWK: Because you were doing it for your church.

GF: My wife didn’t want me to go back into boxing. She tried to talk me out of it – but then she had a vision one night in a dream. She said “George! You became the heavyweight champion of the world again!” So, as she kept trying to discourage me, I said “Don’t forget about your dream!”…It convinced me that I could be champion of the world again.

JWK: I’m no spring chicken either. I remember you as a young boxer. You seemed so surly and kind of nasty in those days – and now you project such friendliness and happiness.

GF: (When I was young) I had gone over three and a half years trying to become heavyweight champ of the world. I sacrificed everything! Friends, family, everything! I wanted to be the champion of the world! So, I wasn’t a very friendly person because I had my mission to destroy people and become champ of the world. I figured the more I beat them and hurt them then no one would stand up to me. So, I became this mean guy – but after I found my religion and found God all of these things became impossible for me. I didn’t even know how to make a fist. For ten years I stopped boxing. I didn’t even go into the gym. I didn’t want to have anything to do with sports – but then one day I did open up a youth center. I was trying to teach these kids how to behave – but they wanted to box. I said “You can’t be angry! You don’t need to be angry!” (But) I taught them and, in return, I learned how to box without anger. I was teaching them and they taught me. I (would) never punch in anger, ever again.

JWK: You actually became good friends with Muhammad Ali, right?

GF: Muhammad Ali was one guy I came close to true hate for because he took my title. I didn’t like it – but then he ended up becoming one of the guys I loved most. We became so close – beyond brothers. His family and me – he, all of us – became good friends. To the end we became good friends. I still miss him to this day.

JWK: How did that friendship happen?

GF: (A reporter) asked me…”George, what happened? What really happened in that fight in Africa? He expected another excuse from me. I said “You know what? I lost that fight. I got film! I got pictures to prove that I lost that I lost that boxing match!” (He) said “So, you accept it?” I said “Yep. God knocked me down when I lost that fight to Muhammad Ali.” I (finally) realized I didn’t have any other reason to scandalize him or think harshly of him but to accept him as my friend. That was it once I admitted I had lost that boxing match. It was a good thing for me that I had lost that boxing match because think about what could have happened to me if I had won that boxing match, what direction my life would have gone. So, victory was good – but that defeat took me all the way to the doorstep of God Almighty.

JWK: Of course, you’ve had other successes – famously including the George Foreman Grill.

GF: Yeah. You know, I had a whole (new) life after I got back into boxing. I started started selling. I really became the darling of Madison Avenue. You talk about Doritos, Pepsi-Cola, McDonald’s, Meineke Mufflers. Man, you name it, I was selling it! So, finally, our friends said “George, you’re making all these other companies wealthy. Why don’t you get your own product?!” I said “Okay, how much you gonna pay me?” They said “No, no, no, no! Nobody’s gonna pay you. You get your own product!” And we started this joint venture with the George Foreman Grill. I even signed my name to it and started promoting it. I thought I’d only get about 16 of those grills out of the deal for my family and me. I looked one day and the thing had sold 10,000! Then 100,000! Then 100-million! I couldn’t believe it! To this day, I don’t know what happened! What a success!

JWK: At one point you even had a sitcom that ran briefly. What was that experience like?

GF: Every chance I got to spread what I was doing, I would take it. The first sitcom was actually George. I played another George – (named) Foster. I got a chance to reach people – people who didn’t know me but for the old boxing days. I wanted to make myself known as an actor (and) writing the books. Then, of course, later on I did the (reality) sitcom Better Late Than Never. I always wanted to stay in the public eye so I could continue to tell my story about Jesus Christ.

JWK: What is the greatest lesson of your life that you would like people to understand?

GF: The best lesson from my life is to understand – and I try to tell that to people in church too – (is) stay alive! I want to encourage people. With all of the bad things that have happened to me, my faith in God has pulled me through – and He can pull anyone through. Just have faith in God.

Note: My review of Big George Foreman will run on Thursday.

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.