April 25, 2023 • 24 mins
He's a household name, and whether that's because you own one of his Lean Mean Grills, are intrigued with the fact that his 5 sons all have the same first name, because you're a boxing fan, or simply because you love the guys effervescent personality... when you say George Foreman, everyone knows who you're talking about!
George sat down with me to tell me about the moving experience of observing his story - as a bystander - as the movie about his life was being made. Did you know he found his faith and became an evangelical pastor some 40 years ago? That he gave up boxing after a near-death experience, only to return to the ring and reclaim the title of Heavy Weight Champion of the World? It's all in the movie, "Big George Foreman" in theaters on April 28. But you'll want to listen to our conversation first. It's ahhhhmazing! ~ Delilah
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hello, my friend. Welcome to love someone with Delilah. Inspiration. Inspiration.
That is what I want this podcast to be for you.
Every time we do a podcast, I want to have
an uplifting conversation that entertains, enlightens, and inspires. I hope
(00:31):
that's how you feel about it, and I'm so glad
you are here with me every few weeks. I doubt
that I could find a more inspiring guest than the
person that is joining me today. He's a household name,
he is beloved by millions, and now a movie has
been made about his incredible life that's in theaters this
(00:52):
week in April twenty eighth. Born in nineteen forty nine
in Marshall, Texas, he grew up in pished family and
discovered boxing as a passion and an outlet for his anger.
He established an impressive amateur record and won a gold
(01:12):
medal in the nineteen sixty eight Olympics in Mexico City.
By nineteen seventy two, he had a perfect thirty seven
zero record, leading him to become the world's heavyweight champion
in seventy three, a title he was able to successfully
defend twice. YEP, you guessed that you're right. My guest
(01:35):
today is none other than the legendary George Foreman. After
a fight against Jimmy Young in nineteen seventy seven, George
had an experience, an experience that I want to get
into with him, that changed his life, a transformation, if
you will, leading him to become an ordained minister. He
(01:59):
later found the George Foreman Youth and Community Center, a
place for kids who need direction like he once did. However,
after a few years, the Youth and Community Center was
in financial trouble and George returned to the ring to
save it. In doing so, he became the oldest fighter
(02:19):
ever to win the heavyweight crown. He was forty five.
That was in nineteen eighty seven, and George wouldn't retire
for another ten years. During his impressive twenty nine year
boxing career, he fought against legends including Joe Frazier, Jose Roman,
(02:42):
Ken Norton, Mohammad Ali and we're gonna talk about that
because I heard they later became dear friends, Evander Holyfield,
Michael Moore. Since the early nineteen nineties, he's not only
become famous for boxing, but he has sold over one
(03:02):
hundred million one hundred million. You can't even fathom that number.
George Foreman lean mean grilling machine units, and he's authored
ten books today. He is currently a pastor at the
Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston, looking forward
to the release of his biopic, and has generously agreed
(03:24):
to sit down and chat with us. I'm so excited
for this conversation. We're going to dive right in as
soon as I've shared a word about this episode's first
Delicious Uh Comfortable podcast sponsor. Spring is in the air,
and there's no better time to spruce up your bedding
(03:46):
as well as your bath and your active apparel. Give
yourself the gift of comfort and relaxation with Kara Loha.
Kara Loha's bamboo viscous products are super soft, cool, allergy resistant,
and good for the planet, staying fresher for longer, which
(04:06):
is better for you and the environment. Caution before buying.
The sheets are so soft you may never want to
leave your bed. Do something nice for yourself. Visit Kara
Looha dot com c A r I l o h
A Kara Looha dot com, where the style of the
(04:28):
Caribbean meets the spirit of Aloha. That's Kara Looha dot com.
Hello George, welcome to Love Someone with Delilah. Hello, thank
you for taking the time to be with us. I
know you've got a crazy schedule. I know you must
be so excited. Uh so I'm just gonna jump right
(04:48):
in here. Tell me about what it felt like making
this movie, watching your your life story unfold on the
big screen. What was that like.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
That's not easy because you go through life, a lot
of my life being a celebrity, and you try to
hide as much as you can. Get a big house,
you put a brick wall around it, you get dog glasses,
you ht your face, big limousine with doc on the
windows so nobody can see you. You actually hat your life.
(05:19):
But it came a time in my life when I
wanted to reveal it. And you have to be truthful,
and this was the time for it. When I looked
at the movie, I was kind of scared too, because hey,
I was turning to hide all of this, but now
I had to make it true.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
So there was a lot in the movie. I was
blessed I got to watch it. They sent me a screener.
I've known about you. I'm not a huge sports follower
or a huge sports fan, and I was young when
you were winning gold medals in Mexico Center for the Olympics.
But obviously I've seen you. I've owned the Lean Green
(05:56):
grilling machine. But the thing that I knew most about
you is that you have five boys named George. I
mean that when I heard George Foreman, that's what touched me.
And you touched on that in the movie a little bit.
But you actually have a whole passile a kid. You
got what seven daughters, Oh.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
No, just five, have five daughters and five sons.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Five daughters, five sons, so that's a full house. How
many grand babies?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
We have fifteen grandkids and three great grandkids.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Oh, praise God, Praise God, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And that's the most wonderful part of my life. Being
a grandfather. A father was great, but being a grandfather
is even better. I mean, it's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
My show, the radio show that I do every night,
that I've been doing as long as you've been boxing,
almost is about love and about relationships, and so most
of the interviews I have are authors who've written about lover,
who touched on love. And there were three love stories
that were front and center in your movie that I
(07:10):
want to ask you about, and I'm not. I'm going
to save the best for last. The love story between
you and your mama was so sweet in the movie.
Was she really that good, that godly of a woman, George, No.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
That lady. My mom really loved me. She really thought
I was something special. You get up in the morning,
you don't have anything, You go out your door, and
you're not important to anyone. But having that mother who
really believed in me, cared about me, that was something.
And I've never forgotten it. Because I was brought up
(07:47):
without a lot of food, without a lot of any
mostly without anything. I didn't have hope, and then I
found faith later on in my life. But that mother
gave me something that I She loved me. I always
knew I was loved.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
That came across loud and clear in the movie, that
she loved you and that she wanted the best for you.
She said, you're better than this. You're better than this
when you were making bad choices.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
So many times she told me that, and I was
just like, she doesn't really know me. But I'd heard
my mom tell those stories about they'd been brought up
on a farm and working, and she and her sisters
would get together and tell those stories, and they were
so proud because they talk about her father. Papa never
(08:38):
raised any thieves, none of his children had gone to jail,
and they said over and over. At first it was
a joke, and then one day you hear those stories
and I was a thief and I was the one
going to jail. It embarrassed me so much. One night,
while running from the police, I revisited those statements. I realized,
(09:00):
for the first time, I had become all those things
my mom said her family never had, with thieves and
people going to jail, and that's what changed my life.
I remember covering my face, would slop under a house
so the dogs wouldn't smell me.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, it was again, it wasn't sloped, that's a good
word for it. But I watched the movie. I knew
exactly where that sewage was coming from.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I didn't want those dogs to sniff me out. I
knew I would go to jail. I covered myself and
I don't think the dogs wanted to smell me at
that point. But my mom would tell I wanted to
make her proud of me. I just wasn't a thief.
I just didn't know I was until that night.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
And that night you came to that realization. The second
love story that stood out to me in watching the movie,
and then after I watched it, I stayed up all
night doing a deep dive on your life, but the
real relationship between you and the character portrayed by Forrest Whittaker, Doc,
because that was just beautiful.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
I went out for boxing because I was challenged. Everybody
told me in the job Corp, you think you're so
tough and rough, why don't you become a boxer. And
I met Doc Brothers the first time and I said
to him, I want to become a boxer only because
I wanted to become a better street fighter. I didn't
want to really be a boxer. I wanted to learn
(10:30):
how to hit the speedbag and skip the ropes, go
back to Houston, Texas and beat up everybody. But Doc
Brothers the first person who really believed in me. He
kept telling me, George, you can be an Olympic champion.
If you stop fighting in the streets seeing up your life,
you can be heavyweight champ of the world. I didn't
want to box, but I didn't want to let him down.
(10:52):
He believed in me. And that's the story of George Foreman,
someone not giving up on you and believing in you.
Far As Whordicer brought that out into movie.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Oh my god, I was crying. I'm a sap, but
myself I cried when I saw and the two actors
did such a good job. I also did a little
research because I was trying to find out who played
young George. You know that was Chris Davis, and then
who played older George? And I found out that was
(11:23):
Chris Davis. He put on how much weight to play?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
You? Do you believe that?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
I couldnot believe that.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
I could not believe it. That was an actor. I
wanted someone truly to do the George Foreman's story, but
I didn't want anyone trying to imitate my life. This
man came out and acted out the George Foreman's story.
He did it so much. I was pulling for George Boone.
I've forgotten who I was.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
It was he, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
George Poman. To this day, I don't like to take
pictures around him because I want people to think that's George.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
That's George. Yeah, he is George he was phenomenal, phenomenal.
I loved how at the end of the movie they
put a clip of the movie with a clip from
real life, from the actual fights. They put a clip
of you and you know your mama, and then a
(12:18):
clip from real life. That brought it all together for me.
That was beautiful. I hope everybody goes to see this movie,
Big George for mean.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Now.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
The third relationship, the love story that I have to
ask about is the relationship between you and the Lord Jesus.
It showed that you were killed, that you died in
the locker room, and that you had a moment where
you were gone and when you came back you were
born again. What was that? What really happened? What really
(12:54):
transformed in your spirit? Like I want to know? I
want to know.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Back into the dress room, I lost a twelve round decision.
Kind of disappointed about it, but I'd gone twelve rounds
to prove I asked Stamina. When I tried to cool
off in the dress room, I started thinking, you don't
have to worry about that box match. You still, George Forman.
I thought about my wealth and you could you know
you got the rench. You can go home and retire
(13:21):
and die. That had never come into my mind at all.
I was about to die, not only die, but in
a dirty, smelling dress room when I had all these
big homes. And I fought that night to keep my
life and I lost the fight, and I looked around
in this dog I died and I told everybody in
the room, I'm fixing to die. And I looked around.
(13:44):
There was nothing over my head, under me, nothing death.
And there's a horrible smell that goes along with death.
I haven't gotten over that yet, but I got angry
at that moment and said, I don't care if this
is death. I still believed as a guide. There was
no hope for me anyway. But I had a prayer
(14:05):
answered once when I was praying for one of my nephews. God, yeah,
and I prayed, and that prayer was answered. I didn't
believe in religion, but I believed that time in that prayer.
That's why I said, I don't care if this is death.
I was delivered from this place and giving a second
chance to leave. Oh, and then you realize, and I
(14:27):
thought I was gone. I told everybody I'm dying, but
I'm dying for God. And I laid on that dressing
room table and I told my doctor, move your hands
because the throngs on his head are making him bleed.
I actually saw blood coming down my forehead and I
looked at my hand. I told my Mosur, move your hand,
he's bleeding. When he crucified him, I started screaming, Jesus
(14:49):
Christ is coming alive in me, something I never believed in.
I just thought it was something my dear mother had
going on. I didn't know what it really was. Ten
years I stopped. I didn't box anything, I preached. I
became an evangelist for ten years. I didn't even make
a fist trying to tell everybody about that story.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
And then God said, Okay, you're gonna go back in
the ring. You're a little chubby, you're a little overweighting
out of shape. But in the movie, your wife said,
God showed her in a vision that you were going
to win the championship title again, and you believed on
that and clung to it.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah, once again, I found that certain person that loved
me and believed in me, and she had this vision once.
She said, I believe I had a dream, a vision
you were going to be heavyweight champion of the world again.
I thought she was just trying to make me feel good,
but she actually did, and I going back in the
box and started fighting all the way to a chance
(15:52):
for the title. Lost to the first time, but I
almost won. Then got a second chance and really plowed
at it because of a vision, and I did become chimp.
My wife, she says, she saw it after a while.
You believe everything your wife said, you know, and because
the most sincere people in your life turn out to
(16:13):
be your wife, your mom and your wife.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
And she's been by your side now for almost forty years.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
That's right, forty years of somebody believing in me. Always there.
She when we fight, but she always win. I can't
get her. She's the winner.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Everything don't even bother.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
You because she cares for me.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
She does. We've had such unbelievable lucketting to spend time
with our guests today. I have many more questions for
George Foreman right after I give another podcast sponsor sometime
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So do you have any words of inspiration for people
who might be struggling today? As anything of inspiration, you
could say to somebody who feels like they're in the ring,
(18:02):
feels like they're getting beat up by life, feels like
they just can't win this round.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
And my mother always told me a little story. She said, George,
you may you know, God may not be there when
you call on him, but he's always right on time,
And I used to think, Yeah, that's something that mom talk.
If you really learn to pray, all things are possible.
Just don't give up on your prayers, have faith in
(18:28):
your prayers. Dreams still come true.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Amen. And he is always right on time, not on
my time, right on time, right on.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Time's a good. That's good that I said that. Now
I realize it all over again.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I think this movie is right on time. I feel
like we need hope and we need inspiration. We need
to be reminded that a mother's love is the most
powerful earthly love, and that a friend like you had
in Doc. You know, greater love is there. There is
no greater love than this. That a man would lay
(19:05):
down his life for a friend.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Boy, you got that right.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
I could see in the movie that you would have
laid down your life, not just for Doc. But I
don't know how true it was the man who lost
all your money. But I saw such sweet forgiveness in
the movie even for that, And I know you wouldn't
have included that unless you had forgiven him.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Oh. I learned forgiveness and everyone should learn forgiveness because
without it, you don't have family. There's not a chance
you could lose your own mom and dad if you
don't learn to forgive and your children. So I learned forgiveness.
It was the good best way to hold onto everything
I have. Heap forgiving. My mom talked about it, and
(19:46):
I learned to live it. Well.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I know your time is sure. But one more quick question.
I learned doing a deep dive that you and Muhammad
Ali became dear friends as well. Is that true?
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Oh? That guy took my title angry with him for
a long time, and even four minutes into being hate.
But I was delivered from that after I phoned God.
He became the most wonderful person in my life. Fell
in love with the guy. We did talk on the telephone,
and then they had been of FaceTime. We'd actually see
(20:18):
each other on the telephone. And he still wanted to win.
Of course, how many green kids you got, George, I'd
say three, I have four. How many green kids I
got five? He said I have six. He always wanted
to win, He never wanted to lose, and I learned
to love him more than he became one of my
best friends ever.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
The actor who portrayed him did such a good job
with his arrogance and his dancing and his yaba dabba
daba daba daba daba dah uh fight like a butterfly.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
I was listening to him thinking, shut up man in
the movie he made me really relieve those mummas with him.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Sullivan Jones the name of the actor who played mommad
Ali man. He must have watched films, because he nailed it.
He nailed it.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Nailed it again, irritated me all over again. And Chris
Davis for what an.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Actor, What an actor.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I never dreamed that anyone could play that part, but
he did it. He made me really, really really of
every moment good and bad of my life. What a
great actor.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Well, it is a beautiful movie. I don't know how
they cramed that much, you know, they crammed the fights,
they got the everything, the anger you could just see
you were like a raging bull, anger seething out of you.
And then the way that you were transformed after you
(21:52):
died and God appeared in your spirit, that was just beautiful.
It is a beautiful story. And how many years you
been I'm preaching now.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Oh forty six years now.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Now, if I was Mohammed, if I was Muhammad, I'd
say I've been preaching forty seven.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Amen. He would not let me lose, I mean not
let himself lose. What a competitor he had been.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
What a fun, fun story. Well, thank you George for
taking time with us. Thank you for doing this movie.
Thank you for letting the walls down and letting people
in because, like I said, I think right now we
need inspiration and I think a lot of people will
be inspired by your story.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Thank you for having me too, all right, God, bless you,
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
The biopic based on the life story of Olympic boxing
gold medalist and two time world heavyweight champion George Foreman,
is out in theaters nationwide in April on the twenty
eighth that stars Chris Davis as George Foreman, an Oscar
winner Forrest Whitaker as coach Doc brought us Ah. He
was brilliant in the movie. You're gonna love this. I
(23:04):
know you'll be inspired by the redemptive true story of
pastor George, one of the greatest comebacks of all time
as far as sports go, and the transformational power of
second chances and faith in God. You can find theaters
in Showtimes and get tickets at Biggeorgeforeman, dot movie. Treat yourself.
(23:25):
Go to the movies this weekend. Be odd, be entertained,
be inspired. Indulg in some popcorn and Junior Man's while
you're watching, because afterwards you're gonna want to dig out
your George Foreman lean mean grilling machine, hit the gym.
Start paying better attention to what you're fueling your body with.
Spring is an amazing inspirational season. It's like the quote
(23:48):
I've shared several times by Martin Luther that says our
Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone,
but in every leaf of springtime. Inspiration surrounds us, It
envelops us, It wraps us up in hope and in love.
It is everywhere, even where you might least expect it,
(24:11):
Like a movie about boxing. Big George Foreman, the miraculous
story of the once and future heavyweight champion of the World.
Go see it. Join me on the air nightly and
right back here in a few weeks with love someone
and do me a favor. Do just that. Take some
time to slow down and love someone
Hello, my friend. Welcome to love someone with Delilah. Inspiration. Inspiration.
That is what I want this podcast to be for you.
Every time we do a podcast, I want to have
an uplifting conversation that entertains, enlightens, and inspires. I hope
(00:31):
that's how you feel about it, and I'm so glad
you are here with me every few weeks. I doubt
that I could find a more inspiring guest than the
person that is joining me today. He's a household name,
he is beloved by millions, and now a movie has
been made about his incredible life that's in theaters this
(00:52):
week in April twenty eighth. Born in nineteen forty nine
in Marshall, Texas, he grew up in pished family and
discovered boxing as a passion and an outlet for his anger.
He established an impressive amateur record and won a gold
(01:12):
medal in the nineteen sixty eight Olympics in Mexico City.
By nineteen seventy two, he had a perfect thirty seven
zero record, leading him to become the world's heavyweight champion
in seventy three, a title he was able to successfully
defend twice. YEP, you guessed that you're right. My guest
(01:35):
today is none other than the legendary George Foreman. After
a fight against Jimmy Young in nineteen seventy seven, George
had an experience, an experience that I want to get
into with him, that changed his life, a transformation, if
you will, leading him to become an ordained minister. He
(01:59):
later found the George Foreman Youth and Community Center, a
place for kids who need direction like he once did. However,
after a few years, the Youth and Community Center was
in financial trouble and George returned to the ring to
save it. In doing so, he became the oldest fighter
(02:19):
ever to win the heavyweight crown. He was forty five.
That was in nineteen eighty seven, and George wouldn't retire
for another ten years. During his impressive twenty nine year
boxing career, he fought against legends including Joe Frazier, Jose Roman,
(02:42):
Ken Norton, Mohammad Ali and we're gonna talk about that
because I heard they later became dear friends, Evander Holyfield,
Michael Moore. Since the early nineteen nineties, he's not only
become famous for boxing, but he has sold over one
(03:02):
hundred million one hundred million. You can't even fathom that number.
George Foreman lean mean grilling machine units, and he's authored
ten books today. He is currently a pastor at the
Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston, looking forward
to the release of his biopic, and has generously agreed
(03:24):
to sit down and chat with us. I'm so excited
for this conversation. We're going to dive right in as
soon as I've shared a word about this episode's first
Delicious Uh Comfortable podcast sponsor. Spring is in the air,
and there's no better time to spruce up your bedding
(03:46):
as well as your bath and your active apparel. Give
yourself the gift of comfort and relaxation with Kara Loha.
Kara Loha's bamboo viscous products are super soft, cool, allergy resistant,
and good for the planet, staying fresher for longer, which
(04:06):
is better for you and the environment. Caution before buying.
The sheets are so soft you may never want to
leave your bed. Do something nice for yourself. Visit Kara
Looha dot com c A r I l o h
A Kara Looha dot com, where the style of the
(04:28):
Caribbean meets the spirit of Aloha. That's Kara Looha dot com.
Hello George, welcome to Love Someone with Delilah. Hello, thank
you for taking the time to be with us. I
know you've got a crazy schedule. I know you must
be so excited. Uh so I'm just gonna jump right
(04:48):
in here. Tell me about what it felt like making
this movie, watching your your life story unfold on the
big screen. What was that like.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
That's not easy because you go through life, a lot
of my life being a celebrity, and you try to
hide as much as you can. Get a big house,
you put a brick wall around it, you get dog glasses,
you ht your face, big limousine with doc on the
windows so nobody can see you. You actually hat your life.
(05:19):
But it came a time in my life when I
wanted to reveal it. And you have to be truthful,
and this was the time for it. When I looked
at the movie, I was kind of scared too, because hey,
I was turning to hide all of this, but now
I had to make it true.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
So there was a lot in the movie. I was
blessed I got to watch it. They sent me a screener.
I've known about you. I'm not a huge sports follower
or a huge sports fan, and I was young when
you were winning gold medals in Mexico Center for the Olympics.
But obviously I've seen you. I've owned the Lean Green
(05:56):
grilling machine. But the thing that I knew most about
you is that you have five boys named George. I
mean that when I heard George Foreman, that's what touched me.
And you touched on that in the movie a little bit.
But you actually have a whole passile a kid. You
got what seven daughters, Oh.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
No, just five, have five daughters and five sons.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Five daughters, five sons, so that's a full house. How
many grand babies?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
We have fifteen grandkids and three great grandkids.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Oh, praise God, Praise God, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And that's the most wonderful part of my life. Being
a grandfather. A father was great, but being a grandfather
is even better. I mean, it's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
My show, the radio show that I do every night,
that I've been doing as long as you've been boxing,
almost is about love and about relationships, and so most
of the interviews I have are authors who've written about lover,
who touched on love. And there were three love stories
that were front and center in your movie that I
(07:10):
want to ask you about, and I'm not. I'm going
to save the best for last. The love story between
you and your mama was so sweet in the movie.
Was she really that good, that godly of a woman, George, No.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
That lady. My mom really loved me. She really thought
I was something special. You get up in the morning,
you don't have anything, You go out your door, and
you're not important to anyone. But having that mother who
really believed in me, cared about me, that was something.
And I've never forgotten it. Because I was brought up
(07:47):
without a lot of food, without a lot of any
mostly without anything. I didn't have hope, and then I
found faith later on in my life. But that mother
gave me something that I She loved me. I always
knew I was loved.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
That came across loud and clear in the movie, that
she loved you and that she wanted the best for you.
She said, you're better than this. You're better than this
when you were making bad choices.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
So many times she told me that, and I was
just like, she doesn't really know me. But I'd heard
my mom tell those stories about they'd been brought up
on a farm and working, and she and her sisters
would get together and tell those stories, and they were
so proud because they talk about her father. Papa never
(08:38):
raised any thieves, none of his children had gone to jail,
and they said over and over. At first it was
a joke, and then one day you hear those stories
and I was a thief and I was the one
going to jail. It embarrassed me so much. One night,
while running from the police, I revisited those statements. I realized,
(09:00):
for the first time, I had become all those things
my mom said her family never had, with thieves and
people going to jail, and that's what changed my life.
I remember covering my face, would slop under a house
so the dogs wouldn't smell me.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, it was again, it wasn't sloped, that's a good
word for it. But I watched the movie. I knew
exactly where that sewage was coming from.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I didn't want those dogs to sniff me out. I
knew I would go to jail. I covered myself and
I don't think the dogs wanted to smell me at
that point. But my mom would tell I wanted to
make her proud of me. I just wasn't a thief.
I just didn't know I was until that night.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
And that night you came to that realization. The second
love story that stood out to me in watching the movie,
and then after I watched it, I stayed up all
night doing a deep dive on your life, but the
real relationship between you and the character portrayed by Forrest Whittaker, Doc,
because that was just beautiful.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
I went out for boxing because I was challenged. Everybody
told me in the job Corp, you think you're so
tough and rough, why don't you become a boxer. And
I met Doc Brothers the first time and I said
to him, I want to become a boxer only because
I wanted to become a better street fighter. I didn't
want to really be a boxer. I wanted to learn
(10:30):
how to hit the speedbag and skip the ropes, go
back to Houston, Texas and beat up everybody. But Doc
Brothers the first person who really believed in me. He
kept telling me, George, you can be an Olympic champion.
If you stop fighting in the streets seeing up your life,
you can be heavyweight champ of the world. I didn't
want to box, but I didn't want to let him down.
(10:52):
He believed in me. And that's the story of George Foreman,
someone not giving up on you and believing in you.
Far As Whordicer brought that out into movie.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Oh my god, I was crying. I'm a sap, but
myself I cried when I saw and the two actors
did such a good job. I also did a little
research because I was trying to find out who played
young George. You know that was Chris Davis, and then
who played older George? And I found out that was
(11:23):
Chris Davis. He put on how much weight to play?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
You? Do you believe that?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
I couldnot believe that.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
I could not believe it. That was an actor. I
wanted someone truly to do the George Foreman's story, but
I didn't want anyone trying to imitate my life. This
man came out and acted out the George Foreman's story.
He did it so much. I was pulling for George Boone.
I've forgotten who I was.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
It was he, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
George Poman. To this day, I don't like to take
pictures around him because I want people to think that's George.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
That's George. Yeah, he is George he was phenomenal, phenomenal.
I loved how at the end of the movie they
put a clip of the movie with a clip from
real life, from the actual fights. They put a clip
of you and you know your mama, and then a
(12:18):
clip from real life. That brought it all together for me.
That was beautiful. I hope everybody goes to see this movie,
Big George for mean.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Now.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
The third relationship, the love story that I have to
ask about is the relationship between you and the Lord Jesus.
It showed that you were killed, that you died in
the locker room, and that you had a moment where
you were gone and when you came back you were
born again. What was that? What really happened? What really
(12:54):
transformed in your spirit? Like I want to know? I
want to know.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Back into the dress room, I lost a twelve round decision.
Kind of disappointed about it, but I'd gone twelve rounds
to prove I asked Stamina. When I tried to cool
off in the dress room, I started thinking, you don't
have to worry about that box match. You still, George Forman.
I thought about my wealth and you could you know
you got the rench. You can go home and retire
(13:21):
and die. That had never come into my mind at all.
I was about to die, not only die, but in
a dirty, smelling dress room when I had all these
big homes. And I fought that night to keep my
life and I lost the fight, and I looked around
in this dog I died and I told everybody in
the room, I'm fixing to die. And I looked around.
(13:44):
There was nothing over my head, under me, nothing death.
And there's a horrible smell that goes along with death.
I haven't gotten over that yet, but I got angry
at that moment and said, I don't care if this
is death. I still believed as a guide. There was
no hope for me anyway. But I had a prayer
(14:05):
answered once when I was praying for one of my nephews. God, yeah,
and I prayed, and that prayer was answered. I didn't
believe in religion, but I believed that time in that prayer.
That's why I said, I don't care if this is death.
I was delivered from this place and giving a second
chance to leave. Oh, and then you realize, and I
(14:27):
thought I was gone. I told everybody I'm dying, but
I'm dying for God. And I laid on that dressing
room table and I told my doctor, move your hands
because the throngs on his head are making him bleed.
I actually saw blood coming down my forehead and I
looked at my hand. I told my Mosur, move your hand,
he's bleeding. When he crucified him, I started screaming, Jesus
(14:49):
Christ is coming alive in me, something I never believed in.
I just thought it was something my dear mother had
going on. I didn't know what it really was. Ten
years I stopped. I didn't box anything, I preached. I
became an evangelist for ten years. I didn't even make
a fist trying to tell everybody about that story.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
And then God said, Okay, you're gonna go back in
the ring. You're a little chubby, you're a little overweighting
out of shape. But in the movie, your wife said,
God showed her in a vision that you were going
to win the championship title again, and you believed on
that and clung to it.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Yeah, once again, I found that certain person that loved
me and believed in me, and she had this vision once.
She said, I believe I had a dream, a vision
you were going to be heavyweight champion of the world again.
I thought she was just trying to make me feel good,
but she actually did, and I going back in the
box and started fighting all the way to a chance
(15:52):
for the title. Lost to the first time, but I
almost won. Then got a second chance and really plowed
at it because of a vision, and I did become chimp.
My wife, she says, she saw it after a while.
You believe everything your wife said, you know, and because
the most sincere people in your life turn out to
(16:13):
be your wife, your mom and your wife.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
And she's been by your side now for almost forty years.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
That's right, forty years of somebody believing in me. Always there.
She when we fight, but she always win. I can't
get her. She's the winner.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Everything don't even bother.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
You because she cares for me.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
She does. We've had such unbelievable lucketting to spend time
with our guests today. I have many more questions for
George Foreman right after I give another podcast sponsor sometime
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So do you have any words of inspiration for people
who might be struggling today? As anything of inspiration, you
could say to somebody who feels like they're in the ring,
(18:02):
feels like they're getting beat up by life, feels like
they just can't win this round.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
And my mother always told me a little story. She said, George,
you may you know, God may not be there when
you call on him, but he's always right on time,
And I used to think, Yeah, that's something that mom talk.
If you really learn to pray, all things are possible.
Just don't give up on your prayers, have faith in
(18:28):
your prayers. Dreams still come true.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Amen. And he is always right on time, not on
my time, right on time, right on.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Time's a good. That's good that I said that. Now
I realize it all over again.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I think this movie is right on time. I feel
like we need hope and we need inspiration. We need
to be reminded that a mother's love is the most
powerful earthly love, and that a friend like you had
in Doc. You know, greater love is there. There is
no greater love than this. That a man would lay
(19:05):
down his life for a friend.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Boy, you got that right.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
I could see in the movie that you would have
laid down your life, not just for Doc. But I
don't know how true it was the man who lost
all your money. But I saw such sweet forgiveness in
the movie even for that, And I know you wouldn't
have included that unless you had forgiven him.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Oh. I learned forgiveness and everyone should learn forgiveness because
without it, you don't have family. There's not a chance
you could lose your own mom and dad if you
don't learn to forgive and your children. So I learned forgiveness.
It was the good best way to hold onto everything
I have. Heap forgiving. My mom talked about it, and
(19:46):
I learned to live it. Well.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I know your time is sure. But one more quick question.
I learned doing a deep dive that you and Muhammad
Ali became dear friends as well. Is that true?
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Oh? That guy took my title angry with him for
a long time, and even four minutes into being hate.
But I was delivered from that after I phoned God.
He became the most wonderful person in my life. Fell
in love with the guy. We did talk on the telephone,
and then they had been of FaceTime. We'd actually see
(20:18):
each other on the telephone. And he still wanted to win.
Of course, how many green kids you got, George, I'd
say three, I have four. How many green kids I
got five? He said I have six. He always wanted
to win, He never wanted to lose, and I learned
to love him more than he became one of my
best friends ever.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
The actor who portrayed him did such a good job
with his arrogance and his dancing and his yaba dabba
daba daba daba daba dah uh fight like a butterfly.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
I was listening to him thinking, shut up man in
the movie he made me really relieve those mummas with him.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Sullivan Jones the name of the actor who played mommad
Ali man. He must have watched films, because he nailed it.
He nailed it.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Nailed it again, irritated me all over again. And Chris
Davis for what an.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Actor, What an actor.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I never dreamed that anyone could play that part, but
he did it. He made me really, really really of
every moment good and bad of my life. What a
great actor.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Well, it is a beautiful movie. I don't know how
they cramed that much, you know, they crammed the fights,
they got the everything, the anger you could just see
you were like a raging bull, anger seething out of you.
And then the way that you were transformed after you
(21:52):
died and God appeared in your spirit, that was just beautiful.
It is a beautiful story. And how many years you
been I'm preaching now.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Oh forty six years now.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Now, if I was Mohammed, if I was Muhammad, I'd
say I've been preaching forty seven.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Amen. He would not let me lose, I mean not
let himself lose. What a competitor he had been.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
What a fun, fun story. Well, thank you George for
taking time with us. Thank you for doing this movie.
Thank you for letting the walls down and letting people
in because, like I said, I think right now we
need inspiration and I think a lot of people will
be inspired by your story.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Thank you for having me too, all right, God, bless you,
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
The biopic based on the life story of Olympic boxing
gold medalist and two time world heavyweight champion George Foreman,
is out in theaters nationwide in April on the twenty
eighth that stars Chris Davis as George Foreman, an Oscar
winner Forrest Whitaker as coach Doc brought us Ah. He
was brilliant in the movie. You're gonna love this. I
(23:04):
know you'll be inspired by the redemptive true story of
pastor George, one of the greatest comebacks of all time
as far as sports go, and the transformational power of
second chances and faith in God. You can find theaters
in Showtimes and get tickets at Biggeorgeforeman, dot movie. Treat yourself.
(23:25):
Go to the movies this weekend. Be odd, be entertained,
be inspired. Indulg in some popcorn and Junior Man's while
you're watching, because afterwards you're gonna want to dig out
your George Foreman lean mean grilling machine, hit the gym.
Start paying better attention to what you're fueling your body with.
Spring is an amazing inspirational season. It's like the quote
(23:48):
I've shared several times by Martin Luther that says our
Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone,
but in every leaf of springtime. Inspiration surrounds us, It
envelops us, It wraps us up in hope and in love.
It is everywhere, even where you might least expect it,
(24:11):
Like a movie about boxing. Big George Foreman, the miraculous
story of the once and future heavyweight champion of the World.
Go see it. Join me on the air nightly and
right back here in a few weeks with love someone
and do me a favor. Do just that. Take some
time to slow down and love someone
Host
Delilah
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