George Foreman on life story: ‘In a split second, I was dead and alive again’

Based on the remarkable, true comeback story of George Foreman, “Big George Foreman” goes into detail about the trials and tribulations that made Foreman the man he is today. Access Atlanta got a chance to catch up with the boxing legend ahead of the movie’s release, including why he decided to tell his story now.

“When you think about it, you want to make sure you leave as much evidence behind as you possibly can that anyone can make it; if you decide to fight, you can make it,” Foreman told Access Atlanta.

Foreman’s story has been a long time coming, and he said there were a lot of things he had to remember to create an accurate depiction. One part of his life that he didn’t have trouble remembering was his epic showdown with his friend and fellow boxer at the time, Muhammad Ali. Foreman said he went into the fight thinking he was just doing a solid for Ali.

“Boy, I’m going to go out and give Muhammad Ali a chance to fight again, make him a few dollars … I had no idea that I’d be getting off the canvas and listen to the ref count me out, and I was devastated losing my title,” Foreman reflected.

While boxing is a huge part of Foreman’s story, he also focuses on the moment he went from a fighter to a man of faith. Without giving too much away, there’s a scene in the movie where Foreman has what appears to be a breakdown in a locker room and he stops breathing. It turns out that the breakdown was more of a breakthrough as well as a message from God, according to Foreman.

“In a split second, I was dead and alive again … I saw everything I’d worked for crumble behind my back … I was rescued from nothingness in that dressing room.” Foreman said.