As the film chronicling his life, "Big George Foreman," premieres, heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman wants people to know that a relationship with Jesus is bigger than worldly fame.
"You come to a point in your life and you realize the only important thing in your life is [being] an evangelist," the 74-year-old pastor told The Christian Post.
"'Evangelistic' is the word that has been so powerful to me in my life," he continued. "If something happened to me tomorrow … I know I've done a good job, and I'm happy about that, trying to spell out to the world, 'Jesus Christ has come alive in me.'"
Foreman's path to Christian ministry, however, zigzagged through the boxing ring, as he battled often difficult circumstances to go the distance.
One of seven children, Foreman was born into poverty in Marshall, Texas, in 1949. A 10th grade dropout, he began abusing alcohol and committing violent crime on the streets of Houston's Fifth Ward.
Foreman left Houston in 1965 for the Job Corps in California, where he met his mentor, Doc Broadus, who encouraged him to channel his anger through boxing.
Winning a gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, Foreman went on to beat previously undefeated Joe Frazier in 1973 and win the world heavyweight title.
He retired from boxing in 1977 after a near-death experience showed him the truth of the Gospel for the first time.
"I was dead," he said. "There was nothing left of me. I stared at nothingness, no hope. I was pulled out of this dirty place, and given a second chance to live. That has kept me grounded."
Planning to spend the rest of his life sharing the Good News, Foreman became a minister and founded The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1980, but financial setbacks forced him back into the ring. He became the oldest fighter to ever hold the heavyweight champion title in 1994 when he beat reigning champion Michael Moore in the 10th round at the age of 45.
Based on Foreman's remarkable life of ups and downs, "Big George Foreman" hits theaters April 28 and stars Khris Davis as the boxing legend and Forest Whitaker as Doc Broadus. The film is directed by George Tillman Jr.
Foreman told The Christian Post that life had to bring him to his knees before he acknowledged his need for a savior and said his mother's prayers kept him alive.
"In hindsight, [God's faithfulness] was all over my life, period," he said. "There I was, a thief, on my way to jail, underneath a house, hiding from the police, covering myself from head to toe with slop. I heard their voices, and I knew then I'd have to change things. I didn't want to be a thief. I didn't want to be a criminal. And that was a big change for me."
Officially retired from boxing in 1997 at 48, Foreman leads his Texas-based church today. He launched an eponymous brand of grills in 1994 and more than 100 million have been sold since.
"It doesn't matter what you achieve, what you accomplish in this life," he told The Christian Post. "The most important thing is to keep your eye on the true prize, and that's serving God."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.