1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: So as I was telling you my boys are nine 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: and ten years old, Crockhead and Michael and I. In 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: preparation for us getting to talk, my wife said, well, 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 1: why don't we watch Better Late than Ever together and 5 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: they'll kind of get a sense of who he is. 6 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: And so I'm explaining, you know, that's the Fawns and 7 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: he was cool, and that's Terry Bradshaw and he was 8 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: a great quarterback, and that's William Shattner and that's Captain Kirk. 9 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: How would you expect someone would explain who George Foreman 10 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: is to a kid that was too young to know 11 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: the heavyweight champion. 12 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: Ah. 13 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 3: Boy, You take them to the kitchen and say, look, 14 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 3: we're going to take out this thing, and look that's 15 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:36,639 Speaker 3: the name. 16 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 2: George. 17 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 3: Forman's great and we have one by the way that 18 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 3: shuts everything down. And if the grill works properly, they'll say, now. 19 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 2: Tell me more about George. 20 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 3: As they fix another grilled cheese or something. 21 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 2: That's the way to do it. 22 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 3: Because my spotlight was taken off of me once that 23 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 3: grill became so successful, over one hundred and twenty million 24 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 3: of those things sold before I sold the company, and 25 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 3: people would meet me down the street and the parents 26 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 3: will say, that's the champ, that's the cooking man. So 27 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 3: I have to explain everything around the grill. 28 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: Now, why was that girl so successful? 29 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 2: It worked? 30 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 3: Now, I didn't want to go into the infomercial business. 31 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 3: I had nothing, no desire at all, because I bought 32 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 3: stuff from was. 33 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 2: Surely gonna grow hair. 34 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,479 Speaker 3: I bought things that were gonna make catch the absolute 35 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 3: best fish. Nothing work. So I didn't want to do that. 36 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 3: But I saw this grill put it to the family. 37 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 3: I didn't know it would be so successful. Then I 38 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 3: wanted to share it with the world. And that infomercial 39 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 3: it did. It told the story of George Forman and 40 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:40,279 Speaker 3: the grill that works. 41 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: So you said, take them to the kitchen, take out 42 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: their George former grill, make them a grill cheese sandwich, 43 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: and then I'll tell you who George Forman is. 44 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: They'll ask questions about it. 45 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 3: So fifth Ward Kid, Really, I started right here in Houston, Texas, 46 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 3: out of the Ward the fifth Warts, and with no 47 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 3: hope at all, her a commercial. Jimmy Brownson, if you're 48 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 3: looking for a second chance in. 49 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 2: Life, joined the job Corp. I did. 50 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 3: I took his advice that's George Forman, a guy looked like. 51 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 2: I found someone's wallet. 52 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 3: On the street that wasn't any identification, so I kept 53 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 3: it and put my own identification in it. But I said, 54 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 3: a guy with a great break. 55 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: So you did that. You did that at fifteen. 56 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 3: Sixteen years old, I started joined the job Corps. It 57 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 3: was fifteen I made up my mind to do it. 58 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 3: But in sixteen I joined the job Corp. My life 59 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 3: turned around. And it is the American story, one of 60 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 3: the greatest American stories I've ever heard of, because I 61 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 3: read it over and over and said, really, really, as 62 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 3: though I'm a third party, a second party, I just 63 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 3: can't believe things can happen to a young man like that. 64 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: So you didn't go to high school, much less college. 65 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 1: And I see all these stories of people who are 66 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: highly successful, and I know you don't want to encourage 67 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: somebody to take that track, But do you think in 68 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 1: some ways that drove you harder, like an insecurity or 69 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: a does, because you didn't do that. 70 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 3: I listened at this is a funny story. I'm in 71 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 3: the ring, fighting for the championship of the world. I'm 72 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 3: in Africa ZI fighting Mohammed a lead We hadn't spoke, 73 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 3: We hadn't even done a press conference. You cannot find 74 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 3: a photograph of us ever together in Africa. We just 75 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 3: didn't do it. So we meet for the first time 76 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 3: in the ring, and I'm staring him down as if 77 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 3: and someone that told him to tell me this. He said, George, 78 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 3: you don't need to be in here. You were just 79 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 3: a kid in high school when I beat Sunny Listening. 80 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 3: And I laughed going back to the ring because I. 81 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 2: Never spent an hour in high school. 82 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 1: You got the wrong stuff. 83 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: Listening. 84 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, Sunny Listening was my stablemate. 85 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 2: I learned a lot from him. 86 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 3: But as you said, not to encourage or discourage, encourage 87 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 3: anyone to drop out of school. If you look back 88 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 3: at my life and say the worst thing I ever did, 89 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 3: one thing I've never recovered from is being. 90 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 2: A high school dropout. 91 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 3: Of course, I went back and I got my ged, 92 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 3: and there were times I was about to go to 93 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 3: college and this boxing took over. I loved when someone 94 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 3: make it through high school. I realized that's something that 95 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 3: I admire. 96 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: January twenty sixth, nineteen sixty seven. Your first amateur fight 97 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: fifty one years ago. Who was the guy that walked 98 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: into that ring. 99 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 3: Uh l. It was a really it was Ben Batton, 100 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 3: a guy who was in the job court with me. 101 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 3: I g I got got him into the ring, and 102 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 3: everybody say. I told the guy I wanted to be 103 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 3: a box on my trainer, you gonna easily win. I 104 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 3: got in the ring and I couldn't lay one hand 105 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 3: on him. He kept hitting me with something mysterious called 106 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 3: left jail boom and I try to pick him up, 107 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 3: I try to throw him out. 108 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 2: I tried everything. 109 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 3: They laughed me out of the gym. I said I'll 110 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 3: never do this again. I lost, and but Doc brothers 111 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 3: encouraged me, don't give up. You could stop fighting in 112 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 3: the street. You can become a good fighter. But I 113 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 3: thought this. It wasn't for me. It didn't come that easy. 114 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 1: Were you fighting in the streets? 115 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 2: I was. I was a street fighter. As a matter 116 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 2: of fact. 117 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,559 Speaker 3: I took up boxing for the sole purpose of coming 118 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 3: back to Houston really winning fights without having to hit 119 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 3: anyone because they'd say he's a boxer and they'd run. 120 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 3: That's all I wanted boxing for to become a better 121 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 3: street fighter. 122 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: In your autobiography, you say you were a troubled youth, 123 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: What were you troubled about? 124 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 3: Well, there's a lot of things you can be trouble 125 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 3: with and you don't even know it. In hindsight, you know, 126 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 3: you look back and you sat. Man. 127 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 2: My mom she had to work. 128 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 3: Scare me half to death to make certain that I'd 129 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 3: be alive when she got back home. 130 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 2: Never was enough to eat. 131 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 3: Now. I talked about that in church the other day. 132 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 3: We moved into a house and sometime that the electricity 133 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 3: would be on for a couple of days before they 134 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 3: cut it off. And you cut the light, boom boom, 135 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 3: and you keep looking at the light going on and off. 136 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: Then all of a sudden they cut the electricity off. 137 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 3: That's as close as I'd come to electricity in those days. 138 00:05:58,040 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 2: That troubles you. 139 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 3: Because everyone else talked about a television. I can I 140 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 3: peeped through the windows and watch television, even peep through 141 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 3: the window and watch kids eat and leave food on 142 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 3: their plate. That troubles you? 143 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: Does it still bother you? 144 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:13,280 Speaker 2: It bothers me only if it came off. 145 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: The George foreman grew. 146 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 3: I was looking and I saw a company, a local, 147 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 3: well the national company, Arby's, and they said take this 148 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 3: and post it, repost it, and as many as repost 149 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 3: it will be able to get give kids a free lunch. 150 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 3: I don't even know anything about the company. I said, 151 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 3: free lunches for children. I automatically got into it and 152 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 3: it collected a lot of money for that dog. I 153 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,359 Speaker 3: don't even know them, but it troubles me now that 154 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 3: a kid may go to be a hungry. Everyone should 155 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 3: at least have one sandwich. 156 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: I agree. January twenty sixth, nineteen sixty seven. That first fight, 157 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: you told me the guy you fought. But if you 158 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: were watching as you are today, the young man who 159 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 1: you were, tell me about that young man. What was 160 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: going through your mind? 161 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 3: Well, I was at that cross roads. I'd gone to 162 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 3: the to the job corps. As a matter of fact, 163 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 3: I was in the job Corps and the bullying guys around. 164 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 3: That was a boxing match on Muhammed a Leaf fighting 165 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 3: he Casius Clayton fighting Floyd Patterson. The kids looked at 166 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 3: me and said, you're a big bully. You always picking 167 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 3: on people. Why don't you become a boxer? I said, okay, 168 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 3: I'll show you. That was the reason I was in 169 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 3: the ring. I was a big bully trying to prove 170 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 3: that I wasn't afraid to be a boxer that day. 171 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 3: All I was trying to do is show the world 172 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 3: I wasn't afraid. I'm not like that anymore. Why Because 173 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 3: I'm not afraid. The greatest fear that I have is 174 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 3: that my life will be a wash out. And I 175 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 3: won't tell everybody that you can do whatever you wanna 176 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 3: do if you put your mind to it. 177 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: Nineteen sixty eight Olympics. What did that do for you? 178 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 3: Couldn't believe it. I never had a dream to come true, 179 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 3: never had a dream to come true. 180 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 2: I've heard about people. 181 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 3: Uh dreaming and waking up one one day they could 182 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 3: swim a boat or even have a horse. I'd never 183 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 3: had her dream to come true. I won that Olympic 184 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 3: gold medal. I'm in the on the platform. You look around, 185 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 3: and i'd heard her cousin tell me once you're never 186 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:16,679 Speaker 3: gonna be anything. Go to sleep, because I was trying 187 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 3: to cover up from her that I was shooting hookie. 188 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 3: She said, don't worry about it. You know nothing, nobody 189 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 3: in this family ever becomes anything. There was on that 190 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 3: platform and you could hear the national anthem in the background. 191 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 3: I said, I must have been an American wife, would 192 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 3: that be? And I could hear her voice in the 193 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 3: back say, You're never gonna be anything. That was the 194 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 3: highlight of my whole athletic career to this day. Really, 195 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 3: I never had anything like that to happen to me, 196 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 3: and I've never gotten over it. 197 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 1: There's a story, who's there's a story about you winning 198 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: that fight and running around the ring with a tiny 199 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: American flag? What did that flag mean to you? 200 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 3: Strange place, the Olympic village. You wake up every day 201 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 3: and you see this guy. You walk right up to 202 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 3: one guy and you think could be related to me 203 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 3: in speaks another language. Then it doesn't take you but 204 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 3: a few days to realize the only thing that differentiates 205 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 3: you are the colors you wear. So after I won 206 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 3: that night, I wanted to make sure the world knew, Hey, 207 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:15,599 Speaker 3: I'm from America. So I took up the flag for 208 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 3: good luck I had in my pocket, balled to the 209 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 3: judge we got you. Then I waved, I'm from America. 210 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 3: That's all I wanted to do to make certainly everyone 211 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 3: knew where I was from. 212 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: Wow, And when you wanted them to know where you 213 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: were from, what did that country mean to you in 214 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight. 215 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 3: Oh, and I could actually say, cause you you talk 216 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 3: a lot about it, uh, of of what could happen 217 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 3: to you? Once I was uh put in a little 218 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 3: had a little problem in the job course center. Uh 219 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 3: that made me dig a hole because I kept fighting four. 220 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 2: Feet wide four feet deep. 221 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 3: It was the flag pole. And they said, p s, 222 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 3: since you dug the hole, you would be the first 223 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 3: one to raise the flag. 224 00:09:57,480 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 2: I didn't even know what that meant. 225 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 3: I raised the fla that day and when it makes 226 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 3: certain they didn't hit the ground, boom. That was the end, 227 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 3: the beginning of the love affair with the flag. And 228 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 3: so we talked about America. But then and I won 229 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 3: that thing. America. It's the place, the home where y 230 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 3: no one gives up on their under privilege. That's what 231 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 3: it meant to me. They truly said it. And I 232 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 3: was the under privilege. I had went going to bed 233 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 3: without food. Now here I was on the Olympic stand 234 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 3: representing my country. And they never give up here, this country, 235 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 3: never give up on this underprivileged. 236 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: Take me back to you as a child, a young 237 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: a young boy. What's your fondest memory? 238 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 3: Oh boy? And I talk about this all the time. 239 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 3: I had a mom. I used to have a Literally, 240 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 3: when I got in trouble, she spanked me. Well we 241 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,959 Speaker 3: call it spanking now mm, it was something else in 242 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 3: those days. But one day I got in trouble. I said, 243 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 3: I'll I'll run her shu. I took off shell. I said, 244 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 3: she'll never catch me to spank me. She caught up 245 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 3: with me, and I got so afraid. I rent up 246 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 3: a tree. I said, you'll never get me there. She 247 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 3: shook the tree. She was so strong, she was faster 248 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:14,439 Speaker 3: and stronger. That's the greatest memory I'll ever have, my 249 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 3: having a mother both strong and faster than. 250 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 1: I was, and loving you enough to chase you down it. 251 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, but I loved her. That love was no but uh, 252 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 3: that was the fun day. Can you imagine some of 253 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 3: the children. Are anyone who have a mother today who 254 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 3: can ride bicycles with 'em, turn flips, swim with 'em. 255 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 3: That's that's as good as it gets. 256 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: I wanna talk in a minute about the church and 257 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: your your place in the church and the Church's place 258 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: in your life. But what was the role of the 259 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: church in your life as. 260 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,319 Speaker 3: A child, No role at all as a matter of fact, 261 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 3: I what I can remember is that, uh, my cous 262 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 3: my sisters would invite me, said, George, you need to 263 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 3: come to church with us. My mother wouldn't caurage to 264 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 3: go with your sisters. And I didn't wanna go cause 265 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 3: I went to play. And once they said they have 266 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 3: food after church, I said what yep? I said, how 267 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 3: much food? You can get a plate? I took off, 268 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 3: I went to the church. The church for me was 269 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 3: a place that in certain churches they didn't even give 270 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 3: you a plate afterwards of food. That's all it meant 271 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 3: to me, no more, no less. As I grew up, 272 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 3: I thought it was a shame that people really put 273 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 3: themselves in church, because what are you gonna get out 274 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 3: of it? But more poor? And even the songs were 275 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 3: say as. I didn't want that. I didn't. I wanted 276 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 3: to be rich and famous. Then even then I didn't 277 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 3: care anything about religion. 278 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: Food is a constant theme throughout your life, not having 279 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,079 Speaker 1: enough cooking it cleanly, eating Well. 280 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 3: That's why the success of the George forming grill, because 281 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 3: I could talk about food as well as the grill, 282 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 3: and so I was. I figured I was deprived of 283 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 3: a lot. I didn't have anything when I was young. 284 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 3: It made me ambitious to make certain I have a lot. 285 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 1: How did you teach your children with regard to food, 286 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: because that's something I think every parent struggles with, the 287 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 1: clean your plate club. 288 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:10,679 Speaker 3: Those and I had that but eat and for good reasons, 289 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 3: because if I didn't finish your plate, I mean, but 290 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 3: give get another plate. And so I spoke to my 291 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 3: kids a lot about that. But at the same time, 292 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 3: I wanted to explain to them that you know you 293 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 3: can overeat. You can go too far with food. I 294 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 3: wanted to let them know that they're not me. They're 295 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 3: not going through without I went through. They don't need 296 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 3: deep and think like that anymore. So I had to 297 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:35,959 Speaker 3: convert them from the old George Foeman spell you better eat, 298 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 3: you better hear up and eat you better eat it all. 299 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 3: I didn't want to do that because that's where food 300 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 3: can work against you. 301 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: Surely you recognize that part of what made you who 302 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: you are is the privation the things you didn't have, 303 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: the things that you wanted. So how do you raise 304 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: your children when your financials changed, your financial condition and 305 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: you could provide them everything, How do you balance that? 306 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 3: And I tell them I was at uh uh Oxford 307 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 3: University in in London the other day speaking and as 308 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 3: I finished speaking and. 309 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 2: I said, they were asking a question. 310 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 3: I said, the one thing that frightens me most is 311 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 3: that I wasn't able to give my kids my main, 312 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 3: my main ingredients. And they said what I said, hunger. 313 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: Mm. 314 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 3: I was hungry. I wanted it, and I'm I'm afraid 315 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 3: that some of them may have passed I I didn't 316 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 3: pass on the hunger from them, and that bothers me. 317 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 3: But they and in this world, you gotta find your own. 318 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 3: It was my way. I was hungry. You would you 319 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 3: were discriminated against y you were hungry. I said, that 320 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 3: was the crowning. I was crowned hungry. All those things 321 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 3: that happened to me made me something to want something. 322 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 3: I wanted to be on television my kids grew up. Oh, 323 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 3: I was on television a lot when I was a kid. 324 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 3: But I saw, uh leave it to Beaver having his 325 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 3: own bedroom. I wanted those things like that. Hunger is 326 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 3: something that no one shoul should take for Granted, you 327 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 3: need a little bit of it, but you can't deprive 328 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 3: your kids just to prove it. 329 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 2: They should have the best schools. 330 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 3: They should have the best education. 331 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: You should and it's a joy to provide it to them. 332 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 3: Yeah and uh, and you can't be afraid to provide 333 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 3: those things for your children. You got you just can't 334 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 3: let them. One life is enough, George former life, that's enough. 335 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: Jim Forman a Jim Forman, Jim Brown was one of 336 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: your heroes. How did you decide that boxing was your 337 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: career and not running with the football. 338 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 3: I wanted to be a football player more than anything 339 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 3: in the world. I went to the job corp with 340 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 3: the idea. They said, if you're looking for a second chance, 341 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 3: And I did play while I was there. 342 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: What politician? 343 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 3: Uh, defensive tackler. I mean, boy, you couldn't stop me 344 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 3: when I started. A few of them stopped me. But 345 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 3: I wanted to be a football player. I never even college. 346 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 3: Just looking at me. But I'd had one boxing match 347 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 3: before and in one season and as I was getting 348 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 3: down and. 349 00:15:58,000 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 2: Spreading my fingers. 350 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 3: To attack, the coach said, get those fingers in. You 351 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 3: don't want to hurt those hands. And they said, you're 352 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 3: gonna be a good boxer. So that was the end 353 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 3: of football. 354 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: Protecting My coach knew that you. 355 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 2: Were going to be. 356 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 3: He was also assistant in the boxing. He said, put 357 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 3: those fingers in. 358 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: Your passion at the time was football. 359 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, And so they took me and just pushed me 360 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 3: into boxing, and I just well, I didn't want to. 361 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 2: I just wanted to be a street fighter. But that's 362 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 2: what it was. 363 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 3: But it was all about football, all about football. That 364 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 3: Jim Brown. When I first saw that face, I said, 365 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 3: that's who I want to be. Had this mustache start 366 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 3: scraping my face so I could grow a mustache. 367 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 2: I wanted to be him. Sideburns. 368 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: If you hadn't gone into boxing, and you hadn't played football, 369 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: what do you think at that moment? What would you 370 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:51,479 Speaker 1: have wanted to do? What were the passions? 371 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 3: All I can say is thank God for sports. Without sports, 372 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 3: I don't think I would have had a dream. I 373 00:16:58,000 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 3: don't think so Wow. 374 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: So sixty eight, you come back. You're a different George 375 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 1: Foreman than you went to the Olympic village. So walk 376 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,959 Speaker 1: me through the next few years. Obviously the big fights 377 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: in your mind, what stands out well? 378 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 3: One fight after another in the Olympics, I was I 379 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 3: only had twenty five boxing matches, one a gold medal, 380 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 3: one twenty five and that's not enough experience to become 381 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 3: a pro. And I explained that to one of my 382 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 3: first managers, Dick Suthler. He said, we're gonna do exhibitions. 383 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 3: I never I just wanted to do exhibitions and keep 384 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,640 Speaker 3: my fame with that gold medal. He decided to turn 385 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:38,199 Speaker 3: pro and I said, I don't have a lot of fights, 386 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 3: but one fight after another he would school me and winning. 387 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,920 Speaker 3: I said, I wanted to be a great boxer like Muhammad, 388 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 3: a lead with the footwork, but he would send me 389 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 3: out there for knockouts. I was like, man, people gonna 390 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 3: think I can box. He didn't care, and I realized 391 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,639 Speaker 3: in hindsight, if I had gone for a decision in 392 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:57,919 Speaker 3: some of these hometowns, they would have given it to 393 00:17:57,960 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 3: the other games. 394 00:17:58,680 --> 00:17:59,880 Speaker 2: So he knew that I didn't. 395 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 3: So I ended up with all those knockouts, and nobody 396 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 3: thought I could fight because so many knockouts, and that 397 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,399 Speaker 3: contributed to Joe Fraser giving me a shot for the title. 398 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 3: All my whole life was dedicated over three and a 399 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 3: half years, to nothing but boxing. I couldn't I didn't date, 400 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 3: I didn't do anything. All I did was eat, think, boxing. 401 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 1: Have you ever had that level of commitment again? Uh? Focus? 402 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, I had that. That was some focus. I don't 403 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 3: think anyone should have. You gotta put family in there. 404 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 3: M like boxing, boxing, boxing. Nothing else occurred to be 405 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 3: important at that time. But then the second time around, 406 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 3: it was all about family. 407 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:46,360 Speaker 1: Three words, three times, Down goes Fraser. When you hear 408 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: Howard Cosell's voice and you hear those words, what does 409 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: what does that make you? Sir? 410 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 3: When I look back and hit a film, down goes Fraser. 411 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 3: I can see where it was a shock to everyone else, 412 00:18:56,480 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 3: But is six thirty six fights. I'd been knocking everybody out. 413 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 3: That's all I did, was knocking people out. I was 414 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 3: afraid of Fraser, but I think that fear was assisted 415 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 3: me in getting that knockout. I was so afraid of 416 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,199 Speaker 3: that guy. And a knockout and then the heavyweight championship 417 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 3: of the world, the impossible dream. 418 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: Do you remember the moment when Fraser actually did go 419 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 1: down and you're standing there the last man. Do you 420 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:25,360 Speaker 1: remember how you. 421 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 3: Felt the first time he got knocked down. I remember thinking, boy, 422 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:34,239 Speaker 3: he's gonna kill me. Now, boy, I've messed up. 423 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:35,400 Speaker 2: Now I knocked him down again. 424 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 3: I said, whoa no, And after three times, I said, man, 425 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:41,880 Speaker 3: he'd get back to the corner. He's gonna get refreshed. 426 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 3: He's gonna kill me. So I got I was afraid. 427 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 3: I knocked him down three more times. Then the rougheree 428 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 3: stepped in. I said, it is possible, It's impossible. I 429 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,160 Speaker 3: did it. All you could think is I did it? 430 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 1: And then what? 431 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 3: Then? All of a sudden, the world really changed because 432 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,439 Speaker 3: cause I started believing I'm the best fighter I ever lived. 433 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 3: This this nobody can stand up to it. You wave 434 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 3: your hand in the air and you start. 435 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 2: Living in the air. 436 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 3: You s started thinking too much of myself. 437 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:13,120 Speaker 1: Mm. 438 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:15,879 Speaker 2: But I was wealthy though I had some money. 439 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 1: Was that the first time you really tasted the financial 440 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: success of of what you your success? 441 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 3: Well, you've become champion of the world. I remember going 442 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 3: down to the lobby the next day at the press 443 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,439 Speaker 3: comfort and someone said, got a telephone and it was 444 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 3: the great television man Bob Hope, who had all the shows. 445 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:38,119 Speaker 3: He said, George, I said, there is this is Bob Hope. 446 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:40,920 Speaker 3: I said, no way, said we wanna come. I want 447 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 3: you to do my show. And then he told me 448 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 3: how much he was gonna pay me, said, what impossible? 449 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 3: Money started coming from everywhere. M. You don't believe it, 450 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 3: then you spend it like you don't believe it. 451 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: Well, of course, what was the first ridiculous purchase you 452 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: made that you said you never would have made that before? 453 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 3: Uh? 454 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:03,640 Speaker 2: About a Rose Ross Karnye, I. 455 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:04,880 Speaker 1: Was gonna say, did you buy a Cadillace? 456 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 3: My god, rolls Royce? 457 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 2: Alright, I bought the Rose Russ. I already had the Cadillac. 458 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 3: Okay, I bought the Rose Ross uh or convertible and 459 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,199 Speaker 3: it cost so much money in those days, nothing like 460 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 3: it costs now. But wow, I said, I never would 461 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 3: have done that beforehand. M. 462 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: What became of that Rose Ross? 463 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 3: I kept it for a long time and finally, oh, 464 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,880 Speaker 3: you know what, I told Don King if he would 465 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 3: find me a certain thing, I would let him have 466 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:33,919 Speaker 3: the Rose Royce. As years had gone by, and I 467 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 3: gave it to his wife. 468 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: Wow. 469 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, they still have that Rose Royce. Can you believe that? 470 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: Yeah? Actually it's a. 471 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 2: They never got rid of that Henrietta. 472 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 3: Henrietta is long gone now, she's passed on, but she 473 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 3: was one of my best friends. 474 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 2: Sh That family has that. 475 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,880 Speaker 1: Rose Royce Wow, what's your relationship What was your relationship 476 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: over the years with Fraser? 477 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,159 Speaker 3: On a personal level, one of the best friends I 478 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 3: ever had, m Joe Fraser. What you see is what 479 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 3: you get. He was and three or four different fellows. 480 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 3: He treated everyone the same. I loved Joe Frasier. 481 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: Do you think maybe history was not as kind to 482 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:11,400 Speaker 1: him as it could have been? 483 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:16,400 Speaker 3: Well, it's only history doesn't have to be that kind. 484 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 3: So long as our family and friends are kind to us, 485 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 3: we don't. 486 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:20,640 Speaker 2: Have to worry about anything else. 487 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 3: You really can't everyone in your place in history. Hey, 488 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 3: it's one of those things you don't even get concerned 489 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:33,120 Speaker 3: with that. Make certain that you love your family, your children, 490 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,119 Speaker 3: your mother, and your father. If you can do that 491 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 3: and didn't have a few grandkids to top it off, 492 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:39,719 Speaker 3: that's all about all you need. And he had all 493 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:40,360 Speaker 3: of that and Moore. 494 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: So I can quote you as saying Rolls Royce's will 495 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 1: come and go. But I'm not sure. 496 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 2: Who will identify of that though. 497 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 3: But really, if you get a chance to have some 498 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 3: family and when you're sick, they come and visit you, 499 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 3: or they send you, call you. When you lose a 500 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 3: world championship or something, that's about all you can expect 501 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 3: to get out of this, and then be kind to 502 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 3: your fellow men, so you can pass the baton on 503 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 3: to the young ones to be as kind as well. 504 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: I asked one of your family members a series of 505 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: email questions, as you know, what's your father like on 506 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,160 Speaker 1: a personal level, and one of the answers was that 507 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 1: you might get your head beat in on a Saturday night, 508 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: but you still the family still went to church on 509 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: Sunday and you were told, you know, you may not 510 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: can hug daddy quite as close because he's got two 511 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: black eyes and he hurts. That's not a story every 512 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: boxer goes through. 513 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 3: And now only that you know what about these open 514 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 3: houlls is some of you. Sometimes after the boxing matches, 515 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 3: the kids have open house at high school and I 516 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 3: have to go with dog glasses on because I couldn't go. 517 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 3: As George Forman, I told him I'd be there to 518 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 3: listen to them sing, and I have to sit in 519 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 3: the audience, just like every other proud parent. 520 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: But that's a unique story. I don't think every professional 521 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:57,919 Speaker 1: athlete family has a father that is as attentive to 522 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: the family because the career comes first. 523 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 3: But very few it had a championship career beforehand, and 524 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 3: know the failure mm of being success without being close 525 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 3: to the family. I had that that opportunity to know 526 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:16,400 Speaker 3: most importantly is get close to your family, be there 527 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:20,199 Speaker 3: for them, cause these things passed. They always passed, and 528 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:23,880 Speaker 3: you gotta make certain that you your family's isn't more important. 529 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: What was your emotion when Muhammad Ali passed? 530 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 3: I haven't still haven't gotten over that, still haven't gotten 531 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 3: over that. That's been my friend, My gracious Remember I 532 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 3: told you as I'm in a job course center Cassius 533 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 3: class fighting Floyd Patterson and it's a big going on, 534 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 3: all the kids in the day room, and they look 535 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:45,879 Speaker 3: at me. You think you're so tough. Why don't you 536 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:49,239 Speaker 3: become a boxer? That man came into my life and 537 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 3: he's never left out. We became friends s. People misuse 538 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,160 Speaker 3: that word all the time, but friends. He was part 539 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,919 Speaker 3: of my life, you know. And I love that guy, 540 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 3: still love him. 541 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: Larry Holmes. 542 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 3: Larry Holmes a wonderful fellow, wonderful boxer, and I look 543 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,400 Speaker 3: at him as that wonderful guy, wonderful boxer. Too bad 544 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 3: he had to be in the shadows of Mohammed as 545 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 3: far as talent now, not as a family man, because 546 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 3: his family loves him too. 547 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: It was a really nice special on him. I think 548 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: it's a thirty for thirty. I don't know if you've 549 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: seen it, but it's him and his wife and he's 550 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: kind of going through and he talks about kind of 551 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:24,879 Speaker 1: coming to peace with the fact that he was just 552 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:26,880 Speaker 1: a little bit later than you guys, and that y'all 553 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,879 Speaker 1: were the golden era, and he's comfortable now with his 554 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:35,919 Speaker 1: place in all of that. There was talk at the 555 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 1: end of your career, after your last fight that you 556 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 1: and him you'd have kind of a birthday bash at 557 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 1: the Astrodome and it would be almost happened. 558 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:44,360 Speaker 2: What happened, It just didn't come. 559 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 3: The promoters came halfway and couldn't go the rest of 560 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 3: the way. And I'm still kind of a business guy. 561 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:50,679 Speaker 1: You wish that had happened. 562 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 3: Not really, I didn't want to fight him, but it 563 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 3: was one of those things that I couldn't say no 564 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 3: to because of the business aspect. But I'm in hindsight, 565 00:25:58,359 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 3: I'm glad it didn't happen. 566 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 2: Him. 567 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,959 Speaker 1: You said you didn't want to fight him, Did you 568 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,879 Speaker 1: ever have w well, I don't know, because I'm not 569 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: a boxer. Is it fear apprehension? Was there ever a 570 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: moment you're going into a boxing match and you go, 571 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: I can hit hard, but that guy can hit hard too. 572 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 3: And the one time I didn't have all of what 573 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 3: you said, all the above, I fought in mohammadal Lee 574 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 3: in Africa, all fear, all apprehension, butterfly nothing. I said this, 575 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 3: I like this, went into the fight and lost for 576 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 3: the first time because I didn't have my baggage of 577 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:38,879 Speaker 3: fears with me. I think that, and I when I 578 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,639 Speaker 3: made my comeback I had to manufacture all those fears 579 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 3: again to make certain I'd be ready. I didn't. I 580 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 3: walked into the ring without fear. And that's the only 581 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 3: time you can lose. 582 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 1: So in seventy seven you retire for the first time. 583 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 3: Why I I had this experience in Puerto Rico where 584 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 3: I died. In a split second. After this vision, I 585 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:02,640 Speaker 3: was alive again. I saw blood on my hand and forehead. 586 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 3: I started screaming, Jesus Christ is coming alive in me. 587 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 3: I didn't believe in those things. I'm telling you, I 588 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 3: didn't believe in it. There I was screaming in the room, 589 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 3: kissing everybody in the room, telling them I loved 'em, 590 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 3: and reciting the Bible of all things. I left there 591 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 3: scared for ten years. Not only did I not box, 592 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 3: I didn't even make a fist start preaching on the 593 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 3: street corners anywhere that people would hear me about the life, 594 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,639 Speaker 3: about God and the great love of Jesus Christ. I 595 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 3: didn't believe in those things. I try to talk myself 596 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 3: out of it. If you gotta hit you hard, uh 597 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 3: heat prostration. Couldn't even say the word. 598 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 2: Whatever delusion. 599 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:45,479 Speaker 3: I wanted it to be all those that But the 600 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 3: smell of death, you'll never forget even talking to you, 601 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 3: is still there. The smell of death is the worst 602 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,119 Speaker 3: thing that could have I was dead and there was 603 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 3: no more of me, and I just said goodbye to everything. 604 00:27:57,760 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 3: And the saddest thing is is to leave this life. 605 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 3: What I was saying goodbye to my mother, I didn't 606 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:05,200 Speaker 3: say goodbye. And I had a second chance to leave, 607 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:08,680 Speaker 3: to tell everybody, cause you think it's gonna happen again, 608 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 3: And so I started. 609 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 2: I didn't intend to be a. 610 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 3: Preacher either, But after awhile people say hey, Rev, Hey, reverend, forman. 611 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 3: I was ordained in se I think seventy eighty eight 612 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:22,879 Speaker 3: as an evangelist. 613 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 2: Cause I went into prisons and hospitals. 614 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 3: I didn't want this to happen, but it took over me, 615 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 3: and it's still in in place now. 616 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:35,880 Speaker 1: Ten years later, you're thirty eight years old. Why come back? 617 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 3: Well, I call it this profound phenomenon occurred again. I 618 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 3: was broke. I looked up one day. I didn't have 619 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 3: any money. My walk my wife walked past me, pregnant. 620 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 3: I said, well you, I said what she said, I'm pregnant. 621 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 3: I said, don't you know I don't have any money. 622 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,360 Speaker 3: She said, you better go get something. I wish I 623 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 3: had been a golfer. I really, I said. The only 624 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 3: thing I know how to do was box right, and 625 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 3: I had to go back to the gym at three 626 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 3: hundred and fifteen pounds and get myself ready to fight again. 627 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 3: People laughed at me, and I laughed along with 'em. 628 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 3: I didn't wanna be a boxer again, but I brought 629 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 3: up my My jab was still in place my right hand, 630 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 3: and I hated it, but I had to box. I 631 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 3: realized God had given me a profession. I had looked 632 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,800 Speaker 3: at boxing. It's this killer instinct. That's why. That's the 633 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 3: reason I quit. I loved everybody, but I talked to 634 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 3: kids at the George from a youth center that never 635 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 3: a punch in anger, come on, do this, And in 636 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 3: return I learned myself. I became champ of the world 637 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 3: a second time. Never threw one punch in anger. 638 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: And that's more. R Michael Moore, the tin shot in 639 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: the in I guess tenth Rand late in the fight. 640 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: I know that they say the scoring was you were behind. 641 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: Did you know that? Did you know you had to 642 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: knock him out? 643 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 3: Well, they say, but I you get into the boxing ring, 644 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 3: and uh I got ready to walk out of the 645 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 3: dress room and they only told me then they said 646 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 3: the three knockdown rules have been waved. And it broke 647 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 3: my heart because if I knocked him down three times, 648 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 3: they can still say if he gets up and run, 649 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 3: he can still go in and win the fight. And 650 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:27,719 Speaker 3: uh so I went into the ring knowing that if 651 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,240 Speaker 3: I get him down, he was gonna have to stay, 652 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 3: cause if I knock him down twice, he just run 653 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 3: and they'd say he won on points. And so I 654 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 3: got in the ring and I land some punches to 655 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 3: the side, in the side, in the stomach, and I 656 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 3: used my jab, kept my sight, and then finally about 657 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 3: the tenth round, things started to open up and I 658 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 3: land a good right hand, and only then I knew 659 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 3: I could really get him. Hit him with a second 660 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:55,720 Speaker 3: right hand right on his chin and dropped him. He 661 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 3: was out. It was a miracle. If I tell you, 662 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 3: I knew it was gonna help, and I'd be lying, 663 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 3: but I knew I was putting the punches in the 664 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 3: right s place to make something like that happen. 665 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: How was that fighter different than when you fought Fraser? 666 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 3: Well, I had to this time. I had to be 667 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 3: conservative and think. I didn't I was frasier. I didn't 668 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 3: have to think. All I did was just throw power. 669 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 3: But then when I fought the great Muhammed Ali, I 670 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,160 Speaker 3: realized I had to have power in thought. So I 671 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 3: had a second chance to have power in thought. That 672 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 3: made it different. 673 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: You remember lou savaice so Lose, a friend of mine, 674 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: and I called and talked to him about your boxing, 675 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: the technique of your boxing, and he said he fought 676 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: you and he thinks you were forty three at the time. 677 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:43,680 Speaker 2: I was forty eight. 678 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 1: You were forty eight with him, Okay, he thought you 679 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 1: were forty three. So he said, if you look at 680 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: George Foreman's career, his jab gets better with age. He said, 681 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: he had this jab, he said, but the thing about 682 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: him was he was so relaxed. He said, I've never 683 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: before or since, I've seen a boxer do what he did. 684 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: And he said that when he would spar with you, 685 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 1: you would bring guys in that'd have ten of them, 686 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 1: and they just keep and they would run them in 687 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: for about a Roundhi, he said, I've never He said, 688 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 1: he was in his forties, Michael, and he was having 689 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: these guys, but he would stay there and fight him. 690 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 1: And he said he would fight until his body was relaxed. 691 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: And he said, I've never seen a fighter so incredibly relaxed. 692 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 1: How do you think you achieved that was that conscious? 693 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 2: Well? 694 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 3: I knew that if you dedicate your life to the 695 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 3: conditioning that it took in boxing, whatever someone would try 696 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:38,480 Speaker 3: to do to the ring due to you in the ring, 697 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 3: I would have already done to myself outside the ring. 698 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 3: And I realized, being prepared for the worst can save 699 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 3: me from the worst in the ring. 700 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 2: And I was prepared so when they. 701 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 3: Brought it on, I was relaxed, like, here it comes. 702 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: It's funny to use your words, because that's what Luce 703 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: every said. He said you were a thinking man's fighter 704 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 1: at the end, because you fought with your head. 705 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 3: And you have to think after a while, you just 706 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 3: no matter how tough you are, there's someone tougher. 707 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 1: Everything I read about you is that George Foreman. The 708 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: personality sort of changed when you came back in eighty seven, 709 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,720 Speaker 1: and by eighty nine people wanted your face on mufflers, 710 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 1: they wanted your face on everything. The early writings about you, 711 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:26,640 Speaker 1: the two words they use are aloof and antisocial. I 712 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:29,520 Speaker 1: think that's even on your Wikipedia page, aloof and antisocial. 713 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: And they say that that was you being like Sonny Listen, 714 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 1: being a tough guy. But then you became this lovable George, 715 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,240 Speaker 1: big George that everybody loved. Was that a conscious change 716 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 1: or were you maturing or were you happier? 717 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, Sunny Listening was my role model. I'd seen the 718 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 3: way he treated people, he acted, and I'd said this 719 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 3: is the way I'm gonna do it. Just couldn't take 720 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 3: the beachamp of the world. That's me and I was mean, 721 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,720 Speaker 3: I was definitely a bad guy, and I tell people 722 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 3: you saw the best of me in the ring. 723 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:00,520 Speaker 2: I was worse outside the ring. 724 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 3: But the second time to be dead and rescued, no 725 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 3: one else believed you. 726 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 2: Ah yeah, yeah yeah, But I. 727 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 3: Was there to get a second chance to live and 728 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,880 Speaker 3: hug your mom and be with your children. Every morning 729 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 3: you wake up and you like, boy, I gotta got fun, 730 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 3: have some fun, right, and it changes you. Your You 731 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,080 Speaker 3: kN you you're not putting on you love life, m 732 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 3: And that's what happened to me. I love life and 733 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:29,839 Speaker 3: the greatest part of life people people, That's life. I 734 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:30,560 Speaker 3: love people. 735 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:36,239 Speaker 1: Long before the the grill, people wanted you attached to 736 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,959 Speaker 1: their product because other people would buy a product if 737 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 1: your face was attached to it. Why do you think 738 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 1: that is? 739 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 2: Uh? 740 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:47,680 Speaker 3: They trusted me, and I trusted them, and and I'll 741 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:50,920 Speaker 3: tell my kids now, you may not be the toughest, 742 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 3: may not be the taller, the strongest person in the world, 743 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 3: but you can be the kindest human being alive. And 744 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 3: when you are, everybody I wanna be a part of it. 745 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:05,400 Speaker 3: And that's what I was. I had become kind because 746 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 3: ten years out of boxing, I'd walk around I thought 747 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 3: you had to be famous and rich to get something, 748 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 3: and people would give me a seat on like a 749 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,520 Speaker 3: steward flight of tender would say, hey, Bigger, you could 750 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 3: have this bigger seat. Say I can't give you the meal, 751 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 3: but you can have it. They didn't know who I 752 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:26,120 Speaker 3: w I was. People would stop and give me a 753 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,040 Speaker 3: boost in my car, and I'd try to pay them 754 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 3: get out of here, Bigger. I found out that people 755 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:34,960 Speaker 3: were kind and I didn't need to be rich for 756 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 3: people to be kind to me. I had that opportunity. 757 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 3: Or then when I got to be champed, I returned to. 758 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 2: Favor S Auto Graphs. 759 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:46,239 Speaker 3: Whatever you want from me, I'm just giving back to 760 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:48,399 Speaker 3: what cause they had given to me. Ah ten years 761 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 3: out of boxing. People were so kind to me. Gave 762 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 3: me the best piece of meat. Let's save that for 763 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:53,879 Speaker 3: the big guy. 764 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:59,279 Speaker 1: MM. When you look back on your life, if you 765 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: could talk to the young George Foreman that was in 766 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:03,960 Speaker 1: the job corps, that was so the trouble you, that 767 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 1: was so angry, what would you say to him? 768 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 3: Now, enjoy every second of it. 769 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 2: Enjoy your life. 770 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,440 Speaker 3: Don't go through one day of bitterness, one day of 771 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:17,160 Speaker 3: disappointment or sadness. 772 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:18,400 Speaker 2: Forget about it. 773 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:20,920 Speaker 3: You know why, because this is the best thing that 774 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,040 Speaker 3: ever had could happen to a person life. 775 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 2: Life. 776 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:29,120 Speaker 3: That's as good as he gets life. 777 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:33,600 Speaker 1: What single professional accomplishment are you most proud of? 778 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:42,839 Speaker 3: Professional accomplishment? I've done so many deals and oh boy, 779 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:46,239 Speaker 3: and they all mounted up to something. But winning that 780 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:50,440 Speaker 3: Olympic gold medal, it's it was an amateur, but that 781 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 3: nothing that's topped that. 782 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:54,840 Speaker 1: Really, Wow, that's fascinating. 783 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:55,640 Speaker 2: That Olympic gold medal. 784 00:36:55,719 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 3: Man. I can't believe that happened. I still kind of 785 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 3: like it's this true. I may wake up in the 786 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:02,920 Speaker 3: morning and say, oh, it's a dream. 787 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 2: Right. 788 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:04,759 Speaker 1: Do you still watch the Olympics? 789 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:06,080 Speaker 2: I love the Olympics now. 790 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:09,040 Speaker 3: I keep looking for that moment and those kids stand 791 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 3: on the platform and hear that national anthem. It's happening 792 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 3: to them all over again. 793 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:16,439 Speaker 1: Oh to see Simon bows from here and the other 794 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:20,440 Speaker 1: Simon and the Lopez is the taekwondo fighters, It's it's 795 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:23,480 Speaker 1: just thrilling to watch these young people and to realize 796 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 1: how that's projecting them and they're representing our country. 797 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 3: They hear that song and then you don't pay any 798 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:32,360 Speaker 3: attention cause it's just a song, and then you realize, 799 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 3: oh wow, this is it. 800 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:37,000 Speaker 2: It takes your. 801 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,759 Speaker 1: Strength for you and what you've done, and it it 802 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 1: takes a lot. 803 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:42,440 Speaker 3: Of strength just not to just break down and just 804 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:45,839 Speaker 3: fall down and start crying. Right, And that's the hardest part. 805 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 3: If they just hold their piece. I know how hard 806 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 3: it is. 807 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:51,839 Speaker 1: I'm almost done. If you're retired, talk to me if 808 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 1: you would about your ministry. 809 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:56,320 Speaker 3: Oh, I've been a minister now. It's almost forty years 810 00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:01,719 Speaker 3: next March. Forty years I've been preaching. Can you believe we're. 811 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:03,399 Speaker 1: Talking about seventy eight. It's hard to believe that's forty 812 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:03,839 Speaker 1: years ago. 813 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:05,480 Speaker 3: Can you believe that? 814 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 2: So I all those years. 815 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:11,880 Speaker 3: Uh, it's the one thing that uh, I'm attached to 816 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,799 Speaker 3: that I can look back every year and grateful for 817 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:17,080 Speaker 3: it has made a good better man of me. I've 818 00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:20,000 Speaker 3: met a lot of people I've introduced to this way 819 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:22,520 Speaker 3: of life and it's made better people out of them. 820 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 3: And the ministry is the one thing that keeps me 821 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 3: striving and happy. 822 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 1: Obviously, it's Christ's example that is the basis of our faith. 823 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:34,399 Speaker 1: But is there someone in the Bible that you look 824 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:37,400 Speaker 1: at his life and you see based on his growth, 825 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:39,480 Speaker 1: and you you identify with him a lot. 826 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,920 Speaker 2: Oh the Apostle Paul. The story goes that he was 827 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:43,440 Speaker 2: on I was. 828 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:47,000 Speaker 3: He was on this road, on the road going in 829 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:50,600 Speaker 3: one direction, he got knocked off right, knocked to the ground, 830 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:55,239 Speaker 3: and win in another direction. That is the most magnificent thing. 831 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:57,840 Speaker 3: I didn't I never knew that exists in the bibel 832 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:00,799 Speaker 3: Bible until after seventy said, but I didn't hear of 833 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 3: those stories that didn't mean anything. And I'm happy as 834 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:06,960 Speaker 3: when I read about uh his transformation. 835 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:10,560 Speaker 1: Well, and to imagine a man writing letters from prison 836 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:13,120 Speaker 1: that are changing a life, I mean, that's it's a 837 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 1: pretty profound ministry. 838 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 3: That's why it's good that all of us visit the 839 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:19,160 Speaker 3: prisons and talk, because there are a lot of strong, 840 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:22,920 Speaker 3: wilderned men where who's got a lot to say about 841 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:25,919 Speaker 3: the future already in jail. They just for the time 842 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:26,759 Speaker 3: being locked up. 843 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:30,840 Speaker 1: America's changed a lot since you were sixteen years old. 844 00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 1: Do you think a young man today has the same 845 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,480 Speaker 1: opportunities you do? You did? You know? 846 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:39,359 Speaker 3: There's two ways to look at America. You can look 847 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:42,759 Speaker 3: at it as what you've heard and look at it 848 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:47,399 Speaker 3: as what I lived. I never had an unhappy day 849 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 3: as far as America was concerned. In my life, bod 850 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 3: has always been a distinct taste of chocolate ice cream 851 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:58,759 Speaker 3: and vanilla ice cream. And they didn't even come on 852 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:05,440 Speaker 3: the scene. What uh coconut coconut ice cream? I mean, 853 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 3: now they got basking robbing with all those flavors. They 854 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:12,600 Speaker 3: didn't exist back in the forties and fifties. But ice 855 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 3: cream was just as good without. 856 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:17,359 Speaker 1: My best ice cream in my whole life was when. 857 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 2: Letty coconut, That's what I was trying to do. 858 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:21,520 Speaker 1: My pupall would make it and we would sit on 859 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:23,160 Speaker 1: the crank, you know, you'd have to sit there and 860 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,040 Speaker 1: wait on it to with the rock, salt and all that. 861 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:28,759 Speaker 1: Nothing's ever been even Bluebell doesn't match up to that. 862 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, So when people say America changed to America, to 863 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 3: me has always been I thought one day I was 864 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 3: gonna get some money, and I was talking with my 865 00:40:40,719 --> 00:40:42,960 Speaker 3: friends and I'm gonna go down and order a sandwich. 866 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:44,960 Speaker 3: And one friend say, what kind of sandwich? Are you 867 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:49,720 Speaker 3: gonna order? A syrup sandwich? That's all we thought about. 868 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:53,200 Speaker 3: Syrup sandwich. Mayn A's sandwich. 869 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 1: That's what my mother tells me about man they's sanwiches. 870 00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:59,760 Speaker 3: The world to me has always been measured in the taste, 871 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 3: the flavors, and now they use a lot of spices 872 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:07,640 Speaker 3: that we didn't know about. But I still look at 873 00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:10,640 Speaker 3: America as the most wonderful place on Earth. I was 874 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:13,480 Speaker 3: born in it, and it was always the most wonderful place. 875 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:16,160 Speaker 3: I walk down the street and we get tar on 876 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:18,560 Speaker 3: our toes because of the they pull the rocks and 877 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:21,480 Speaker 3: put the toys out there. Now I walk around, I 878 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:22,480 Speaker 3: just look at the streets. 879 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:22,799 Speaker 2: I said. 880 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:25,960 Speaker 3: The kids will not even experience tar on the roads anymore. 881 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:28,920 Speaker 3: So for me, it's been a great country. It's been 882 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:32,560 Speaker 3: a great journey. I met some of the most wonderful 883 00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:37,719 Speaker 3: people ever, Lyndon Johnson, doc Brothers, my boxing coach. Oh, 884 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:40,800 Speaker 3: it's been Jimmy Brown. Oh, and I wanted to walk 885 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,640 Speaker 3: like John Wayne. I don't think anywhere in the world 886 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:45,680 Speaker 3: could have an America like that. I mean, have any 887 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:47,040 Speaker 3: to beat America than that. 888 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:49,799 Speaker 1: I'm told you're a big fan of Westerns and that 889 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:52,480 Speaker 1: the one time the people in the in the house 890 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:54,440 Speaker 1: have to be quiet is when you're watching gun smoke. 891 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:58,880 Speaker 3: Oh my favorite. Oh, don't bother with me wre guns boys. 892 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:01,560 Speaker 3: I keep finding myself a week after we watching the 893 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 3: same thing too. And I love gunsmoke too. 894 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,759 Speaker 1: Who is the person that's alive today that you have 895 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 1: not met that you would most like to meet, that 896 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: you just think they're neat you'd like to shake their hand? 897 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:18,799 Speaker 3: Wow, there are a lot of people. There are so 898 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:24,719 Speaker 3: many people, and uh give me. I wanted to think 899 00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:29,399 Speaker 3: about that because there's some great people alive young too. 900 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:37,160 Speaker 3: I think maybe that uh uh Manning, Uh, Peyton Peyton Manning. 901 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:39,920 Speaker 3: I've never met him, right, Eli Manning. 902 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:43,319 Speaker 1: He's retired though you're not retired, so he might not 903 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:44,720 Speaker 1: understand your busy lifestyle. 904 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:47,439 Speaker 3: Yeah, I like to meet Peyton Manning's I've never met him. 905 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:51,239 Speaker 3: He's what a great guy. Uh my gracious. There are 906 00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:54,640 Speaker 3: a couple of football coaches on the scene too that 907 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:58,439 Speaker 3: I like. I met Shaquille O'Neal. Okay, boy, was like wow, 908 00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:00,480 Speaker 3: he was trying to find me and I been trying 909 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:04,200 Speaker 3: to meet him so big. Can you imagine a mother 910 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:06,040 Speaker 3: having to carry around a big baby like that? 911 00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:09,000 Speaker 1: But you know the thing about Shaquille O'Neal kind of 912 00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 1: like Karl Malone, I sensed the country in him. You know, 913 00:43:14,200 --> 00:43:17,279 Speaker 1: I sense that this is the guy that has country values, 914 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:20,359 Speaker 1: more sort of family, and I think that's why he's 915 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:21,319 Speaker 1: lasted so long. 916 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:22,759 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's it. 917 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:25,359 Speaker 3: People can see that same thing, just a big old 918 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:27,880 Speaker 3: happy country boy. So when I thought about that, I 919 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:31,360 Speaker 3: was going to say, Shaquille O'Neill. But I met him already. 920 00:43:31,640 --> 00:43:35,319 Speaker 3: But you want to go beyond athletes. 921 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:38,560 Speaker 1: I don't have to. Is there a singer that you 922 00:43:38,640 --> 00:43:41,880 Speaker 1: always liked that you've met or haven't met, that was 923 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:43,400 Speaker 1: you just loved their stuff? 924 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:47,279 Speaker 3: Yeah, Diana Ross. I've never met Diana or Ross. I 925 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:50,239 Speaker 3: never I've been in the same places, and I know 926 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:53,520 Speaker 3: it was possible, but Diana Ross, i'd like to meet her. 927 00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:56,120 Speaker 3: And now I surely want to meet that Beyonce from Houston. 928 00:43:56,640 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 3: I'd like to just get well, just pair some by people, 929 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:03,680 Speaker 3: but I'd like to pick her up and say country 930 00:44:03,719 --> 00:44:10,799 Speaker 3: girl Beyondce uh huh and that uh So there are 931 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:14,800 Speaker 3: so many people around, especially that Beyonce and Diana Ross. 932 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:17,360 Speaker 3: I'd have to have a picture with them wherever. And 933 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:20,279 Speaker 3: I've seen her perform wherever she's playing. I don't want 934 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:22,759 Speaker 3: to say I never saw these great people. I went 935 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:29,000 Speaker 3: out uh uh and saw uh, Mike, the Rolling Stones, 936 00:44:30,239 --> 00:44:33,279 Speaker 3: Mic Jagger and uh my kids. A while I said, 937 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:35,279 Speaker 3: I don't want my life to go and say I 938 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:39,240 Speaker 3: didn't see them, because I saw James Brown and uh 939 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:41,560 Speaker 3: Uh you know the guy that was with the. 940 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:45,279 Speaker 2: Beatles, and Paul McCartney. He played at the I used 941 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:46,080 Speaker 2: to keep mind you. 942 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:48,600 Speaker 1: Like the guys that make it for decades, like you, Yeah, 943 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:50,480 Speaker 1: they have to stay around for a while before you can. 944 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:52,840 Speaker 3: Then I can see what they have to say along 945 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:55,479 Speaker 3: with their life as well. Because some of the guys 946 00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:57,400 Speaker 3: have passed through, I didn't see and I wish I 947 00:44:57,400 --> 00:45:01,719 Speaker 3: had seen so but I've met them all and I 948 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:06,719 Speaker 3: even met Mick Jagger, so good stuff. Paul McCartney, I've 949 00:45:06,719 --> 00:45:08,760 Speaker 3: met all those guys, but got to meet Beyoncee. 950 00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:14,240 Speaker 1: When you look back on your life to this point, 951 00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:16,840 Speaker 1: on a personal level, what are you most proud of? 952 00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:22,880 Speaker 3: On a personal level, Oh my children, Oh my children. 953 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:27,200 Speaker 3: On personal level, I love my children and some of 954 00:45:27,239 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 3: the most outstanding people I've ever met. Not one of 955 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,759 Speaker 3: them are the same. They're all different. That's got to 956 00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:34,520 Speaker 3: be the crazy. 957 00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:36,920 Speaker 1: Even if they do all have the same name. I 958 00:45:37,040 --> 00:45:39,880 Speaker 1: try to give them ask people to give me questions, 959 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:41,640 Speaker 1: and they said, why does everybody have to be George? 960 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:43,440 Speaker 1: And I said, everybody's not George and they said they're 961 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:47,359 Speaker 1: five George's What were you thinking that the point? 962 00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:50,560 Speaker 2: I was not thinking, Now you have as much? 963 00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:52,680 Speaker 1: Does your wife love you to let you do that? 964 00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:57,640 Speaker 3: But I tell them now you're Joe Frasier, Muhammed Ali, Ken, 965 00:45:57,800 --> 00:46:01,919 Speaker 3: Nordon Evander, Holy, those people hit you on the head. 966 00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:03,520 Speaker 2: How many names that you're gonna come up with? 967 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:07,160 Speaker 1: George the fourth said he's big wheels and I said, 968 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:08,880 Speaker 1: of course you are, because if you're the fourth, you 969 00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:09,600 Speaker 1: gotta be something. 970 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:10,640 Speaker 2: You god be something. 971 00:46:10,719 --> 00:46:14,160 Speaker 3: But I love those kids and they are so different. 972 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:18,319 Speaker 3: I have ten kids, five daughters as well. No one 973 00:46:18,560 --> 00:46:21,440 Speaker 3: is the same. I still can't handle that because I 974 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:23,680 Speaker 3: thought I don't have a bunch of babies. They're not 975 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:26,280 Speaker 3: babies either, bunch of individuals. 976 00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:28,920 Speaker 1: All Right, I'm gonna end where I started, better than 977 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:32,120 Speaker 1: better late than ever. When they give you the call, 978 00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:34,160 Speaker 1: did you ever expect that at this point in your 979 00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:38,880 Speaker 1: career you'd be on prime time network TV with those guys. 980 00:46:38,840 --> 00:46:43,759 Speaker 3: I say, after that Olympic gold medal, nothing surprises me. 981 00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:46,600 Speaker 3: That was the first time I had a dream to 982 00:46:46,600 --> 00:46:49,799 Speaker 3: come true, and then you start thinking what's next. And 983 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:53,279 Speaker 3: I still feel like that Olympic gold medal will take 984 00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:54,600 Speaker 3: you places. Well. 985 00:46:54,719 --> 00:46:56,920 Speaker 1: I have to say, on a personal level, I've watched you. 986 00:46:57,280 --> 00:47:00,560 Speaker 1: I was born in nineteen seventy and I watched you. 987 00:47:00,680 --> 00:47:03,319 Speaker 1: I came to Houston in nineteen eighty nine. I have 988 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:05,640 Speaker 1: watched you. I've watched I've gone back and watched every 989 00:47:05,640 --> 00:47:08,759 Speaker 1: film on YouTube of you fighting that's up. Not every 990 00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:12,080 Speaker 1: fight's up, but everyone that is. I've followed you publicly. 991 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:14,839 Speaker 1: I've watched you on TV. I've seen your interactions. I've 992 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:17,560 Speaker 1: seen how you mentor people. I've even been to your 993 00:47:17,640 --> 00:47:20,959 Speaker 1: church with Michael Harris to hear you preach. I see 994 00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:23,200 Speaker 1: the success. Your son in law is a friend of mine, 995 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:25,799 Speaker 1: and I see the young man that he is. And 996 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:28,279 Speaker 1: I have to say, you are truly which is why 997 00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:30,520 Speaker 1: I wanted to spend some time with you. You are 998 00:47:30,719 --> 00:47:33,600 Speaker 1: a role model, and you are the American dream come true. 999 00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:37,080 Speaker 1: You always conduct yourself like a gentleman and I really 1000 00:47:37,160 --> 00:47:37,879 Speaker 1: appreciate that. 1001 00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:38,640 Speaker 2: Thank you so much. 1002 00:47:38,760 --> 00:47:42,319 Speaker 1: My pleasure to get spend some time with you.