[HEARTBEAT THUMPING]
GEORGE:
I was 28 years old
when I d*ed.
GEORGE:
My life started
in the Fifth Wards in Houston.
Those were some of the toughest
streets in all of Texas.
NANCY:
Come on down.
Nothing ever came easy.
Every day was a fight.
My mother
She said, "Son
We all born and die alone
One day
You're gonna move on
Carry the weight
On your own
Oh, Lord.
Ain't nothing come easy
Lord knows
I've been knocked down
[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE]
We'll have electric
soon as I can manage it.
Ain't nothing come easy..."
Gloria.
Mary.
Here you go, Roy.
And George.
Thank God for the food first,
y'all.
[SIGHS]
Bow your heads.
Heavenly Father,
thank you for this food.
You know exactly
what this family needs.
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
Amen.
KIDS: Amen.
I'm so hungry,
I could eat this table.
[ALL LAUGH]
Thank you, Mary.
GEORGE:
Mary always
saw the good in me.
I loved her for that.
Listen.
I'll be going to work
all day tomorrow,
so you follow Gloria to your new
school in the morning. You hear?
If you get held back
another year,
you won't ever catch back up.
So promise me you won't fight.
I promise.
[CHUCK BERRY'S
"SCHOOL DAY" PLAYING]
Up in the mornin'
And out to school
The teacher is teachin'
The Golden Rule
American history
And practical math
You study 'em hard
And hopin' to pass
Workin' your fingers
Right down to the bone
And the guy behind you
Won't leave you alone
[BELL RINGS]
TEACHER: Good morning, class.
STUDENTS: Good morning.
Everyone turn to Page 16
in your books.
Who wants to read out loud?
Jason, take us away.
JASON [FAINTLY]:
"Texas is called
the Lone Star State..."
[STUDENTS CHATTERING
INDISTINCTLY]
What you looking at,
Foreman?
Nothing.
What's wrong? Can't you even
afford a piece of bread?
[STUDENTS LAUGH]
How about this nasty skin?
You want it?
Go get it.
[STUDENTS LAUGH]
George should change his name
from Foreman to "Poor-man."
It's Foreman.
What's that, Poor-man?
What?
What's my name now, fool?
Say it! Say my name!
[STUDENTS MURMURING]
GEORGE:
Anger was my answer
to everything.
And I couldn't stop myself
from fighting.
It was the only thing
I did well.
If you ever
Go down to Houston
[JUKE BOY BONNER'S
"STAY OFF LYONS AVENUE" PLAYING]
You'd better stay off of
Lyons Avenue
Because you go there
You go there green
You know
Somewhere down on Jensen
The last time
You'll be seen
You know out here
Boy, you know how it is
You know what
[CLEARS THROAT]
Excuse me, sir.
Whoa! Hey!
No!
Get down.
Hold his hands, man.
His wallet.
Surprise, boys.
Been busy around here, huh?
[BOTH GASP]
[TIRES SQUEAL]
[SIREN WAILING]
OFFICER:
Police! Stop right there!
[SQUELCHING]
They've gotta be somewhere
around here.
Come on, Butch.
[DOG BARKING]
Someone said
they saw him over there.
Let me know what you see.
Come on, boy. Find him.
Find him.
Let's do it, boy. Go.
You got something?
Find him, boy.
All right. Find him.
We got you. Find him!
Come on, boy.
Try the next block over.
[GAGS]
Come on, boy.
Let's go.
He can't have gotten far.
[COUGHS]
ANNOUNCER [ON TV]:
If you left school
and you're between 16 and 22,
Job Corps
will teach you the skills
that can help you
get a good job.
In Job Corps,
you live at a Job Corps center,
get free medical
and dental care,
clean clothes,
your own bed to sleep in,
three square meals a day.
You even get paid
while you're learning.
Just for once,
give yourself a chance.
GEORGE:
It's called the Job Corps.
You get an education and
training, so you can get a job.
They pay you a little
each month too.
And where
will they send you?
I don't know.
Wherever they want, I guess.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Look at me.
You've got more inside
than what you're showing.
I know it, Mom.
[PAMPHLET RUSTLES]
You wanna do this Job Corps?
Yes.
Then do it right, George.
Don't come running back home
'cause you're missing me.
Finish what you start
this time.
I will.
SIMMS:
We will teach you job skills.
We will give you training.
We will teach you
respect for yourself,
as well as for others.
We will show you a way forward,
no matter your past.
Come on, son.
Welcome to the Job Corps,
the start
of your now-bright future.
Here's your linens.
Got a name, big guy?
Yeah, I got a name.
George Foreman.
Barracks are gonna be
in the southwest corner.
Lights out at 10.
No drinking, no smoking,
no cursing, no women,
no fighting.
[SCOFFS]
Do y'all feed us here?
Three meals a day
at the chow hall.
Served by the one and only
Mrs. Moon.
[MEN CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]
It's just a bed, man.
Ooh!
[BOTH LAUGHING]
[MUSIC PLAYING ON RECORD]
Turn that off.
Don't play with fire
You might get b*rned
Got something against music?
Maybe I do.
Jeez. Are you always
this pissed off?
When I'm trying to study.
Now I know
why you're here.
I'm here because I've got
unrealized potential.
That's according to my old man.
He said, "Don't come home
until you start realizing it."
Let's go challenge C-dorm to
a game, huh? What do you say?
[SIGHS]
Guess I'll just
hit the chow hall.
Alone.
Now you're talking.
You probably just left them
in the locker room.
No. Somebody stole them.
You gotta calm down, man.
Look, why don't we
just report it to the office
right after we eat, okay?
You got me to thank
for those brownies.
Why is that?
I don't see no apron on you.
Yeah, well, they realized
I'm a whiz with numbers.
So they got me checking over
the order
for the whole cafeteria.
Well, I spotted something.
A unit of brownies costs less
than a unit of beans.
So what?
"So what?"
So I switched a few numbers
on the weekly
ordering sheet.
And under my new
cost-cutting plans,
we got a whole lot
more brownies.
And a whole lot of less gas.
[BOTH LAUGHING]
What?
What are you doing?
Open up!
Open up!
Take my shoes?
You take my shoes?
No! Please, no!
Give me them!
You gonna steal my shoes?
My mama gave me them shoes!
No!
What do you think you're doing,
corpsman?
Don't drop me!
Let go of him!
Stop it, stop it!
Go on out of here.
Get out of here.
[HUFFING]
Where you think
you're going?
Is that your artwork?
Let's walk and talk.
Mr. Broadus.
That was federal property
you destroyed back there.
Now I only got two choices.
Either I send you to prison,
or I send you home.
That boy stole my shoes.
My mama worked hard
to give me those.
Where's all that rage
coming from?
I don't have any rage.
Get in the car.
In the time you've been here,
you punched out
three corpsmen...
and one innocent door.
They disrespected me.
The door too?
You got money for a bus ticket?
No.
Hm.
Here you go.
[ENGINE STARTS]
I can't go home, Mr. Broadus.
I can't.
This place...
it's all I have.
Please?
[GEARSHIFT CLICKS,
ENGINE STOPS]
You ever box?
Just street fights.
I'm talking about boxing,
not fighting.
It's a sport.
With rules.
I heard it on the radio.
[CHUCKLES]
I teach it.
You're big enough
and ugly enough.
You wanna learn it?
Yes, sir.
Don't make me regret this.
DOC:
George, this is Royce.
He's gonna be
your opponent today.
Don't worry, big man.
I'll be gentle.
That's just a sign of
sportsmanship before you fight.
To show that you're not here
to k*ll each other.
You're just two athletes
trying to find out
who's best at the sport.
So to do that...
boxers touch gloves, like this:
All right? Let's go.
Let's get on up there.
Let me see what you got.
MAN:
All right, Royce,
show him what's what.
DOC:
When I say "time,"
you come out fighting.
Anyone want action?
Want action, huh?
Leroy Jackson, huh?
Time!
[CROWD CHEERING]
MAN:
Get him, Royce! Get him!
Be still!
Hit him, George.
Move your feet, George.
You keep standing there
like a statue
and a pigeon
is gonna crap on you.
[CROWD EXCLAIMS]
Get up.
Get out of that ring.
Get out that ring.
Ain't no reason
to be in that ring.
MAN:
Attaboy, Royce!
He was lucky!
That's all he was.
[HUFFING]
Listen, son. I know
that's not what you were--
I'm not your son.
That's a good thing too.
I wouldn't want
no son of mine calling it luck,
when he got whupped
fair and square.
They all laughing at me
because of you.
What do you care
about what they think?
Six months ago, Royce didn't
know any more than you do.
I taught him.
I can teach you too.
You got a punch,
I'll tell you that.
But that's just about
all you got.
There you go.
We gotta get you a jab.
We gotta get you
some footwork.
We're gonna start out
with a punch.
All right? Throw a punch.
Now throw the other one.
See what I just did there?
The mind controls the body,
not the other way around.
In every battle,
the greatest foe
that we will combat...
is in here.
You were making fun of Royce
when he was dancing around,
wasn't you?
He was showing off.
No, he wasn't.
He was trying to force you
to go where he needed you to go,
so he could deliver that punch
that he was setting up.
And he was studying
the ring too,
the soft spots,
the loose boards.
Not just about punching,
George. It's about thinking.
All right.
Step forward
with that left foot.
Now slide that right foot.
Not straight ahead,
off to the side.
Put it back.
Here we go. Step forward.
Step back.
Step left.
Step right.
Cut me off.
I'm cutting you off.
Cut me off, cut me off.
Good.
DOC:
Come on.
Come on. Come on.
[PHONE RINGING]
Oh, I've seen a woman.
A woman?
NANCY:
George! Mary,
get your brothers in here.
Sonny, Roy,
George is on the phone.
Is that my brother?
No, no. That's our brother, boy.
Yes, everybody's here.
Hey, George.
Hey there.
We miss you.
Hi.
[CHUCKLING]
Well, how are you?
Setting the world on fire.
They raised me 25 cents an hour
at work.
Oh, far out.
Out? Out where?
Oh, no. That's just something
they say out here in California.
You can't come back to Texas
talking like that.
[LAUGHS]
Um...I'm going to the gym a lot.
Basketball?
No, no.
I found something better.
I'm learning how to box.
Please don't tell me
you're fighting again.
No, I'm not fighting.
Then what do you call it,
George?
It's boxing.
It's a sport with rules.
And I'm good at it.
God knows I don't want you
to be fighting.
God? What's God got to do
with anything, Mama?
Don't tell me
you gone so far from home,
you don't know what God's
gotta do with your life.
Mama, I'm just trying-- Mama?
OPERATOR:
Please deposit 10 cents.
Mama?
George?
Please deposit 10 cents.
Please deposit 10 cents
for the next minute.
[MEN LAUGHING]
Please deposit 10 cents.
[LINE BEEPING]
[CROWD CLAPPING]
MAN:
Come on, Royce, put him down.
All right, George.
You got this.
Time!
Come on, cut him off!
Cut him off!
Oh, yeah!
That's my bunkmate.
DOC:
I may be a little late tonight.
I know I promised.
I will try.
My wife thinks I give up
too much time to this place.
You boxed?
I went professional.
Won my first 24 fights.
And then what?
Unfortunately, I had to trade
one uniform for another.
Hey, I see you're reading
the Boxing News.
[CHUCKLES] Yeah.
You an aficionado now?
I was looking at Joe Frazier.
Yeah?
He's real good.
Yeah, I wouldn't mind all this
that he's got.
I wanna be the heavyweight
champion of the world.
Whoo-hoo. Ha-ha-ha.
Slow down, George. Slow down.
I can't slow down.
I gotta speed up.
You said you can
get me some fights.
I can, and I will.
Okay.
But first,
you gotta win some tournaments.
Then we can take aim
at the Golden Gloves.
And after that, we can set
our sights on the Olympics.
Well, when are they?
Next summer, Mexico City.
But we're gonna wait
for the one after that.
That gives you five years
to train and develop.
Five years?
I'll be a old man.
Listen to me, George.
You got a punch
like I've never seen.
But even if you trained harder
than any man has ever trained,
there is no way
that you can make it
to the Olympics next year.
ANNOUNCER:
The Russians are dominating
here at the Olympics
in Mexico City,
three gold medals
to just one for the U.S. team.
The Russians have saved
their best for last.
The legendary Jonas Cepulis
has won 203 fights.
Come on, George.
America's final hope,
19-year-old George Foreman,
has been fighting
for only one year.
He would seem to have
no chance at winning gold.
Come on.
I don't think anyone
has ever seen
a bigger mismatch
in the Olympic ring.
What Foreman's being asked
to do today is impossible.
The big Russian's
setting the tone early,
giving the young rookie
a boxing lesson.
Come on, wake up.
Hit him now. Get him now.
Wake up.
Oh! Big left hand
from George Foreman.
Whoo!
You see that?
Yeah!
Yeah! Yes!
The Fighting Corpsman is
turning the tables on Cepulis.
Foreman pouring it on now,
landing bombs.
Cepulis looks like
he's in really bad shape.
[GASPS]
Stop, stop! That's it!
The ref has stopped the fight!
[WHOOPING]
Nineteen-year-old
George Foreman
has won the gold medal
in a stunning upset.
Yeah!
He won the gold medal.
Look at him.
God help him.
CROWD [CHANTING]:
Foreman! Foreman! Foreman!
Foreman! Foreman! Foreman!
Foreman!
Foreman! Foreman!
[BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND'S
"AIN'T NO LOVE IN THE HEAROF THE CITY" PLAYING]
Ain't no love
In the heart of the city
[HONKS] Hey, George.
Hey, what's going on, brother?
Hey, Tuck.
Oh.
Hey, brother.
What's going on?
What's up, George?
Ha, ha.
Hey.
You can go ahead and touch it,
man.
It's heavy though.
[LAUGHS]
Yeah, I bet it's heavy,
all right.
What's that 'posed to mean?
Man, I don't see how you can
hold that American flag
all up high like you do
when our brothers,
sh**t, our brothers,
they was doing their thing
over there.
They was standing up
for all us back here.
And what were you doing?
Standing up for a country
that don't love you back.
[SCOFFS]
That's heavy.
You gotta let this go.
If anybody ever talk to me
about that flag again,
they not gonna
get away with it.
They acting like
I'm some kind of sellout.
[CHUCKLES]
Let me make you
something to eat.
Anything you want.
I'm not hungry.
[SCOFFS]
Let the Lord take me now.
I never thought
I'd hear that from you.
[CLICKS TONGUE]
You left here
with nothing to your name,
and you came back with gold.
Then how come all anybody
wanna talk about is the flag?
You know
what I'm gonna do?
I'm gonna win
the championship belt.
And they'll respect me then.
You gonna keep fighting?
You gonna get hurt.
Didn't you watch me?
They don't hurt me.
I hurt them.
And that's all
you wanna do with your life,
hurt people?
You are better than this.
I got a plan, Mama.
And I need you
to believe in it.
[B.T. EXPRESS' "DO IT (TILL
YOU'RE SATISFIED)" PLAYING]
Ooh
Go on and do it
Do it
Do it till you're satisfied
Whatever it is
Do it
Do it till you're satisfied
Go on and do it
Do it
Do it till you're satisfied
Whatever it is
Do it
Got to do it
Just do it some more, yeah
I'm satisfied
I'm satisfied
I'm satisfied
I'm satisfied
I'm satisfied
I'm satisfied
I'm satisfied
I heard he's not so bad.
Right on.
And you are?
Paula.
ANNOUNCER:
Last call for Flight 275
to Los Angeles.
That's me.
Nice meeting you, George.
Wait. Oh, that's not fair.
Um...
You live here in Oakland?
Yes, I do.
So that means
you'll be coming back.
Yeah, I'm moving here.
I'm gonna be training,
but when I'm not, you know,
I could go outside sometimes.
Your footwork is better
than your pickup game, George.
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah, I can't argue that.
Tell me something
about yourself. Anything.
Uh... Anything?
Yeah.
I can type
a hundred words a minute.
I can't even talk that fast.
[BOTH LAUGH]
Uh...
Can I see you again?
Go ahead and write
your phone number down.
I'm the one 'posed to be
asking for yours.
George, do I look
like the kind of woman
that stands around
by the phone?
[PEN SCRIBBLES]
No, ma'am. You do not.
GEORGE:
Hold on. Are you sure
we need these guys?
Pro game's a racket.
These guys could take us
where we need to go.
d*ck:
I'm smelling me some new blood
New blood
[BOTH CHUCKLING]
Hey. d*ck Sadler.
He gonna be your trainer
and your promoter.
This is Archie Moore,
the former light-heavyweight
champion of the world.
He gonna teach you everything
that he done learned.
If I like what I see.
[DOOR OPENS]
MAN:
Hey, Sonny. I'm such a big fan.
Can I get your autograph?
Hey, that's--
Yeah, it's--
Sonny Liston.
We make champions
around here, son.
What you're setting out to do
is beyond your imagination.
The morning you wake up
to fight for that championship,
the air taste different,
the sun look different.
Only two men
on this whole earth matter
and you're one of them.
The other,
if you make it that far,
is Joe Frazier.
Unh!
[BELL RINGS]
[FANS CHEERING]
How ya feelin', brother?
Ya feelin' good?
Play so much 'bone, brother
How ya feel, man?
I won't call your name
I don't want no people
To know you're in here
How ya feelin', brother?
Hey, Jab!
ARCHIE:
We gonna name this bag
Joe Frazier.
Lookit here, ha!
If you hit him
in the solar plexus,
you gonna cut off
his breathing.
You hit him in the chin,
you gonna rattle his nerves.
You hit him in the heart,
you gonna make
his heartbeat skip.
Every punch, George, power!
[PHONE RINGING]
GEORGE [OVER PHONE]: Hello?
First ring.
Paula!
Yes.
I wanna hear
the rest of that story
you were starting to tell me.
What story?
About how you can type
100 words a minute.
[LAUGHS]
That story.
George, when are you gonna
ask me a real question?
Like what?
Like...
if I wanna go out on a date.
Pound him, George. Pound him!
You sure you typing real words?
Yeah, that sound like music.
I wanna get that fella
With the little horn
Over there
[SINGING INDISTINCTLY]
Fred, you take us higher?
Yeah
Take us higher
All right
Fred, Fred, Fred
Man
[BELL RINGS]
Knock him out, baby!
All right, all right.
Keep him there. Keep him there.
Move him, man.
That's it!
Yes!
[SCREAMS]
[BELL RINGS]
The winner by TKO,
still undefeated,
George Foreman!
[CROWD CHEERING]
Do you take this woman
to be your wife?
You bet I do.
You may kiss the bride.
[CHEERING]
Hey, watch this.
[BELL RINGING]
I think you ready.
Nice punching, big fella.
Mm-hm.
Frazier won't know
what hit him.
ANNOUNCER:
Here we are
for the championship fight
between Joe Frazier
and George Foreman.
Joe Frazier is the heavy
favorite tonight.
His best w*apon,
the left hook, is deadly.
Put Ali on the canvas
two years ago,
and if Foreman
isn't aware of it,
it could put him on his back,
and maybe even carried out
of the arena on a stretcher.
CROWD [CHANTING]:
Frazier! Frazier! Frazier!
Frazier! Frazier! Frazier!
Frazier! Frazier! Frazier!
Frazier! Frazier! Frazier!
Frazier! Frazier! Frazier!
This contest is for
the heavyweight championship
of the world.
It's governed by the Jamaican
Board of Control...
Nobody giving you
a chance to win tonight.
That's good.
But Smokin' Joe ain't like
the others, nah.
He the real deal.
Remember,
only two men
on this whole earth matter.
Now go get him.
[HEARTBEAT THUMPING]
DOC:
You're ready, George.
Now, Joe, he's expecting
that you're just a man.
But tonight, you're a beast.
Let him out.
[BELL RINGS]
And there's the bell.
They're underway.
Oh, big swing and a miss
from George.
There's that Joe Frazier
left hook.
One more of those could end it.
Stay on him. Watch out for that.
Watch out for that.
Ooh! Big sh*t by Foreman.
Oh, and another left hook!
How is he still standing?
There it is.
Frazier's taking some damage.
A real surprise.
That's it. That's it!
Down goes Frazier!
Down goes Frazier!
Down goes Frazier!
[CROWD SHOUTING]
Joe is slow to get up.
And George Foreman is standing
as poised as can be.
The heavyweight champ
is taking the eight count.
[BELL RINGS]
There's the bell
for the second round.
But Joe is tough. Joe is game.
And Foreman
is all over him again,
just hitting him
again and again.
Oh! Oh! He's down again!
This is hard to believe.
Get off the ropes!
Six, seven, eight.
He's target practice
for George Foreman.
Target practice!
Don't let up.
How much more can Frazier take?
[CROWD CHEERING]
He's down! He's down again!
And it's over!
It's over! So long!
I've never seen
anything like this.
George Foreman
is the new heavyweight champion
of the world.
All right.
All right.
Yes.
[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHEERING]
How does it feel
to be a winner?
I was determined
to become a winner tonight.
I'd like to thank the press
all over the country
for writing beautiful things
about me.
The press has kept my name
in the paper. And, uh...
And, uh, it kept me focused.
So, what's the first thing
you'll do as a champion, George?
I'm gonna buy my mama
a big house. Ha, ha!
DESMOND:
Wait a second. Wait--
What is this?
Is that the champ?
Is that the champ?
Oh!
Do you have any idea
what's coming next, George?
A flood of money.
Well, I'm always ready
for money.
But my moneyman ain't.
[SCOFFS]
You want me
to be your moneyman?
Yeah, I do.
But, Des, man...
I'm gonna need you sharp
from now on.
[LAUGHS]
That's what
I'm talking about.
Whoo! It's a long way
from the Job Corps.
[ALBERT KING'S
"I'LL PLAY THE BLUES FOR YOU
(PTS. 1 & 2)" PLAYING]
If you're down and out
And you feel real hurt
Come on over
To the place where I live
And all your loneliness
I'll try to soothe
H-how'd you get up here?
I'll play the blues for you
Don't be afraid
You don't want me to stay?
Come on in
You might run across, yeah
Some of your old friends
All your loneliness
I've got to soothe
I'll play the blues for you
Come on in, baby
Sit right here
HOWARD [OVER TV]:
Muhammad, there are
a lot of people saying
they've never seen
as formidable a puncher
as the new champ,
young George Foreman.
MUHAMMED:
Howard, when I think
of George Foreman,
I think of the establishment,
the flag-waver.
And I got a new punch
for George, Howard,
and I call it
the "Ghetto Whopper."
And the reason I call it
the Ghetto Whopper
is because it's thrown
in the ghetto
at 3 o'clock
in the morning.
You seen one of them punches?
Comes out of nowhere,
hits you like a bottle
in the head.
HOWARD:
Think you'd have to wait
till 3:00 in the morning
to fight George Foreman?
MUHAMMED:
Howard, let it be known.
I will fight George Foreman
anywhere, any time.
What y'all think?
Nice, isn't it?
Oh, my Lord.
GEORGE:
Now, come on.
I wanna show y'all something.
[ENGINE REVVING]
Y'all hear that?
Now, each car
has its own personality.
That's why you need
five of them?
Five? Wait till you see
my garage.
Oh, my Lord.
You've lost your doggone mind.
I wanna show y'all
something else.
All right.
You got that other one there?
Yes, sir.
Okay.
Been on a grill all day
for y'all.
My own barbecue sauce.
I took my time on it.
Okay. That's what
I'm talking about.
Working on this all day.
Okay.
That looks fantastic.
There she is. Ha.
Give me my birthday baby.
Your daddy wants you.
Yeah.
Go to Daddy.
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah.
Mwah!
Happy birthday.
How about one for your wife too?
All right.
Say hi to everybody.
Say hi to everybody.
Happy birthday, beautiful.
I'm gonna give you away.
Don't give her away.
I love you.
All right.
Bye.
It's time to eat now.
Boy. You know better.
Let's thank God
for the food first, y'all.
God?
I bought the food, Mama.
Not God. Heh.
Good.
Then you say grace.
Uh... I like the way you say it,
Mama.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
Me and Charles have something
we wanna tell y'all.
We're having a baby.
A baby?
Charles, you old dog.
Getting my sister pregnant.
Look at that.
Mary, congratulations.
Thank you.
It's great.
[PHONE RINGING]
We'll have me another niece
or nephew running around here.
Hello?
Stop calling this house.
[SLAMS RECEIVER]
So, Des...
DESMOND: Yes, sir.
How's my money doing?
I'm pouring everything
into rock-solid stocks.
I like the sound of that.
"Rock-solid stocks."
Ha, ha. Ah.
You know, Ali sure been talking
a whole bunch of mess on TV,
bragging about which round
he'll knock you out in.
Talk is cheap.
You know what they say
about pretty boys
back in the Fifth Wards.
They can't take a punch.
Yes.
I think everybody's ready
for dessert.
You should tell me their names,
so I don't have to stand there
holding the phone like a fool.
What are you talking about?
Did you think I didn't know?
I don't have time
for this.
No, it's me
you don't have time for.
[SIGHS]
How many have there been,
George?
You can't even look me
in the eye anymore.
Woman, I got a $5 million fight
coming up against Ali.
You think
I dropped my life for you,
so that I could play seconds?
I was doing just fine
before you came along.
So you don't like
this life now, huh?
I give you everything.
I don't want everything.
I want you.
You have me.
Look at me.
Look at me.
Hm.
Just like I thought.
[THE DRAMATICS'
"GET UP AND GET DOWN" PLAYING]
Come on
Get up! Whoo!
Get up!
Come along, come on
And get up
Get up
Get down
Get up outta your seat
Get up
Get up and get down
Get up and get again
Rise, rise, rise
Shake your hips
And wiggle your thighs
Get up
Let me see you
I wanna see
Let me see
Your tired body come alive
Sir. No, no.
I got it.
Okay.
You ain't too old
Huh! Get up
I ain't asking
For a cartwheel
No somersault
Or no flip
I just want you
To ooh-ooh-ooh
MUHAMMED:
Come on, now.
We gonna float like a butterfly,
sting like a bee.
His hands can't hit
what his eyes can't see.
Now you see me. Now you don't.
George thinks he will,
but I know he won't.
[MEN CHUCKLING]
Ain't that right, Bundini?
Him hitting Joe Frazier
with these big, long punches.
Boxes like a mummy.
[MEN LAUGHING]
"Come here. Where'd you get?
Oh, you over here. Oh."
All of you sportswriters,
all of you suckers,
are gonna regret
making me the underdog.
How you gonna make me
the underdog?
Talking about George Foreman
is the new champ.
George Foreman ain't no new
champ. He is the new chump.
And he's holding the belt that
was wrongfully taken from me.
And he can't box.
He moves like this.
This how he box.
Box like a mummy.
"Coming here for you. I'm--"
George.
We was just talking
about a different fighter.
[MEN LAUGHING]
COLTON:
Your turn, Big George.
Why don't you give us
your side of things, huh?
Well, if he boxes
how he does interviews,
this gonna be
a short night.
[MEN LAUGHING]
Real short night.
We gonna get it on
because we don't get along.
I feel sorry for Ali.
Foreman could put him
in the morgue.
Hm.
[CROWD CHANTING IN LINGALA]
"Ali, k*ll him."
That's what they want?
Foreman...
[SPEAKS IN LINGALA]
[LAUGHING]
[CROWD CONTINUES CHANTING
IN LINGALA]
d*ck:
Rush him like a tiger.
Shut him up for good.
FRANK:
Ali has shocked
the world before,
but most of us don't expect him
to get past the middle rounds.
ANNOUNCER:
Well, Frank, Ali is
certainly the big underdog.
But he and the country have
adopted the phrase:
"Ali, bomaye."
"Ali, k*ll him."
FRANK:
At 32 years of age,
can Muhammad Ali dance
and stay away from Foreman?
ANNOUNCER:
After what Foreman did
to Frazier,
Ali would seem
to have no chance.
[BELL RINGS]
All questions will be answered.
Come on, baby.
Come on, George.
You got this, George.
Dance with him.
Get in there.
Rush him, George. Rush him.
Right hook.
Rush him.
There you go.
Punch him in the head.
Let him go.
Break. Break.
Come on, George. Come on.
Hands up. Yeah!
That's all you got, George?
Come on.
[BELL RINGS]
Keep pounding.
He can't last.
Keep on pounding.
That's right, champ.
FRANK:
Ali retreating to the ropes,
looking for a place to hide
from Foreman's power.
That's all you got?
I don't see any place
to hide in that ring.
Ali, get off of those ropes!
Ooh. Foreman's pouring
on the punches.
Those punches gotta be
doing some damage.
They told me you was bad,
George. Let me see it.
Ali cannot keep taking them
and expect to survive.
[BELL RINGS]
Box.
Come on. Show me something.
Don't play with that sucker.
Let him go. Let him go.
Let him go.
Stay on him, George!
Come on, champ, get off
the ropes. Come on, now.
There it is.
Break it up, ref.
What's my name?
There we go. Break it up.
Get off those ropes!
Get out of there!
ANNOUNCER:
I'm not sure about this strategy
of retreating to the ropes.
I'm going right back
to the ropes. Come and get me.
Come on. Put that pressure
on him, George.
ANNOUNCER:
He's getting pounded.
Those blows are deadly
from George Foreman.
[BELL RINGS]
Come on, George.
Let me see something.
Get off of those ropes!
Come on, George.
They told me you could hit hard.
There you go.
[BELL RINGS]
That's all you got?
ANNOUNCER:
Whoa! Big right hand from Ali.
That punch staggered Foreman.
They told me you was bad,
George.
They told me you was bad.
[BELL RINGS]
That one punch definitely
changed the tenor of this fight.
[CROWD CHANTING IN LINGALA]
Keep hitting him.
Keep pounding him.
[CHANTING IN LINGALA]
I'm gonna end it.
I'm gonna end it.
Get off those ropes, champ.
Come on.
That's right.
ANNOUNCER:
Foreman's punches just don't
have any juice on them.
Foreman looks tired.
FRANK:
He could be in real trouble.
Maybe this is what Ali
was counting on, Frank.
Work on him, George!
Destroy him!
My turn.
Come on. That's right.
Left, right, left. Come on.
FRANK:
Oh, Muhammad Ali
with a massive right hand!
And another one!
...four, five, six, seven,
eight, nine, ten.
[BELL RINGING]
And it's over. It's over!
Ali has done the impossible.
Ali did it! Ali did it again.
GEORGE:
I lived one way my whole life.
To hurt...
to knock down...
to destroy.
It became all I could see.
I was blind
to everything else.
MICHI [OVER PHONE]:
When will I get to see you,
Daddy?
Soon.
I promise.
And we will never
be apart again. Okay?
[STATIC CRACKLES]
PAULA:
George, we gotta go now.
It's dinnertime.
My lawyer said
you haven't signed the papers.
I told you I'd get to it.
Get to it soon.
[LINE CLICKS]
I wanted to come sooner.
Why you sitting out in the car?
Why don't you come on inside?
Doc said you fired
d*ck and Archie.
Yeah.
I lost a fight because of them.
It's like Doc always said...
I should've used my head
instead of my hands.
He laid on the ropes...
and I kept punching
till I was tired.
The rope-a-dope.
And I was the dope.
Look, I know
you done had a hard time,
but I can't stand
to hear you talking like this.
HOWARD:
Foreman has been
a dispirited, lonely man
through all of these
six months that have passed
since Ali knocked him out
in the eighth round.
Today,
a boxing exhibition of sorts.
George Foreman,
former heavyweight champion
of the world,
will attempt to knock out
five fighters in one day.
Exactly what he hopes
to accomplish by this
is anybody's guess.
George, you still got time
to back out.
You ain't gotta do this.
Heavyweight champion and
world-class clown, Muhammad Ali,
about to join me at the table.
"Clown"? Howard,
don't get hurt, now.
[BELL RINGS]
HOWARD: There's the bell.
And they're underway.
Not his usual style, Muhammad.
Yeah, I think
he's trying to impress me.
He's... He's bouncing around
like the Easter Bunny.
HOWARD:
Indeed, like a bunny, Muhammad.
What are you doing?
MUHAMMED:
Get on them ropes.
There you go.
Stay on the ropes.
Get on the ropes.
Ain't no wrestling match,
George.
Get on the ropes now.
Make him work.
Now Johnson
is on the canvas.
That might be it for Alonzo.
Can't you see he's down?
Seems to be a scuffle.
Back off.
Oh, there's a fight
breaking out
between Foreman's trainers
and Johnson's.
Step back!
[CHANTING]
Ali! Ali! Ali!
CROWD:
Ali! Ali! Ali!
HOWARD:
Crowd is chanting, "Ali! Ali!"
much to the consternation
of George Foreman.
Ali!
Give me another sh*t.
I'm not getting back in the ring
with no chump, George.
That's 'cause
you're scared of me.
Scared?
You scared of me.
Well, let's go right now,
George.
Hold my jacket, Howard.
Come on in the ring.
Hold my jacket.
Let me go, Howard.
Can't fight.
Hold my jacket.
You ain't no fighter.
Man can't fight
laying on no ropes.
George, I'm too pretty to fight
someone as ugly as you.
Come on in here.
Go ahead, man. Grr.
Go ahead, George.
That's what I thought.
Always talk.
I'm telling you.
CROWD: Ali! Ali! Ali!
[DOOR OPENS]
What did you think
you were gonna gain out there?
Respect.
Son, the beauty of boxing
is that it shows a man that can
he do something all by himself.
Something constructive.
Let's go back to fighting them
one at a time. What you say?
[DOOR OPENS]
MAN:
This just came through.
Okay.
It's for you.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]
George. George.
What happened?
Mary started bleeding.
They're trying to save the baby,
but the air got cut off.
Tell them, whatever it cost,
I'll pay for it.
We need the best doctors.
We already got
the best doctors, George.
The baby needs a miracle.
We need to pray.
Pray?
NANCY:
Heavenly Father,
we are gathered here humbly,
in the name of your son,
Christ Jesus.
[DOOR CLOSES]
All right, here I am.
What did my sister
ever do to you?
Mary's been sweet and kind
her whole life...
to everybody in this world.
To me,
when I didn't deserve it.
And you gonna take her baby?
Answer me.
Man, all my life
I've been hearing about you.
And you ain't
never shown me nothing.
I ain't seen anything.
If you wanna take somebody...
you take me.
You don't take
my sister's baby, man.
You take me.
Please.
George.
Is he...?
He's perfect.
The doctors can't explain it.
It's a miracle.
That's...
It's good. That's good.
[ALL LAUGHING]
Well, come on over.
Say hi to your nephew.
Little George.
Little George?
Yeah.
Mama told me you prayed.
Whatever you said to him...
it worked.
CROWD [CHANTING]:
Jimmy Young! Jimmy Young!
HOWARD:
Listen to the crowd.
"Jimmy Young. Jimmy Young."
Foreman hasn't been the same
since he lost to Ali.
He fired his old team...
Come on, George.
...but it hasn't worked.
George's mind
is just not in this fight.
[SHUTTERS CLICKING]
Let's go. All right.
[ANNOUNCER SPEAKING IN SPANISH]
HOWARD:
Jimmy Young has won the fight
by unanimous decision.
Promising future for Jimmy...
[PANTING]
Keep an eye on him, all right?
What happened out there,
George?
ROY:
Come on, Gil.
It's just a fight.
Every boxer has a bad one.
He couldn't afford one.
It was our sh*t back to Ali.
Man, it's hot.
Why's it so hot in here?
Who said that?
Nobody said nothing,
George.
Who said that?
Who keeps talking?
DOC: Nobody.
Nobody's talking, George.
George?
[HEARTBEAT POUNDING]
I'm...
I'm fixing...
Whoa, George. George!
He's got a faint pulse.
We need to get him
up on the table.
On three.
One, two, three.
Careful.
Easy.
There you go.
On the table.
Here we go.
All right.
George?
George?
DOC:
George.
[HEARTBEAT SLOWS]
GEORGE:
I don't wanna die.
I believe.
I believe.
[GASPS]
[HEARTBEAT THUMPING]
Hey.
Whoa, easy.
[MOANING]
George?
We thought you was dead.
I was.
Jesus Christ is alive in me.
He's alive in me.
He's alive.
I gotta get myself clean.
Don't let him get in the shower.
Cold water will be a shock.
Wait!
I gotta get myself clean.
Wait. No, George.
Get off.
I gotta get myself clean!
Please, please.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Whoo!
I'm clean.
I'm clean.
I'm clean. I'm clean.
STOKES:
I now baptize you
in the name of the Father,
the son and the holy spirit.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
[SINGING INDISTINCTLY]
[INAUDIBLE]
Hallelujah!
STOKES:
We are bearing witness
to a miracle.
And Brother George
would like to share his version
of that miracle with you.
So let's give a proper welcome
to the former heavyweight
champion of the world
and our new brother in Christ,
George Foreman!
[FEEDBACK SCREECHES]
Uh-- Thank you, Reverend Stokes.
I...
was in a fight.
I used to love fighting.
I was in the dressing room,
and...
And Jesus Christ
came alive in me.
[CLAPPING]
And...
And because of it...
I wanna give my life to God.
All right.
I wanna be a preacher.
Thank you, Jesus.
Praise God!
All right.
He may have
finally found somebody
who can tell him
what to do.
Praise Jesus!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Yeah.
Praise Jesus.
Praise Jesus.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
You put on
quite a show in there.
I'm glad you was here
to see it.
So Gil's been setting the traps.
We still got us a path to Ali.
I'm done.
I'm not gonna box anymore.
[LAUGHS]
You a fighter.
I'm not a fighter.
Not anymore.
So how are you gonna take care
of your kids?
I'm gonna follow God.
Do you know what
you're walking away from, son?
You know, I...
I can't even
make a fist anymore, Doc.
It's like
he reached inside of me...
just took out all my anger.
That anger inside of you...
it made you king.
I saw it.
Now you wanna tell me
that it's all gone?
Remember when you told me
that you traded in
one uniform for another?
That's what I'm doing.
You can understand that,
can't you?
I had no say, George.
My choice was made for me.
So was mine.
I don't believe you, George.
GEORGE:
For 28 years, I used
my fists to get respect.
I knew I had to start
using my heart.
I just didn't know how.
MUHAMMED:
She told me Big George Foreman
was at the door.
And I said,
"Beatrice, you are crazy.
George Foreman ain't coming
to see the champ
unless he's looking
for another whupping."
So I've come here...
to tell you that I found Jesus.
You found Jesus?
Congratulations, George.
I did not know he was lost.
[CHUCKLES]
I came here...
to ask for your forgiveness.
For my forgiveness?
Yes.
I'm the one who knocked you out.
You know...
after Zaire...
I hated you, Muhammad.
I did.
And I wanted to k*ll you...
with these hands.
Come on, man.
You want a rematch. I know.
Just come out and say it.
I don't want no rematch.
They told me
you retired to preach,
but I didn't believe it.
Well, I...
I wanna help people.
Well, George, help me, okay?
All you got to do is fight
Kenny Norton one more time.
Knock him out.
Please, George, knock him out.
Because I sure can't.
You knock him out, he won't be
a top-ranked contender.
I'll give you another sh*t
at the title.
And then we'll both get paid,
huh? Praise Jesus.
[SIGHS]
I can't help you that way.
All right, brother.
Fine.
I forgive you.
George Foreman, a preacher.
Now I have seen it all.
[CHUCKLES]
Hi! Ha, ha!
What are you doing here?
Hey, Michi.
I love you. Mwah, mwah!
Michi, take your brother inside.
Go inside, George.
What are you doing here?
I came here...
to tell you how sorry I am
for the way
that I treated you.
It wasn't right.
"Let love be without
dissimulation.
Cleave to that which is good."
Hi.
I'm George.
Mary Joan Martelly.
You were sitting
in that same seat
the day I gave
my testimony.
You always sat up front?
Yes. Helps me
stay focused on God.
How's being a preacher
going for you?
It's hard.
Real hard.
Harder than getting punched
in the face?
[CHUCKLES]
Uh--
Sometimes it feels
about the same.
Blessed is the man
who remains steadfast.
Brothers and sisters,
I am out here today,
not to lift myself up,
but to lift up
the name of Jesus Christ.
See, I was a man
who rejected all religion.
"Jesus" was a cussword to me,
but the Lord changed my life.
Wasn't the Lord
who changed you.
It was Jimmy Young.
I seen him
b*at the hell out of you.
Did you at least pinch him?
[LAUGHS]
Don't you miss
being in that ring, big fella?
[SCOFFS]
I'll die...
before I get back in
that ring again.
Now...
Now, you could take
all of the Rockefellers' money
and all of the Kennedys' money,
and you put that together,
it wouldn't come
to a down payment
on my getting back
in that ring again.
[CHUCKLING]
Praise God.
Thank you, Jesus.
Jesus is alive today.
I, uh...
I felt bad
for how I acted last Sunday.
Well, how did you act?
Kind of cold.
Heh. Yes.
Well, you had a reputation.
And not a godly one.
Well, I'm different now.
You know, I hadn't yet
learnt the secret
to enjoying every day
for itself.
How to make the most
of each day as it comes.
Do you have children?
Uh...
Heh. Yes.
They don't live with me
full-time,
you know, which is hard,
but I'm gonna be seeing
a whole lot more of them now.
Yes, indeed.
I'm glad to hear that.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
You okay?
Yeah. Yeah.
I thought we were
going to a movie.
I wanna show you something.
What's that look like to you?
A church
that's run out of faith.
No.
You know,
I'm gonna buy it.
And I'm gonna
preach in it.
And be the best I can be.
And I'm gonna
spread his word.
Do you believe
I can do that?
Yes. I do.
GEORGE:
You got to fight
for your faith.
Every one of you, every day.
One Sunday morning,
when the sun
is shining real bright...
[CONGREGATION MURMURING]
and your husband, he's standing
there with his swim trunks on,
holding a blanket,
saying,
"The beach is waiting, baby!"
And you think to yourself,
you say:
"Huh? Is missing one little
service really gonna hurt me?"
Now, if you don't shine your
shoes, do they get shined?
CONGREGATION: No.
Don't wash your clothes,
they get washed?
No.
If you don't fight for your
faith, it'll fall away.
[EXCLAIMING]
You gotta do it.
Gotta fight for your faith.
If you gonna fight for
anything, fight for that.
Amen.
Thank you.
All right. Take care.
All right. All right.
Pastor Foreman.
I need your help.
Would you train my grandson,
Jalen?
If he had a good
male role model to teach him,
instead of the boys
that he's...
Well, I'd sign up
to train with Ali
but not the guy
who lost to him.
Jalen...
[LAUGHING]
It's all right.
It's all right.
He remind me of myself
when I was his age.
Can you teach him to box?
Well, boxing's not the answer.
You see,
the answers are in here.
Young man, you read the Bible,
keep coming to church,
everything will work out.
All right. All right, sister.
God bless you.
Have a good day. All right.
Okay.
Whoa! Something smells
good in here.
MARY JOAN:
Mm-hm.
[SLURPS]
I love you.
I love you.
[BOTH LAUGH]
Hey! Ha, ha!
Ooh! You're getting heavy.
Come here, boy.
You know I love you, right?
Yeah.
All right, let me get a kiss.
No. No way.
Give me a kiss. Come here.
Don't wanna kiss your daddy?
REPORTER:
...to the epidemic
of street v*olence
that's been plaguing
the Fifth Ward.
Two suspects have been
apprehended in this robbery.
An attempted robbery...
Take your brother
to the other room.
...with one man
in critical condition.
The juveniles
are being held without bail.
You okay?
His grandmother
brought him to me...
last week.
That same kid.
But I was so, you know,
full of myself
being full of God that...
I missed it.
What did you miss,
George?
I should have met that kid
where he was.
Not where I wanted him to be.
George, are you sure
you wanna do this?
Yeah.
Okay.
I'll talk to the bank
about moving a few
of your assets around.
Come on. I wanna show y'all
something here.
Now, I have an idea.
All right, I got you.
WOMAN:
Whoo! That's heavy.
Help me
with this bed over here!
[GRUNTS]
Hurry up, now.
GEORGE:
That's looking good.
Tighten up these ropes.
Hook that up.
Make sure they're not loose.
Got it.
Mm-hm.
Just get out the way
And let the gentleman
Do his thing
[LAUGHS, EXCLAIMS]
Hey. Hey. Hey.
Aah!
I would've blocked it,
but somebody raised the rim.
Hey, fellas. Come on in.
Come on in. Enjoy yourself.
Respect yourself
Respect yourself
Respect yourself
Hey, Nate.
Ain't seen you in a while.
Hey, nice haircut, man.
Look, it's almost as good
as mine. Ha, ha.
What's going on, y'all?
Hey, sister. How you doing?
Good, good.
Hey, man.
You're always fouling somebody.
I see you.
Looking good.
[MURMURING]
I got this, y'all.
Don't worry about it.
This has never happened here
at the youth center before.
This just doesn't
make any sense.
Roberta,
what's going on?
Are you absolutely sure?
Because it just doesn't
sound right.
Okay. No, I understand.
We'll take care of it
immediately.
Power company said
we never paid the bill.
Really?
Well, uh, just get Des on it.
He didn't come in today.
BANKER:
I'm sorry, Mr. Foreman,
but I don't understand
how you didn't know.
GEORGE:
How much is left?
A little over $2000.
That can't be right.
Just use some of the money
from my investments accounts
to keep the youth center open.
Those investments went belly-up
over the last year.
Des told me we were good.
I'm sorry,
but that's just not true.
He put them into solid stocks
to set me up for life.
No. These were all
high-risk gambles.
No, that's--
Look, I'm sorry,
Mr. Foreman,
but if these payments
aren't made soon,
the bank will have to start
repossessing the property.
[WOMAN GASPS]
Roy says you got the whole town
looking for Desmond.
That's right.
You need to leave him be.
I gave it all to him.
And he lost it.
Not just the youth center.
Everything I worked for...
it's gone.
No, no, no.
Everything you worked for
is in here.
Ever since
you was a little boy...
I tried to put you
on the right path.
But you found it.
All by yourself.
You found God.
Be godly.
Don't let Desmond Baker
take that from you too.
[PHONE RINGING]
[GROANING]
Tell me.
Tell me you put the money
somewhere else.
In some other account
I don't know about!
Tell me it's not all gone.
It's gone.
I lost it.
Tell me it's not all gone.
I lost it.
[COUGHING]
I'm sorry, George.
Any time you're ready,
Mr. Foreman.
This summer, when you're out
grilling with the family,
there's only one sauce
that has the sweetness
and the spiceness
that everyone loves.
Miss--
You said "spiceness," George.
I did?
Yeah. "Spiceness" isn't a word.
MARY JOAN:
Hi. How are you? Thank you.
Can you sign this, champ?
Thank you.
Hello.
Hi.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
When you're out grilling
with the family,
there's only one sauce that
has the sweetness and the spice
that everyone loves.
Miss Tammie's Mesquite
and Original Barbecue Sauce.
Get them while they're hot.
Adding in the money
from Miss Tammie's commercial...
Chump change.
That's what they pay you
for looking like a chump on TV.
Every little bit counts,
George.
I done sold
everything I have.
I done cut every corner.
How are we?
Short.
Well, how short?
Not even close.
[GRUNTING]
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
[SIGHS]
I know you hate this thing.
It's just a bag.
I don't hate it.
It is filthy though.
Come to bed.
I'm not tired.
But you have a sermon
to give tomorrow.
Pastor Carl's
filling in for me.
Why?
So I ain't gotta
stand up there,
tell all those people
how they should live.
That's what a pastor does,
right?
It's my fault
the money's gone, Joan.
Don't say that, George.
Well, I knew what Des was.
And I trusted him anyway?
I need to fight again.
You swore you wouldn't.
That moment when you first
came up to me in church,
I saw a man
who wanted to change his life.
I fell in love with that man.
The old you,
I don't know.
And I don't want to.
Joan.
There's only two things
I know how to do.
That's box and preach.
[CHUCKLES]
But preaching...
Preaching won't pay the bills.
What if all your rage
comes back? Hm?
What if you can't win
without it?
DOC:
Step forward. Step back.
Step to the left. To the right.
Step forward. Step back.
Step left. Step right.
Step forward. Step back.
Step left. Step right. Great.
Now. Now, cut me off!
Cut me off.
DOC:
When you quit boxing...
you dang near
broke my heart.
It felt like you quit me.
But I came back here.
I dug back in.
And...
you know,
funny thing happened.
I remembered who I was.
I'm happy here, George.
You made me something once,
Doc.
You can do it again.
Joe Louis tried to come back.
Marciano almost k*lled him
in the ring.
Joe Louis tried
to start at the top.
But we'll start
at the bottom.
You're old.
They'll call us a circus act.
But not if we keep winning.
Doc.
You know,
we can do something here.
Something that's beyond
their imagination.
The morning
that we wake up
to fight for that heavyweight
championship belt...
oh, man,
the air's gonna taste
different.
The sun, that's gonna
look different.
Only two men on this whole earth
is gonna matter.
And we'll be
the both of them.
How much you weigh?
How much I wait?
I said, how much do you weigh?
Oh, how much I weigh.
Like on a scale.
Yeah.
Uh... Ahem.
About 299.
Really more toward
the 85 range, but about 29--
I would say 299.
Last I checked,
lying was a sin.
[SIGHS]
I'm about 315,
318 after breakfast.
Ha, ha.
You get down to 265...
then call me.
[GRUNTS]
[GEORGE SCREAMS]
[CHUCKLES]
I think
my gym clothes shrunk.
Wanna see you with it
Sho' could treat you right
Give me just a minute
Of your time tonight
We both are here
To have good fun
So let it whip
[PANTING]
Hey, George, take it easy, man.
You're gonna have
a heart att*ck.
Baby, let me know
[VOMITING]
That's nasty, George.
So let it whip
So let it whip
Let's whip it, baby
Child
Let's whip it right
Get a grip
Let's whip it baby
Work it all night
Well, what's your trip?
No, no
Child
C'mon let it whip
[VOCALIZES]
Now that you can see
How you groove with me
What else can I do
To get closer to you
We both are here
To have good fun
All right,
who's ready for pancakes?
I'm ready for pancakes.
Yes, indeed. Mm-hm.
There you go, baby.
Yep.
I'm gonna get me,
like, five of them. Ha, ha.
We both are here
To have good fun
So let it whip
So let it whip
Let's whip it, baby
Child
Let's whip it right
Let it whip
Let's whip it, baby
Whip it all night
Well, what's your trip?
No, no
Child
C'mon, let it whip
[GRUNTING]
There is no time to lose
Yeah
You're the one I choose
You're so right
Whoo!
I only wanna be with you
You're the one for me
Can't you see that I
I won't waste your time
I won't waste your time
[HONKS]
Something divine in you
Something divine in you
So let it whip
Whip it, baby
Child
Let's whip it right
So let it whip
Let's whip it, baby
Whip it all night
What's your trip?
No, no, child
So let it whip
Okay. Get on up there.
That's where
the fighting is.
Time!
Come on, cut him off!
Cut him off!
Cut him off!
[WHEEZING]
[EXCLAIMS]
Move your feet.
Come on. Come on, George.
Time!
We're gonna need
to get you some new tricks.
Some new arms and some new legs
might help too.
This ain't funny, George.
This ain't funny.
[MARY JOAN BREATHING SHAKILY]
What's wrong?
I think the Lord
spoke to me last night.
Well, what'd he say?
He showed me a vision.
Of you.
Winning the heavyweight
championship again.
I can't explain it.
It's like...
he's gonna lift you up
in the middle of that ring,
so you'll lift him up
in front of millions of people.
DOC:
How you feeling?
I feel good.
This is for real tonight.
It's time to wake up
that old tiger
and put him back to work.
That man's gone, Doc.
We gonna do this a new way now.
Son, there's no new way
when it come to that ring.
There's him
and there's you.
There's hurt or be hurt.
It's fighting.
It's boxing.
It's a sport.
With rules.
[CHUCKLES]
[CHUCKLES]
Better know
what you're doing.
[CASSIETTA GEORGE'S
"NO NEVER ALONE" PLAYING]
I've seen
The lightning flashing
I've heard the thunder roar
ANNOUNCER:
It's been ten years
since George Foreman
set foot in a boxing ring.
What does this Foreman
reincarnation even look like?
Hey, Zouski's no world champion,
but he's a seasoned fighter,
and George has danger
in there tonight.
You know what scares me
the most about tonight?
Getting knocked out
by a bum?
GEORGE:
No.
Taking my robe off
in front of all these people.
The last time they saw me,
I looked like Superman.
So now you look
like the Michelin Man.
This ain't no
beauty contest.
No never alone
All right!
Whoo!
REF:
Gentlemen,
I gave you instructions
in the dressing room.
Obey my commands.
Give me a good clean fight.
George...
Don't look at him.
He's trying
to mess with your mind.
Touch them up.
Come on, let's go.
ANNOUNCER:
So George Foreman begins
the most unlikely of comebacks.
All right, George.
Keep your hands up.
Keep your hands up.
[CROWD BOOING]
This Sacramento crowd
is getting restless.
Quit dancing!
They're looking for some action.
Stop playing with him.
You come here to fight
or you wanna go home? Come on!
Let's do this. Let's fight.
You wanna fight?
There it is.
[BELL RINGS]
Oh. Cheap sh*t after the bell.
[BOOING]
Let him out.
It's now or never.
You let him out. Let him out.
I'm gonna do this my way, Doc.
I'm gonna do it my way.
[BOOING]
I'll tell you this,
George can still punch.
Come on! Hit him
like you hit Frazier!
Finish him!
Finish him!
ANNOUNCER:
He has Zouski in huge trouble.
DOC:
Yeah, that's it. That's it.
Come on, man.
Can't you see he's hurt?
Stop the fight.
Do your job. Come on.
Do your job.
Come on, George.
That's enough. That's enough.
ANNOUNCER: And it's done.
The ref has seen enough.
[BELL RINGS]
Foreman takes his first step
back with a big win.
Let's hear it
for fat, old, bald guys, huh?
Yeah! Go get them, George!
ANCHOR:
That rumble you hear
is the George Foreman
Comeback Express.
You best believe it's picking
up some serious steam.
There's an old saying:
"It's not the size
of the man in the fight,
but the size of the fight
in the man."
All those ring experts who were
making fun of George's size
sure aren't laughing anymore.
Foreman is forcing
the boxing world
to stand up and pay attention.
Never before has a boxer
stayed away from the ring
this long,
then fought his way
back into contention.
Just how far,
how high can he take this?
[BEEPING]
HOST:
Back tonight, please welcome
former heavyweight champion
of the world,
George Foreman.
Good to see you, George.
Good to see you.
Now, tell me, George,
all these guys
you've been fighting,
where do you find them?
Gas stations, barrooms,
and bowling alleys, mostly.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHS]
Sounds like
pretty stiff competition.
Oh, yeah.
But I'm tired of people saying
I'll only fight these guys
unless they on respirators,
'cause that's a lie.
They gotta be off the respirator
at least five days
before I fight them.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHS]
Now, tell us about your sons,
George.
I got four boys.
Now, the names are,
again...?
George Foreman Jr.,
George Foreman III,
George Foreman IV,
and George Foreman V.
I wanted them all
to have something in common.
No different names.
If one goes up, we all go up.
If one gets in trouble,
we all get in trouble.
How about that?
Mm-hm.
You're going to fight
Evander Holyfield
in Atlantic City,
right?
Yes!
It is my destiny to win
the heavyweight championship
belt again.
It is time, kids!
Okay, all right. Here we go.
ANNOUNCER:
And we're back
for the seventh round.
Holyfield, as expected,
is well ahead on the cards.
Your will, Lord.
And he rocks Foreman again
with a vicious left.
Mm!
George is still standing.
But for how long?
Whoa! It's Foreman
on the att*ck now.
That's it, George.
What a sh*t!
Holyfield is wobbly.
Solid punches!
Nobody thought
Foreman would even last
this long.
Get him.
A round for the ages.
George Foreman is for real.
And the crowd
is up on its feet.
117 to 100, for the winner
by unanimous decision,
and still undisputed
heavyweight champion
of the world,
Evander Holyfield.
Mr. Foreman.
Great fight.
One more round
and you would have had him.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
Have a seat.
Good morning.
What brings you in today?
I just wanna stay
on top of things this time.
Did the HBO check come in?
Just this morning.
They said they were hoping to
just break even on the fight.
What?
[LAUGHS]
I think you'll enjoy
the rest of your statement too.
That funny little grill deal
you signed
is starting to generate
some substantial checks.
Really?
I'm just surprised they chose
a big, old fat guy like me
to sell a grill
to help people get lean.
The youth center?
There's enough money
in the account
to keep it open
a very long time.
I think it's safe to say you
never have to fight again,
Mr. Foreman.
Oh, praise the Lord.
What is it?
Our job isn't over.
Maybe I heard him wrong,
George.
Mm-mm.
You heard him right.
Your vision...
it was real.
He did his part.
We have to do ours.
ANNOUNCER:
The fight is on.
Three years after he lost
to Evander Holyfield,
Big George Foreman,
who's now 45 years old,
has fought his way
back to a title fight.
But he might wanna be careful
what he wishes for.
Michael Moorer,
the newly-minted
heavyweight champion
of the world.
A new champion, in his prime,
with speed, power,
and a fluid arsenal.
Thirty of Moorer's 35 wins
have come by knockout.
He is very difficult to fight.
The first southpaw champion
in heavyweight history,
and he boasts a win
over Evander Holyfield,
who battered Big George.
There has never been
a 45-year-old heavyweight
champion.
The risk here to George Foreman
isn't losing,
it's surviving.
How can you b*at that man?
Get out of the pocket.
Come on, now.
Looks like the myth
of George Foreman's power
is being exposed
by Moorer so far.
Come on, son.
What are you doing?
Solid right hand by Moorer.
Foreman's taking a b*ating,
way behind on every scorecard.
Every time George lands
something significant,
Moorer comes back with two
or three punches of his own.
He's having a difficult time
with the younger
and faster fighter.
George has no timing.
He's very slow and sluggish.
I thought he'd be sharper
than this.
Moorer's cutting up George
like a turkey.
Our guy's got nothing left.
Easy. Easy.
JIM:
Foreman's left eye
beginning to close.
GIL:
Well, now he just looks
so tired, Jim.
He deserves all the credit
in the world,
but he is a 45-year-old man
in a young man's game.
JIM:
Uppercut by Moorer,
blasted Foreman's chin backward.
Oh, God. Protect him.
[HEARTBEAT THUMPING]
GEORGE:
I've been fighting
all my life.
For a long time,
I fought because I felt
hated by the world.
Poor-man!
[JEERING]
I call it
the "Ghetto Whopper."
I will fight George Foreman
anywhere, any time.
But I've changed.
Nine rounds against the best
in the world.
There's no shame, son.
No shame.
He's all right.
He's all right.
You okay?
SPECTATOR:
Come on, George. Come on.
[BELL RINGS]
GEORGE:
I had to get knocked down
all the way to the bottom
to finally see...
everything I was searching for
was already there.
And with that...
you can do the impossible.
JIM:
Down goes Moorer
on a right hand!
An unbelievably close-in,
right-hand sh*t.
[CHEERING WILDLY]
I don't believe it.
It happened!
Five. Six.
Stay down. Stay down.
Seven.
Eight. Nine. Ten.
It happened!
George Foreman is the new
heavyweight champ of the world.
The boxer turned preacher
is down on his knees,
not in defeat, but in victory
and thanksgiving.
Thank you.
No, thank you.
You're the heavyweight champion
of the world.
We did it.
We did it.
We did it.
We did it.
[BOTH LAUGHING]
We did it.
[CROWD CHEERING]
JIM:
I have never seen
anything like this
in the 25 years
of my career, Gil.
GIL:
Oldest heavyweight champion
in the world ever,
George Foreman.
[ALOE BLACC'S
"A KING IS BORN" PLAYING]
A king is born
I told you before
A king is born
Now, I told you before
A king is born
Oh, yeah
Oh, no, no, no, no
Like a beast in the jungle
In the heat of the rumble
I ain't got nothing to lose
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I've been fighting
These hard times
In the ghettos of my mind
Now it's victory
That I choose
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yes, my soul is blessed
The king is born
Mama I confess
I'm a bad, bad man
Ain't no one like me
I'm a legend
Ain't no one like me
I'm a legend, legend
'Cause I been down so long
And my crown ain't gone
It's destined
Ain't no one like me
I'm a legend
Legend, legend
Like a bull
In a glass house
No bull
'Bout to smash out
Can't nothing
Stand in my way
Hey
I don't care
What the place is
From the penthouse
To pavement
Better hear what I say
Yes, my soul is blessed
The king is born
Mama I confess
I'm a bad, bad man
Ain't no one like me
I'm a legend
Ain't no one like me
I'm a legend, legend
'Cause I been down so long
And my crown ain't gone
It's destined
Ain't no one like me
I'm a legend
Legend, legend
A king is born, yeah
I told you before
Yeah
A king is born
Been broke before
But I never been broken
Told you before
I am the truth
Now the truth has spoken
A king is born
Oh, yeah
Oh, yeah
A king is born, yeah, born
Yeah
Oh, yeah
Ain't no one like me
I'm a legend
Ain't no one like me
I'm a legend, legend
'Cause I been down so long
And my crown ain't gone
It's destined
Ain't no one like me
I'm a legend
Legend, legend
A king is born
Big George Foreman (2023)
Moderator: Maskath3
Watch on Amazon Collectables Merchandise
Baseball, Football, Lacrosse, Basketball, Hockey and more sports Movie Collection.
Baseball, Football, Lacrosse, Basketball, Hockey and more sports Movie Collection.