Big George Foreman Film to Tell ‘Miraculous’ Faith-Centric Story of Pastor-Boxer

A 1968 Olympic Gold medalist, he became a Christian minister in the late 1970s.

Big George Foreman stars Khris Davis (Judas and the Black Messiah) as Foreman and Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker as Foreman’s trainer and mentor, Doc Broadus. George Tillman Jr. (This Is Us, The Hate U Give) directed it. The Sony Pictures/Affirm Films movie will be released in theaters on April 28.

The trailer shows Foreman as a youngster, gathered with his family at the dinner table as a woman prays. Moments later, it shows him being bullied at school because of his family’s lack of money. The trailer then depicts the iconic 1974 Rumble in the Jungle fight between Foreman and Ali before it switches to a 1977 bout between Foreman and Jimmy Young.

It was after that 77 fight that Foreman nearly died in the dressing room and experienced a spiritual awakening. He quit boxing and devoted his life to “spread the Word of God,” as he says in the trailer. But when Foreman faced financial difficulties, he went back to boxing in order to raise money for his ministry. Foreman won the heavyweight title in 1994 at age 45.

The film’s full title is Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World.

At age 45, Foreman was the oldest heavyweight boxing champion ever – a record that stands today. He retired with a career record of 76-5 (68 by knockout).

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Photo courtesy: ©Sony, used with permission.

Video courtesy: ©Sony

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.