Back talk with George Foreman.

George Foreman, 55-year-old boxer turned entrepreneur, made, perhaps, one of the most successful professional transformations in the history of television personalities. He went from being a taciturn and intimidating boxer to a gregarious salesman who has sold more than 60 million George Foreman Grills. And he's just getting started.

In 1999, an unknown grill-making company named Salton purchased the rights to use Foreman's name for $127.5 million in cash and $10 million in stock At the height of the marketing campaign for the George Foreman Grill, Foreman received a reported $4.5 million in monthly payments.

BLACK ENTERPRISE recently caught up with Foreman, offering him the last word in this month's issue.

What is your impression of boxing today?

Boxing today is in the shape that I found it back in 1967. People turned their back on boxing for a long time. The athletes are good as ever, but there is no celebrity [boxer]. Boxing goes through these stages. When you think it's dead and there's no more boxing, all of a sudden some great athlete will come from nowhere, like Tyson did. So we're in that state now where nothing is going on, and everyone is thinking it's the end of boxing. But this leaves the door wide open for heroes.

How did you make your transition from being a boxer to becoming a businessman?

It was pretty easy. I started taking care of myself. I had been 10 years out of boxing, and in my second year out of boxing, I realized that all of the people who were calling themselves my sons really didn't look at me as if I were a real father to them. They really showed me their true colors, if you know what I mean? That was devastating for me. I'd call numbers and people who didn't want to talk to me would hang up or they'd put their secretary on and have me wait. That will wake you up. So when I had a chance to box again, I saw boxing not as a sport the second time around, but as pure business, which meant making meetings and trying to make myself attractive to Madison Avenue.

The George Foreman Grill is an example of that. Where did that idea come from?

The grill had been around for a long time. I'm not the inventor. But no one wanted it until I put my name on it. The people behind the grill gave me a proposition and I said, "OK." I just did it to get a lot of those grills to use for myself. But part of it was putting my autograph on it. I had 40% of everything that it made, and I was a major shareholder, so it meant that I had to go out and promote it. I did an infomercial, and it surprised everybody, especially me. That thing sold over 60 million. If I told you that t knew it was going to happen, I'd be lying. The grill is probably one of the most successful electrical appliances.

You made a personal transformation from the quiet boxer to Mr. Personality. How did you manage that?

That happened because I became an Evangelist. That was one of my main reasons for leaving boxing in '77. I cut off all my hair and my mustache. I didn't want to be identified with the old guy. Then I'd get on the street corner and start preaching, and no one paid any attention to me. l was 315 pounds, unrecognizable, and I enjoyed it, but no one stopped to listen to me. Finally, I realized that l had to do something to make these people stop on their way to a bus, so I'd get out there and say, "Hey, this is George Foreman. I fought Muhammad All, Joe Frazer, and Kenny Norton." And people stopped. And if they liked me, they'd stay for an hour. So I learned to make people love me to get my message across.

What is your business plan going forward?

We've started a program, The Comfort Zone, with Casual Male Big & Tall Clothing, and we have the George Foreman Knock Out Cleaning Products. I'm putting my best effort into that because it's something that people can use and it won't make them sick from chemicals.

What do you think of hip-hop?

For me, a world traveler, I see the kids listening to hip-hop and wearing the clothes, and I think it's as great an export out of the country as General Motors. And I'm happy about it. There was a time when you left this country and all you would see was [Lee] lacocca or somebody like that. Today, it's Puff Daddy and Jay-Z, and you think I don't love that? Let that continue for another 10 years.

You consider yourself an entrepreneur?

Yep. It's all about business and trying to develop and improve our businesses.

And you say selling comes easy to you?

I've learned that it doesn't matter what you do, if you learn to sell, you will never starve.

Is it safe to assume that you will never return to the ring?

I wanted to have a boxing match for the physical challenge of it, but [my family] started circling the wagon around here. I have kids who started talking about taking away my car keys. And these guys with the white jackets started asking me questions, so I think I might have to back off on that one.

Everyone is curious why you named all of your sons George. Is there a reason why?

Joe Frazer, Muhammad All, Kenny Norton, Dander Holyfield, Michael Moore: Let those guys hit you on the head and see how many names you can remember.