Ali vs Forman 50 years later the fight remains a classic

When I was in high school, I wanted to watch the fight on the fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman but since there was no pay-per-view at home I taveled to a local theatre to watch the battle. Forever known as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” the fight took place in Kinshasa, Zaire, Africa.

Ali shocked the world by defeating the heavily favored Foreman, becoming the first to conquer the formidable Texan in a historic upset, halting the heavyweight champion in the eighth round. It stands as one of the greatest heavyweight bouts in history, period.

For a brief history lesson, the overwhelming majority of the media, and quite a few boxing fans, believed that Ali was finished and should not fight Foreman, who was the World Champion and a colossal man with skills that could conclude any fight with a single punch. Ali was deemed to have no chance, even risking permanent injury by stepping into the ring with Foreman. At 32, Ali was viewed as past his prime, a mere shadow of the boxer he had been before his license was revoked in 1967, leading to a three-and-a-half-year hiatus.

At the time, George Foreman was a formidable force in boxing, undefeated with a record of 40 wins, 38 of which were by knockout. In his previous eight bouts, he had knocked out every opponent in either the first or second round. This impressive streak included victories over former champions Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, who were both considered superior to Ali at that time.

Many remember that Ali wasn’t his old self and was coming back from a 43-month forced break from boxing when he re-entered the ring. In the four years from his comeback fight against Jerry Quarry in October 1970 to his title bout with George Foreman in October 1974, Ali fought once for the title and had a record of 12 wins and 2 losses in 14 fights.

In his initial championship bout, Ali was defeated by unanimous decision over 15 rounds by the then-undefeated heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, in what was considered the most significant and highly anticipated fight in boxing history. Following his defeat to Frazier, Ali had a good run of ten consecutive victories against the leading contenders in the heavyweight division. He aimed to compel Frazier into a rematch by systematically defeating all potential challengers. However, in his eleventh match, Ali faced an unexpected defeat by Ken Norton, who was ranked seventh among contenders.

The Foreman camp initially wanted no part in the fight and openly refused to face Ali. However, the scene changed with the arrival of Don King, the most prominent promoter since P.T. Barnum secured a $10 million purse for Foreman and Ali to share, which was the largest in history at that time, and thus, the fight was set. With King at the helm, the bout would take place at May Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was King who dubbed the fight “The Rumble in the Jungle.”

In his signature flamboyant manner, Ali’s traveling show arrived in Zaire just ahead of Foreman, a full month before the originally planned date of September 25th. Upon setting foot on African soil, Ali immediately charmed the masses, sparking the chant “Ali bomaye” — “Ali, kill him.” Meanwhile, Foreman, despite his confidence in victory, was somewhat unsettled by the never ending “Ali bomaye” chants everywhere he went while training in the Congo.

The fight, spanning from the end of September to October 30th, reached a climax as both men faced off in the center of the ring, trying to intimidate the other with a stare-down. As referee Zack Clayton delivered the instructions, Ali taunted Foreman, saying, “You’ve been hearing about me since you were a boy in diapers, and now that you have to face me, you’re in trouble.” Foreman responded with a silent glare, and both fighters retreated to their corners to await the bell for round one.

Ali had repeatedly stated before the fight that defeating Foreman was crucial to cement his status as the greatest. He believed that a loss to Foreman would strip him of the right to ever call himself the greatest. He also vowed to outmaneuver and outbox Foreman in the bout.

As the fight progressed, Foreman, like a bull, charged at Ali, who demonstrated ample foot speed to evade the champion. However, it was Foreman who consistently landed body blows on Ali, securing a clear lead in points as they entered the seventh round. By the end of that round, Foreman was nearly exhausted.

Emerging for the eighth round, he maintained his aggressive stance, persistently taking the fight to Ali. Ali, in response, retreated to the ropes as in previous rounds. As the eighth round drew to a close, Ali seized an opportunity when Foreman overextended himself, delivering a swift left-right combination followed by a sharp one-two. The final blow, a direct right to Foreman’s jaw, sent him tumbling to the canvas.

The fight concluded with Ali reclaiming his World Championship title, employing the now-famous “rope-a-dope” tactic to exhaust Foreman before delivering the knockout punch. This triumph stands as one of Ali’s most emblematic moments, cementing his status as one of the all-time greatest boxers.