Remembering The 'Rumble In The Jungle' 41 Years Later
Remembering The 'Rumble In The Jungle' 41 Years Later
By Roy BillingtonKinasha, Zaire. October 30, 1974. While the war drums were still beating loudly in Vietnam, fight fans across America found a momentary dis
By Roy Billington
Kinasha, Zaire. October 30, 1974. While the war drums were still beating loudly in Vietnam, fight fans across America found a momentary distraction in the form of a fist fight. At 4 AM local time, 60,000 fight fans packed out the Stade du 20 Mai in Zaire to watch two American warriors do battle in the sweltering heat. Muhammad Ali, fresh off an impressive performance against SmokinÂ’ Joe Frazier, was set the ominous task of dethroning the much younger unbeaten, 40-0 undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, George Foreman.
The Vietnam War had taken a lot from Muhammad Ali. The conscientious objector was stripped of his titles and lost 3 years of his fighting-prime when he refused to be drafted in 1967. The toll of AliÂ’s absence was astonishing, the fighter who returned to the ring in 1970 had lost some speed and power, but the veteran instincts remained intact. Despite losing to Frazier in 1970 and Ken Norton in 1973, Ali had went 11-2 in his post-suspension fighting career. Muhammad AliÂ’s self-confidence remained unparalleled in the build up to the fight, but the odds-makers made him a substantial underdog to the 25-year-old knockout artist, George Foreman.
There is no moment as exciting to a fight fan as the knockout; there is something oddly satisfying about watching an expertly trained athlete land a power-punch with perfect placement. Over his first 40 fights, George Foreman had won fans with his constant pursuit of the finish. If 37 knockouts wasnÂ’t impressive enough, the level of competition that Foreman was knocking out was staggering. In his 3 fights before the "Rumble in the Jungle," Jose Ramon, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton in lightning quick fashion. Considering Foreman knocked out Frazier and Norton within minutes, two men that Ali had previously lost to, many pundits were quick to write off Muhammad Ali.
From the opening bell, two things were immediately apparent, Ali was the faster fighter and Foreman had the distinct power advantage. In the opening exchanges Muhammad Ali tentatively traversed the outermost reaches of ForemanÂ’s formidable left hook. Like a karateka, Ali skillfully timed bursts of offense, pouncing forward with straight flurries before receding to the relative safety of jabbing-range. As the opening stanza reached its end, Foreman began to close off the ring and land some power-punches to Ali against the ropes.
In the following two rounds, the blueprint for the fight became apparent. Ali, the architect, began to rely on his speed against the bulldozing, Foreman who was content to power his foe against the ropes and uncork a litany of hooks to the body. Ali valiantly defended against the lunging Foreman and landed fast jabs, which were followed some clean straights. At the beginning of round 4 the fight was close, but Ali seemed to be building momentum.
It was more of the same for Ali in the 4th round, the former champion landed clean on Foreman whoÂ’s legs began to show signs of fatigue. Round 5 was a turning point for the fight, Foreman began to relentlessly pursue the finish, while Ali was content to lean back on the ropes and let the visibly exhausted Foreman throw power strikes to his body, before attacking him with a barrage of fast straights in the last 30 seconds of the round.
The 6th and 7th rounds brought Foreman to fatigue, by the 8th round Foreman was all but finished and Muhammad Ali knew it.
For 7 rounds, Muhammad Ali waited patiently. Ali let Foreman throw with all his might while he ducked and dodged on the ropes. After absorbing some power punches in the early rounds in the process of wearing out Foreman, Ali would soon be able to enjoy the fruits of his labors.
In the final minute of the 8th round, Ali realized that Foreman had finally run out of steam. Ali navigated himself off the ropes and immediately unleashed a colossal combo, which caused Foreman to fall flat to the ground and the referee to call a halt to proceedings.
On that night in the jungle, the fighting fans of the world were treated to the most special performance of our favorite sonÂ’s career. At times it is easy to lose the memory of Ali the fighter to that of Ali the public figure, AliÂ’s out-of-ring exploits in some respects eclipsed his fighting feats, but to those who love boxing, that fight in Zaire will live on.
Hindsight is a cruel mistress in a fighter’s career, it is easy to look back after the fact and to say that “Ali should have retired after Zaire” after that night it was downhill for the champ, not in a financial, or fame sense but in a life-altering health sense. While Ali’s final fight with Frazier, “The Thrilla in Manilla” was an amazing fight, the champion took an unbelievable amount of punishment, an amount he never truly recovered from.
Like Ali, his opponent from Zaire, George Foreman too struggled with when to call it quits, eventually retiring at the ripe age of 48..
Kinasha, Zaire. October 30, 1974. While the war drums were still beating loudly in Vietnam, fight fans across America found a momentary distraction in the form of a fist fight. At 4 AM local time, 60,000 fight fans packed out the Stade du 20 Mai in Zaire to watch two American warriors do battle in the sweltering heat. Muhammad Ali, fresh off an impressive performance against SmokinÂ’ Joe Frazier, was set the ominous task of dethroning the much younger unbeaten, 40-0 undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, George Foreman.
The Vietnam War had taken a lot from Muhammad Ali. The conscientious objector was stripped of his titles and lost 3 years of his fighting-prime when he refused to be drafted in 1967. The toll of AliÂ’s absence was astonishing, the fighter who returned to the ring in 1970 had lost some speed and power, but the veteran instincts remained intact. Despite losing to Frazier in 1970 and Ken Norton in 1973, Ali had went 11-2 in his post-suspension fighting career. Muhammad AliÂ’s self-confidence remained unparalleled in the build up to the fight, but the odds-makers made him a substantial underdog to the 25-year-old knockout artist, George Foreman.
There is no moment as exciting to a fight fan as the knockout; there is something oddly satisfying about watching an expertly trained athlete land a power-punch with perfect placement. Over his first 40 fights, George Foreman had won fans with his constant pursuit of the finish. If 37 knockouts wasnÂ’t impressive enough, the level of competition that Foreman was knocking out was staggering. In his 3 fights before the "Rumble in the Jungle," Jose Ramon, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton in lightning quick fashion. Considering Foreman knocked out Frazier and Norton within minutes, two men that Ali had previously lost to, many pundits were quick to write off Muhammad Ali.
From the opening bell, two things were immediately apparent, Ali was the faster fighter and Foreman had the distinct power advantage. In the opening exchanges Muhammad Ali tentatively traversed the outermost reaches of ForemanÂ’s formidable left hook. Like a karateka, Ali skillfully timed bursts of offense, pouncing forward with straight flurries before receding to the relative safety of jabbing-range. As the opening stanza reached its end, Foreman began to close off the ring and land some power-punches to Ali against the ropes.
In the following two rounds, the blueprint for the fight became apparent. Ali, the architect, began to rely on his speed against the bulldozing, Foreman who was content to power his foe against the ropes and uncork a litany of hooks to the body. Ali valiantly defended against the lunging Foreman and landed fast jabs, which were followed some clean straights. At the beginning of round 4 the fight was close, but Ali seemed to be building momentum.
It was more of the same for Ali in the 4th round, the former champion landed clean on Foreman whoÂ’s legs began to show signs of fatigue. Round 5 was a turning point for the fight, Foreman began to relentlessly pursue the finish, while Ali was content to lean back on the ropes and let the visibly exhausted Foreman throw power strikes to his body, before attacking him with a barrage of fast straights in the last 30 seconds of the round.
The 6th and 7th rounds brought Foreman to fatigue, by the 8th round Foreman was all but finished and Muhammad Ali knew it.
For 7 rounds, Muhammad Ali waited patiently. Ali let Foreman throw with all his might while he ducked and dodged on the ropes. After absorbing some power punches in the early rounds in the process of wearing out Foreman, Ali would soon be able to enjoy the fruits of his labors.
In the final minute of the 8th round, Ali realized that Foreman had finally run out of steam. Ali navigated himself off the ropes and immediately unleashed a colossal combo, which caused Foreman to fall flat to the ground and the referee to call a halt to proceedings.
On that night in the jungle, the fighting fans of the world were treated to the most special performance of our favorite sonÂ’s career. At times it is easy to lose the memory of Ali the fighter to that of Ali the public figure, AliÂ’s out-of-ring exploits in some respects eclipsed his fighting feats, but to those who love boxing, that fight in Zaire will live on.
Hindsight is a cruel mistress in a fighter’s career, it is easy to look back after the fact and to say that “Ali should have retired after Zaire” after that night it was downhill for the champ, not in a financial, or fame sense but in a life-altering health sense. While Ali’s final fight with Frazier, “The Thrilla in Manilla” was an amazing fight, the champion took an unbelievable amount of punishment, an amount he never truly recovered from.
Like Ali, his opponent from Zaire, George Foreman too struggled with when to call it quits, eventually retiring at the ripe age of 48..