TBT - Rumble in the Jungle: Ali vs Foreman (1974)

Three years after his loss to Frazier, Muhammad Ali journeyed to Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to challenge George Foreman for the heavyweight championship. Foreman was undefeated, having demolished Joe Frazier and Ken Norton with frightening ease. Few gave the 32‑year‑old Ali a chance against the seemingly invincible 25‑year‑old champion. Yet Ali believed he could defy expectations one more time. Promoted by Don King with financial backing from the Zairean government, the fight drew an enormous crowd to the 20th May Stadium and was broadcast worldwide as the “Rumble in the Jungle.”

Ali began by surprising everyone: instead of dancing and outboxing the stronger champion, he leaned on the ropes and invited Foreman to throw punches. This “rope‑a‑dope” strategy allowed Foreman to exhaust himself by unloading heavy blows that Ali blocked or slipped. As the rounds wore on, Foreman’s punches slowed and his breathing grew laboured in the African humidity. Ali, meanwhile, conserved energy and countered with quick combinations. In the eighth round he seized his moment, unleashing a flurry capped by a straight right hand that snapped Foreman’s head back. Foreman collapsed to the canvas and failed to beat the count. With that single sequence Ali regained the undisputed heavyweight title stripped from him nearly seven years earlier and cemented his legacy as one of the sport’s greatest tacticians. The Rumble in the Jungle remains a testament to guile over brute force and a high‑water mark for boxing’s global appeal.