On October 30, 1974, the “Rumble in the Jungle” heavyweight boxing match between then heavyweight champion George Foreman and Muhammad Ali took place in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
The fight was attended by 60,000 people and watched on television by as many as one billion worldwide. Though Foreman entered the bout as the clear favorite, Ali won by knockout in the eighth round and reclaimed the world heavyweight title.
By 1974 Muhammad Ali had successfully returned to boxing after being ousted for his 1967 conscientious objection to the Vietnam War and having his license reinstated in 1970.
By March 1971 Ali had returned to relative form, earning a heavyweight championship bout against Joe Frazier in what would be dubbed in promotional materials as the “Fight of the Century.” Ali lost by unanimous decision in a close fight. Undeterred, he fought 14 matches over the next three and a half years, winning 13 and losing 1.
George Foreman arrived in Zaire at the height of his prowess. He had won the heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics before turning professional and winning his first 37 fights. Foreman then beat the theretofore undefeated Frazier handily, needing only two rounds to unseat the champion.
Coming into the “Rumble in the Jungle,” Foreman was seen as an unstoppable power and Ali as an aging superstar. Betting lines were set accordingly: Ali was a 4:1 underdog.
Rumble in the Jungle clash lived up to its billing
The fight began at 4:00 am local time (the early start accommodated American viewers, who could then watch the fight during prime time) in Kinshasa’s 20th of May Stadium (now Stade Tata Raphaël).
Many expected Ali to approach the fight as he had the bouts of his youth—with quick footwork and finesse. Indeed, Ali had told the press before the fight that he would attack Foreman this way.
However, Ali came out with a much slower, more methodical approach. In the first round, he attacked Foreman ferociously before retreating to the ropes and allowing his opponent to throw punches and gradually tire himself out, a tactic since dubbed “rope-a-dope.” A
li blocked and dodged many of Foreman’s strikes in these early rounds but sustained several arm and body blows. Eventually, Ali’s strategy paid off. By the fifth round, Foreman had begun to visibly tire.
In the eighth, Ali saw his chance and went on the attack, knocking Foreman out with a combination of quick punches, shocking his opponent and the world.
Ali became the second man ever to reclaim the heavyweight title. In the aftermath of the Rumble in the Jungle, as the Vietnam War came to a close, Ali’s public image began to be rehabilitated, and he was an American icon at the time of his death.
Source: Britannica
Related: How Boxing Became a Popular Sport in Ancient Greece
