Ali vs. Foreman: The Best Boxing Match in History

The Ali-Foreman match happened more than 40 years ago, but it still lives on in the memories of fans.

It was known as the Rumble in the Jungle and starred two of the best boxers in the world: the Ali-Foreman match was and still is the most important boxing match of all time. Join us as we dig deeper into the details.

Ali vs. Foreman: one-on-one

Born Cassicus Clay Jr. and turned Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam, the Louisville boxer stood 1.91-meters tall and weighed 98 kilograms. He was one of the most famous boxers of his time, both in and out of the ring.

In the other corner was Houston-native George Foreman who also stood at 1.91 meters but weighed 100 kilograms. Though Foreman was just 25 years old at the time, he was already a heavyweight champion.

Like Ali, Foreman was also African-American but he didn’t have the same local support. Another interesting fact about the match is that Foreman had to push it back six weeks from the original date due to an eye injury.

For days conversations only revolved around one thing: Ali-Foreman, Foreman-Ali. It’s a match that happened 40 years ago, yet it still lives on in the memories and hearts of boxing fans.

The match was more than just sport. It also had political, cultural and social importance. You can learn about all the implications it had in the documentary When We Were Kings, which won an Oscar in 1996.

Ali-Foreman: the match of the century

This historical 15-round fight took place on October 30, 1974, in the 20th of May Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire–today, Congo. It’s considered to be the most famous boxing event in history.

The fight pitted the one and only Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest”, against George Foreman, “Big George”, the heavyweight champion. They were the two-star boxers of the time.

The match was named the Rumble in the Jungle. Nodding to the match, Michael Buffer used the phrase, “Let’s get ready to rumble”, in 1984 and we’ve been hearing it ever since.

Fight details

The fight took place at four in the morning to sync with the time zones in the United States. Curiously enough, the official Zairian office of television didn’t purchase rights to the match. Consequently, they couldn’t air it to the citizens of the country where the very match was unfolding.

In a suffocating tropical heat, Ali and Foreman entered the ring to face off. In the eighth round, Ali knocked Foreman to the ground. It would be Foreman’s first time getting knocked out and it would leave a blemish on his career.

Fifty minutes after starting the match, Ali lifted his arms in victory. The match made instant history for the boxers and fans alike.

Over 120,000 spectators witnessed the Rumble in the Jungle while screaming, “Ali, kill him!” Millions around the world also tuned in through their television sets. For Ali, the victory was a moment of pure glory and allowed him to continue his career. It also strengthened African-Americans in their fight for equal rights.

A year later, Ali climbed on board another plane to fight another important match. This time he would fight Joe Frazier in the Philippines in the “Thrilla in Manilla”. As you’ve read with us today, Ali was the true shining star in the most epic boxing events!

Featured image courtesy of YouTube @ElTerribleProductions