Rumble in the Jungle: Ali Knocks Out Foreman
Muhammad Ali entered the ring against George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974, a 4-to-1 underdog at age 32 against the 25-year-old champion who had destroyed Joe Frazier and Ken Norton. Ali unveiled the 'rope-a-dope' strategy, leaning against the ropes and letting Foreman exhaust himself throwing punches into Ali's arms and gloves. Foreman threw everything he had for seven rounds. In the eighth, Ali came off the ropes and dropped Foreman with a five-punch combination. The champion fell for the first time in his career. The fight was promoted by Don King and financed by Zaire's dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, who paid each fighter $5 million. An estimated one billion people watched worldwide. Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title he had been stripped of seven years earlier for refusing the Vietnam draft.
October 30, 1974
52 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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