Before Floyd: The 1974 Rumble in The Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Correspondent
As the boxing writer gets older and wiser, the greats fights of the past are subject to reconsideration and rereview in historical context. Muhammad Ali and George Foreman are still alive, and the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ is still a bit hit in living color on YouTube. To look back nearly 40 years after the fact and watch Ali versus Foreman in its entirety is an experience of wonder, a technological gem for its time.
Watch ‘The Rumble in The Jungle’ Online on YouTube, 1974, 65 Minutes in Color
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJphXRp0sRI Ali versus George Foreman
Kinshasa, Zaire, got recognition. Muhammad Ali joined Floyd Patterson as the only man ever to regain the world Heavyweight title. Ex-champion Jack Dempsey despised Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope covering up on those loose ropes. “That isn’t boxing!” Dempsey stated. Rocky Marciano, dead five years, had not lived to see Ali live up to his true potential. Marciano had retired at age 32 in 1956. Ali, the same age in 1974, still had one good bout left in the tank, and the world, who could not shut up his mouth, was never the same.
Ali arrived in the ring, and Foreman made him wait. Once the national anthem of the United States and Zaire were played, referee Zach Clayton got the ball rolling. The fight had a furious fast pace during the first two rounds. Ali conspicuously verbally taunted Foreman, who continued to chase Ali seeking an angry revenge. Ali landed some great straight jabs and straight power shots to the head, mixed with many infuriating tap punches better fit for sparring partners. Foreman hated it and got angrier, and was not listening to The Old Mongoose, his trainer Archie Moore, in his corner. Ali had an easy night, less scared of Big George than Sonny Liston.
Ali did no body work. Foreman’s head punches were wild swings, or weak jab attempts either through or under Ali’s upraised gloves. Ali’s jabs turned Foreman’s face puffy. However, Foreman did a great deal of quality body work for points with Ali on the ropes, noted by Smokin’ Joe Frazier during the fight commentary. David Frost and Jim Brown could not seem to understand why Ali was on the ropes, but eventually Joe figured out Muhammad was trying to get big clumsy George to punch himself out. It was, as Ali later noted, a beautiful thing to win that way.
Win Ali did. The Rumble in the jungle was history. Angelo Dundee, Bundini Brown, Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, and Wali Muhammad live on in our subconscious, thanks to YouTube. Dr. Ferdie Pacheco is still alive, and lives with his wife Luisita in Miami, Florida. Pacheco was concerned for Ali getting liver and kidney damage and left Ali’s camp in 1977, though the two remain best of friends to this day. Pacheco, a true friend of Muhammad, really cared Ali and still does. ‘The Greatest’ lives, but Muhammad should have listened and retired sooner. And so it was. Foreman later regained the heavyweight title as an older man, with Angelo Dundee as his trainer.
Dundee died of a heart attack on my birthday last year at age 90, February 1, 2012.
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