Psychology of Muhammad Ali: Getting Rid of Ego and Playing on Foreman’s Ego
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
In a historical sense, the late Jack Dempsey was right when he commented on Muhammad Ali versus George Foreman “That isn’t boxing!” It was not, in the traditional sense. However, as’The Old Mongoose’, the late Archie Moore noted, if it was not the loose ropes, it would have been something else Ali would have pulled from his perpetual bag of ring generalship tricks.
Like nobody else, Ali had a plan. Dr. Ferdie Pacheco probably watched in awe as Ali executed it through his training camp preparations for Foreman.
The whole world was petrified of George Foreman, 40-0 with 38 knockouts. Foreman appeared, at the time, as a Rocky Marciano knock your block off type of fighter, with some spicy viciousness and ruthlessness added into the personality. This was exactly what Ali was looking for. One Argentinian heavyweight, Gregorio Peralta, took Foreman into the tenth round twice, going the distance once. Levi Forte, an established heavyweight journeyman, also strangely took the Foreman the ten round distance. Strange because Forte was knocked out during his career by George Chuvalo, Jack Bodell, Dave Zyglewicz, and Floyd Patterson. Yet somehow Forte was still able to figure out Foreman’s style. Forte was able to go the distance in a professional fight in 1999 at age 59. Survival type fighters, agile with defense, were somehow able to avoid Foreman’s power while seeking answers.
Ali’s answer was to get rid his own ego, and then, in a state of humility, take a hard look at where Foreman’s self-centered personality was. He said everything to sell the fight, said everything to anger Foreman, then entered the ring, took advantage of the loose ropes, verbally taunted Foreman, and got Foreman to punch himself out. Foreman himself wound up in the psychiatrist’s office for several years, trying to put together the pieces of his life. He would regain the world heavyweight title 20 years later, but that fact was of no consolation at the moment he got dethroned.
It had often been said if a fighter had to go 15 rounds with the punching bag, the punching bag would win. Foreman went less than eight. Ali versus Foreman was the ultimate psych out, involving self-mastery, while harping on the opponent’s only weak spot, Foreman’s ego. True, Ali should have retired when he had the chance, as he stated he expected to after defeating George Foreman, in the post-fight interview with the late David Frost. From Bob Fitzsimmons to Miguel Cotto, from Mike Tyson to Wladimir Klitschko, Ali was just another fighter who did not know when to let go when his career was on the downside.
Muhammad Ali’s magic moments with George Foreman had not to do with his poetry or verbal taunts. Ali had Foreman so pissed off Foreman fought the fight like a rabid pit pull trying to tear apart a ragdoll or a piece of meat. Foreman, consumed by his ego, hated Ali at the moment and wanted to take pieces out of him. In the process, Foreman punched himself out, and laid the framework for future boxers not to get consumed by the need to get even with their opponents. Foreman’s character emerged from his loss a better person, and set the stage for his later comeback with Angelo Dundee in his corner.
For Muhammad Ali, like the late chess champion Bobby Fischer, the psychology of getting inside his opponent’s head was the key to both his self-promotion and his concept of the ‘rope-a-dope’. To date, no other boxing champion or contender has executed the concept of the rope-a-dope as Ali did. If they could imitate it, it would be a good trick. But how do you imitate the imitable? Ali knew how to out psych his opponents, the bottom line. Ali in truth always liked his opponents. It’s just he got them to fall into his psychological trap but confusing their motivation with revenge and emotion. Ali had his emotions in check, which is what happens when ego is gone. Humility in sports comes with discipline, by recognizing the opponents are better than you, and making proper preparations with outstanding motivation. Ali was unique. The psychology of winning requires self-mastery. Ali had it, and Foreman didn’t, at that time. Ali also had much to prove to himself, which transcended time. His defeat of Foreman still does give way to time for self-reflection by professional athletes and the ordinary people alike today. Perhaps also, as Ali was frightened of Foreman at the time and his fans were frightened too, Ali came up with the psychological coping mechanism-taunting his opponent to overcome his subconscious fear.
As a disciplined athlete and sportsman, Ali was the best. However, when Ali fought a 10 round exhibition with the late football player Lyle Alzado in 1979, Ali had not trained or prepared for it, a mistake overlooked by boxing historians which probably caused the damage which led to his performance downfall against Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick, and his health downfall subsequently. Ali, the master showman, did not prepare for the Alzado bout or take it seriously, and paid a price because he convinced himself he did not have to take Alzado seriously. It was the opposite approach to the Foreman bout, and led to a Humpty Dumpty slow but precipitous fall from grace.
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