Forty years ago, Muhammad Ali shocked the world. It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last, but was it the most monumental moment in Ali’s all-time monumental boxing career.
On October 30th, 1974, Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in front of 60,000 plus people in Zaire, Africa. It would be the second time Muhammad Ali became the undisputed heavyweight champion.
The outcome was shocking: Ali, who was 32 at the time, was seen as past his prime, while Foreman was a heavy-handed, undefeated monster (at that point he was 40-0).
Remember what Mike Tyson was during the ’80s? That was George Foreman. And no one thought Ali stood a chance.
He proved everyone wrong, using his athletic ability and, more importantly, his ring smarts.
On this #ThrowbackThursday we celebrate that fight, titled the “Rumble in the Jungle” (legendary promoter Don King came up with that name. This was his first major fight).
Click through the gallery below and learn about the build-up, the fight, and then the aftermath of the “Rumble in the Jungle.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Wikipedia
