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Legendary boxing match in 1974: “Ali, kill him!” / Culture News

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Foreman against Muhammad Ali: The seemingly invincible champion against the athlete of the century. Your duel in a boxing ring of Kinshasa became a legend of the sport – also because Ali did not sit the final results.

Hundred thousand people want to see Foreman die, but Ali on the ropes. “Ali, boma ye!”, They scream in the stands, “Ali, kill him!” Stomp, they roar, it seems as though their voices could be a fist that strikes down George Foreman; Foreman, Muhammad Ali since the minutes already by beating the wet according boxing ring, is repeatedly hit in the face on the torso, round by round, blow for blow. Ali dances no more, he no longer evades, Ali winds in the ring ropes and collects and collects and collects. The stadium in Kinshasa trembles, this is not a fair boxing match, Foreman against Ali, which is a sledgehammer against a butterfly, the nature of violence against the World Heritage Site. The “Rumble in the Jungle”. Foreman shall die, it echoes from the stands, but it is Ali, who faces his own execution.

40 years, so long ago that it “rumbled in the jungle” that Muhammad Ali mustered his last strength to face George Foreman in the way. On that October 30, 1974, they fought by around ten million dollars in prize money, tax free, awarded by Zaire’s dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, but in the boxing ring of Kinshasa it was about much more: Foreman wanted to build his own monument by smashing the living monument Ali. Here in Africa, here in the Cradle of Humankind fought two African-American boxer, perhaps the best of all time. A washed-up ex-champ against the young world champion: a struggle whose outcome seemed clear – and that was because of his cinematic end to the legend.

Ali Against Foreman Legendary Boxing Match In 1974:Scene of torture site

MOHAMMED ALI MOBUTU
MOHAMMED ALI MOBUTU

m ring it was a duel of generations: Ali, the most popular, most famous athlete of the 20th century, the 32-year-old bully, “The Greatest of All Time”; those boxers, sat for half the world at night watching TV, Ali, who could strike so hard with words as with his fists. A Ali but also, who had passed the zenith of his career long.

And on the other side Foreman, the 25-year-old man from the ghetto of every opponent simply umhaute since 40 fights, almost always won by knockout; Foreman, who even Joe Frazier in two rounds humbled, those Frazier, Ali had beaten three years earlier in New York’s Madison Square with a left on the ring floor.

The two were weeks ago got off the plane in Kinshasa, after a journey across the Atlantic, from which it had taken almost hysterical return of combatants to their roots: “Back to Africa”, two black boxers on the black continent.

Threaded from boxing promoter Don King had Ali and Foreman agreed to fight in Kinshasa, capital of the then Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was ruled by Mobutu, who wanted to miss his violent dictatorship with the “Rumble in the Jungle” a peaceful painting.

Look, called the Propaganda, a former world champion and a world champion come to our country to compete sporty. Not a word was lost in advance about the fact that Mobutu was torturing his political opponents in the catacombs of the stadium that only a few meters below the boxing ring, the blood ran down the walls.

Ali vs. Foreman should be a celebration of the resurgent African self-consciousness: the struggle was accompanied by a music festival that brought together stars such as Miriam Makeba, The Spinners, BB King, and Bill Withers. A sweaty James Brown shouted from the stage, the anthem of the moment: “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud.”

Ali Against Foreman Legendary Boxing Match In 1974:Broken hero

Watchf Associated Press Sports Boxing  Zaire  FOREMAN VS. ALI
Watchf Associated Press Sports Boxing Zaire FOREMAN VS. ALI

But this fight is anything but a euphoric party: Ali seems no chance against Foreman’s fists, can hit the holes in sandbags. He has only to oppose his words this violence: “Those are just swab,” he roars against the mechanical eindreschenden to him Foreman. In the stadium, the fear is spreading that Ali does not leave the ring alive. Time and again, Ali caulked into the ropes, where he tried the brute force of Foreman to escape, “rope a dope” he calls the tactic.

It has something of charity, as readily as he holds out his cheeks Foreman, no more disastrous prancing victories that have made him world famous. For the first time seen in Ali’s face the fear of defeat – although the hopelessly lost after each round can celebrate. His entourage has made ​​provision: an aircraft is ready to patch up Ali in the worst case in a Spanish hospital again can. And yet he has the crowd on his side: Ali, kill him, kill him Ali, Ali kill him!

The stadium was afraid Foreman, while loved Ali: Ali Upon his arrival was hailed as a Messiah. On what streets he showed up in the sultry heat of the Congo Delta, the crowds gathered around him. Ali was one of the Image nourished sent to rebel against the white elites of the United States, and therefore a place in the hearts of the oppressed and the poor certainly true:

The Olympic champion in Rome still celebrated in 1960 by the Americans, it was because of his later public refusal to fight in Vietnam, ostracized by patriots and have been for years banned from professional boxing.

Muhammad Ali Golden Verse
Muhammad Ali Golden Verse

He was Cassius Clay was until it the “Nation of Islam” and turning to henceforth as Muhammad Ali pulled through the boxing rings and talk shows – of course, Muhammad, the Prophet. Ali stood in the tradition of Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion, Joe Louis, the “Brown Bomber”. They had been great, they made the boxes a metaphor of the struggle between black and white, and Ali knew that this was his ace: He seemed like the true black, like the real homecoming. An unbroken hero who had not been tendered to the powerful of the West.

Ali Against Foreman Legendary Boxing Match In 1974:eighth round

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Counterparty George Foreman contrast was considered adapted. A rehabilitation program of the US President Lyndon B. Johnson had brought the petty criminals from the lower classes to boxing. He wanted to be like his idol Ali, but he was not so brave, he was afterwards to open. 1968 brought some black athletes at the awards ceremony of the Olympic Games in Mexico City, the fist to the “Black Power” salutation and were excluded from the team. Foreman was not among them, he celebrated his heavyweight victory by waving the American flag. In addition, he made a serious mistake, because it occurred in Zaire with a German Shepherd, an animal that reminded the Congolese to the terrible times of Belgian colonial rule.

The fight is now in its eighth round. It’s the middle of the night, far after four clock, the gong announces the second, which will decide the “Rumble in the Jungle”, “Is this all that you have it,” yells Ali. Foreman became tired, Ali’s constant springing away in the ring ropes seems to have demoralized him, his hits have become rarer.

Ali packs in all of its determination in two quick left-right combinations, the crowd is cheering, the throats of tens of thousands to be his weapon. A few punches to Foreman’s head, the staggers, stumbles, Ali prepares for the final blow, aimed at the temples, his fist shrugs. But Ali does not destroy the moment. With superior look he sees Foreman slowly bend your knees, takes no unnecessary hook the end of the battle its drama.

Almost automatically bagged the Colossus before Ali on the ground. Foreman is defeated, the big favorite in this ring is in the middle of Kinshasa, as he had died.

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