George Foreman and Muhammad Ali took part in one of the most iconic fights in boxing history.
Foreman was the reigning undefeated world heavyweight champion when he put his title on the line against Ali in the legendary ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in Zaire in October 1974.
Ali was the former world heavyweight champion but was considered to be past his best after losing nearly four years of his career in his prime due to his refusal to take part in the Vietnam War, and so Foreman was a big favourite in the fight.
Ali proved the doubters wrong though, using his rope-a-dope tactic for the first time on his way to an eighth round knockout win over Foreman to become world heavyweight champion once again.
Both men are regarded as two of the greatest heavyweights of all time, with Foreman going on to become the oldest world heavyweight champion in history when he reclaimed the belt at the age of 45, while Ali defeated other greats in his career such as Joe Frazier and Sonny Liston.
To many people, Ali’s ‘The Greatest’ moniker is accurate, but Foreman once revealed during an appearance on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross that he views another man as the best of all time.
“They ask me who is the best boxer of all time – Joe Louis.”
Louis was world heavyweight champion from 1937 until his brief retirement in 1949, making 25 consecutive title defences during that time, a record that still stands to this day. His final record stood at 66 wins and 3 defeats, with 52 wins coming by knockout.
