George Foreman was a feared and fearsome heavyweight who beat the likes of Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and Michael Moorer.
Still the oldest ever heavyweight world champion, ‘Big’ George’s campaign touched four decades and he eventually hung up the gloves with a record of 76 wins, 68 knockouts and just five losses.
One of those defeats was his most famous night under the lights against Muhammad Ali. The Rumble in the Jungle remains not only one of the biggest boxing events of all time, but one of the biggest in the sporting world entire.
Ali employed his famous rope-a-dope technique to tire out the bigger man and force a stoppage down the stretch. Speaking on social media about a prospect of a rematch at the time, Foreman said ‘once was enough with the great Ali.’
He then said that the man known simply as ‘The Greatest’ – despite having lost to Norton and Frazier before meeting Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire – was only truly beaten by Father Time.
“Once in the ring with the great Ali was enough for me. If I’d changed my approach back then he’d [have] another plan. Nothing beats some fighters but time.”
Ali defended the heavyweight titles he won that night ten times, including rematch wins over Norton and Frazier, before being bested over the 15 round distance by Leon Spinks. Again, Ali would avenge the loss in an immediate return fight.
Bouts in ’80 and ’81 proved Foreman to be correct – at 38-years-old and with deteriorating health Ali lost to Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick before retiring. There were many vocal critics who felt the people around him should have prevented the fights going ahead.
His legacy lives on in both sport and popular culture as one of the most enigmatic and talented athletes of all time.
