Rumble the jungle Rematch

[mud19]

I just watched when we where kings the documentary about that fight, and i wondered why there was never rematch between Ali and Foreman? What does Foreman think about fight?

[BattlingNelson]

I just watched when we where kings the documentary about that fight, and i wondered why there was never rematch between Ali and Foreman? What does Foreman think about fight?

The way I remember it Foreman was set up to meet Ali a second time after Foreman defeated Ron Lyle. Foreman however had 'a vision of God' in his dressing-room and retired to become a preacher. He retired for 10 years before making the unlikeliest of come-backs.

[TheGreatA]

Foreman would've probably had his rematch with Ali but he lost to Jimmy Young and retired for 10 years after that fight.


Foreman talking about his career.

[BattlingNelson]

Foreman would've probably had his rematch with Ali but he lost to Jimmy Young and retired for 10 years after that fight.


Foreman talking about his career.

Ok. So the vision was after the Jimmy Young fight.

[Silencers]

Foreman wanted a rematch but he had to get past Jimmy Young first, he lost that fight then had a spiritual awakening (I believe the medical reason was heat stroke) and retired.

[LondonRingRules]

Foreman wanted a rematch but he had to get past Jimmy Young first

**Ali was quoted in Playboy weeks after the fight as saying there was an offer by a "black" oilman to fight Foreman in Indonesia for 5 mil apiece. Don King held the contract of Foreman and Ali. The fight could have easily been made if Ali was speaking the truth and wanted it.

Foreman was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated months after their fight, calling out Ali. Ali also attended his exhibition in Canada devoted to fighting 5 consecutive fighters to publicize Foreman's demand for the rematch. Ali can be seen in the crowd making fun of George which angered him and helped turn the exibition into a bit of a brawl at one point. Foreman also had five consecutive early KOs in his comeback, two over recent opponents Ali took much punishment from and struggled mightily against, Lyle and Frazier. After every match Foreman called for a rematch with Ali when he was interviewed on camera.

A few years ago in an Ali bio, Ferdie Percheco comments that the Foreman fight took a lot out of Ali and they weren't keen on the rematch. Chuck Wepner in Ohio was just about the smallest post Foreman fight Ali could have made, and the crude Wepner made Ali look like a whining club fighter before succumbing late in the bout. Ali's post Foreman opponents save the pitiful Euro setups, Dunn and Coopman, all shipped a lot of punishment on Ali and many of those fights close or controversial.

When interviewed during their inititial post fight press conferences, Foreman is ready to rumble some more, high on the rematch, and Ali is non committal, talking of retirement.

I tend to buy into Percheco's take as it reinforces my long held view that Ali didn't want the rematch because he wanted to hold on to the title for as long as he could. That was the motivation behind facing Spinks instead of his mandatory, the 4th Norton fight for example.

Most assuredly Wepner, Lyle, Bugner, Coopman, Young, Dunn, and Norton were not ranked over Foreman before he retired, nor were they bigger money fights. That Foreman had to do anything to be sanctioned to fight Ali is ludricrous. He was The Man and proved it in his comeback. For whatever reasons, King and Ali failed to make the biggest fight of Ali's career, the Foreman rematch. Foreman was there, out front, in public drumming a steady beat backed by media such as SI.

[Silencers]

**Ali was quoted in Playboy weeks after the fight as saying there was an offer by a "black" oilman to fight Foreman in Indonesia for 5 mil apiece. Don King held the contract of Foreman and Ali. The fight could have easily been made if Ali was speaking the truth and wanted it.

Foreman was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated months after their fight, calling out Ali. Ali also attended his exhibition in Canada devoted to fighting 5 consecutive fighters to publicize Foreman's demand for the rematch. Ali can be seen in the crowd making fun of George which angered him and helped turn the exibition into a bit of a brawl at one point. Foreman also had five consecutive early KOs in his comeback, two over recent opponents Ali took much punishment from and struggled mightily against, Lyle and Frazier. After every match Foreman called for a rematch with Ali when he was interviewed on camera.

A few years ago in an Ali bio, Ferdie Percheco comments that the Foreman fight took a lot out of Ali and they weren't keen on the rematch. Chuck Wepner in Ohio was just about the smallest post Foreman fight Ali could have made, and the crude Wepner made Ali look like a whining club fighter before succumbing late in the bout. Ali's post Foreman opponents save the pitiful Euro setups, Dunn and Coopman, all shipped a lot of punishment on Ali and many of those fights close or controversial.

When interviewed during their inititial post fight press conferences, Foreman is ready to rumble some more, high on the rematch, and Ali is non committal, talking of retirement.

I tend to buy into Percheco's take as it reinforces my long held view that Ali didn't want the rematch because he wanted to hold on to the title for as long as he could. That was the motivation behind facing Spinks instead of his mandatory, the 4th Norton fight for example.

Most assuredly Wepner, Lyle, Bugner, Coopman, Young, Dunn, and Norton were not ranked over Foreman before he retired, nor were they bigger money fights. That Foreman had to do anything to be sanctioned to fight Ali is ludricrous. He was The Man and proved it in his comeback. For whatever reasons, King and Ali failed to make the biggest fight of Ali's career, the Foreman rematch. Foreman was there, out front, in public drumming a steady beat backed by media such as SI.

Thanks for the information. Interesting stuff.

[StarshipTrooper]

I just watched when we where kings the documentary about that fight, and i wondered why there was never rematch between Ali and Foreman? What does Foreman think about fight?

It just wasn't in the cards I suppose. Foreman took a lot of time off after Zaire and after the beating Ali took from Frazier in Manila I don't think he was keen on another tough fight at that stage of his career. If a rematch HAD taken place it probably would not have been for at least a year after Manila and I would have to favor Foreman: He would still have been in his prime while Ali would have been that much further in decline. Ali really should have retired after the third Frazier fight: Nothing that followed added anything to his legacy.

Poet

[SABBATH]

Most assuredly Wepner, Lyle, Bugner, Coopman, Young, Dunn, and Norton were not ranked over Foreman before he retired, nor were they bigger money fights. That Foreman had to do anything to be sanctioned to fight Ali is ludricrous. He was The Man and proved it in his comeback. For whatever reasons, King and Ali failed to make the biggest fight of Ali's career, the Foreman rematch. Foreman was there, out front, in public drumming a steady beat backed by media such as SI.

Nice inacurate spin once again Roberta.

Both Norton and Young were rated higher than Foreman in 1976 who had slipped to 4th behind top rated Norton and second rated Young and 3rd rated Joe Frazier according to the March issue of Ring ****zine.

And for the umpteenth time, Don King had nothing to do with Ali since he never had Ali under contract. Ali freelanced which is why Arum promoted the third Norton fight. The only reason King promoted any Ali fights was because he was the higher bidder. As an aside, Herbert Muhammad had such contempt for King that he turned down a higher paycheque to let Arum promote the third Norton fight instead of King. King had allegedly offered the Ali camp 2 million more to allow him to promote the fight.

Interestingly the WBC leap-frogged Foreman to number one contender within days of signing a promotional contract fight deal with Don King. This came hot on the heels of Foreman's win over the unrated Scott Ledoux.

Brush up on your facts Roberta.

[LondonRingRules]

And for the umpteenth time, Don King had nothing to do with Ali since he never had Ali under contract. Ali freelanced which is why Arum promoted the third Norton fight. The only reason King promoted any Ali fights was because he was the higher bidder.......Interestingly the WBC leap-frogged Foreman to number one contender within days of signing a promotional contract fight deal with Don King.

** Sweet stuff Junior.

I know you've grown bolder as you've matured and wanted to post your own stuff and threatened your minder that you would cry about being ******ed unless he stepped aside.

King held short term contracts on both men. King is the main promoter of Ali and Foreman in this period and part of Ali's identity. Of course he resigned Foreman and of course he was tight with the WBC and many others. Foreman and Ali were on his string along with most in boxing by then. That's what promoters do, resign at the end of the contract, or cut em loose as King recently did very publically with Juan Ruiz on the eve of his last fight.

No need to worry about being embarressed since Poppy Oz has always made his work being a public embarrassment. Anyway, it's all there in film and black and white, George pushing for the rematch, and Ali noncommittal as I layed out.

Now, shame on you. Tell Poppy that you'll have a temper tantrum unless he gives your minder a big raise and try to listen and learn from him. That's the minder, not Poppy.