Ali vs. Foreman. 50 years ago

[BattlingNelson]

That was one of the best wins ever in boxing history and a truely iconic fight on so many levels. To this day, it's still my favorite fight.

Here is the original fight report + preview from Boxing News:

https://boxingnewsonline.net/muhamma...ngside-report/

[JAB5239]

That was one of the best wins ever in boxing history and a truely iconic fight on so many levels. To this day, it's still my favorite fight.

Here is the original fight report + preview from Boxing News:

https://boxingnewsonline.net/muhamma...ngside-report/

Good stuff!!

[JAB5239]

It's said that over a billion people watched this fight live. That's just a staggering number. Imagine what the PPV profits would be on that today? I'm sure it wouldn't do a billion buys, the the a.ount would be enormous.

[BattlingNelson]

It's said that over a billion people watched this fight live. That's just a staggering number. Imagine what the PPV profits would be on that today? I'm sure it wouldn't do a billion buys, the the a.ount would be enormous.

If true, it’s an absolutely staggering number and I struggle to believe it. Back then earths population was less than 4 billion ie roughly half of what it is today. So imagine if 2 billion people watched or how many ppv buys that would equate to. Insane.

Jab. 1b is insane. Did it get shown in the Soviet bloc and it couldn’t have been closed-circuit in America. Hell did 1b people even have access to theatres or cinemas back then?

[JAB5239]

If true, it’s an absolutely staggering number and I struggle to believe it. Back then earths population was less than 4 billion ie roughly half of what it is today. So imagine if 2 billion people watched or how many ppv buys that would equate to. Insane.

Jab. 1b is insane. Did it get shown in the Soviet bloc and it couldn’t have been closed-circuit in America. Hell did 1b people even have access to theatres or cinemas back then?

I can find anything to verify that number. It may just be a number made up by Don King to make the fighter bigger. Even if it were a quarter of a billion, that is still mind blowing. That's a number I think would be more realistic. Ali certainly had the global celebrity to pull it off back then. Couple that with Foremans indestructible reputation at that time.......

[JeBron Lamez]

I can find anything to verify that number. It may just be a number made up by Don King to make the fighter bigger. Even if it were a quarter of a billion, that is still mind blowing. That's a number I think would be more realistic. Ali certainly had the global celebrity to pull it off back then. Couple that with Foremans indestructible reputation at that time.......

The television audience for the 1985 Live Aid concerts was reported as being 1.5 billion so those sorts of viewership numbers have happened before, question is whether or not there was as much TV network coverage of the Rumble a decade before that...? I have zero idea lol.

[BKM-]

I still feel like people discredit this win for Ali by ignoring certain aspects of this fight and making a lot of excuses for George. I don't know how you can look at that fight and not see one guy being the much better boxer at EVERY range. All this talk about the rope a dope strategy but Ali really did the most damage on the outside and that's when Foreman looked the most helpless imo.

And I don't want to continue with the Ali being underrated narrative, but he doesn't get enough credit for his physical strength imo. He's been in the there with 2 of the reportedly strongest HW grapplers of all time in Liston and Foreman and held his own and neither could bully him in the clinch.

This was just a bad matchup for Big George who i'm a huge fan of. Even though he crushed Frazier, Joe was so much more effective in dealing with Ali. The bobbing and weaving was the perfect answer to Ali pulling the head down. He'd just duck even lower and come right back up with a left hook cracking Ali. Foreman tried to bulldoze Ali head on and this works for him 99% of the time but not against Ali.

[JAB5239]

I still feel like people discredit this win for Ali by ignoring certain aspects of this fight and making a lot of excuses for George. I don't know how you can look at that fight and not see one guy being the much better boxer at EVERY range. All this talk about the rope a dope strategy but Ali really did the most damage on the outside and that's when Foreman looked the most helpless imo.

And I don't want to continue with the Ali being underrated narrative, but he doesn't get enough credit for his physical strength imo. He's been in the there with 2 of the reportedly strongest HW grapplers of all time in Liston and Foreman and held his own and neither could bully him in the clinch.

This was just a bad matchup for Big George who i'm a huge fan of. Even though he crushed Frazier, Joe was so much more effective in dealing with Ali. The bobbing and weaving was the perfect answer to Ali pulling the head down. He'd just duck even lower and come right back up with a left hook cracking Ali. Foreman tried to bulldoze Ali head on and this works for him 99% of the time but not against Ali.

Great post!!

[QueensburyRules]

That was one of the best wins ever in boxing history and a truely iconic fight on so many levels. To this day, it's still my favorite fight.

Here is the original fight report + preview from Boxing News:

https://boxingnewsonline.net/muhamma...ngside-report/

- - The Fight itself was epic because of George persevering after not being able to spar because of a horrific cut suffered the first day he arrived. Then he was held hostage and forced to live in an abandoned military quarters while Ali was being feted by one of the most murderous Kleptocratic Rulers in African History.

Ali took such a horrific beating that Ferdie and Herbert refused to let him fight the $10Mil 50/50 split financed by a black Indonesian Oil tycoon in Indonesia.

I must say that was the most epic combinations to finish the fight that Ali pulled off, yet still the specter of George's drugging by Saddler in the dressing room before and the short count Clayton administered while George was rising is another level of contamination. And it ain't a stretch to say DKing who was part of the promotional team was also involved as his copious M/O has shown through history.

[max baer]

- - The Fight itself was epic because of George persevering after not being able to spar because of a horrific cut suffered the first day he arrived. Then he was held hostage and forced to live in an abandoned military quarters while Ali was being feted by one of the most murderous Kleptocratic Rulers in African History.

Ali took such a horrific beating that Ferdie and Herbert refused to let him fight the $10Mil 50/50 split financed by a black Indonesian Oil tycoon in Indonesia.

I must say that was the most epic combinations to finish the fight that Ali pulled off, yet still the specter of George's drugging by Saddler in the dressing room before and the short count Clayton administered while George was rising is another level of contamination. And it ain't a stretch to say DKing who was part of the promotional team was also involved as his copious M/O has shown through history.

yes but you are forgetting the most important thing queeny and that is that mubuto sese seiko's witch doctor put a curse on foreman that a women with trembling hands would get to foreman and destroy him. have you not seen when we were kings??? And I thought you knew your boxing history.
Don't you just love mubutu sese seiko? Wasn't he an angel of fair play???
I reckon the whole fight would have been completely different if it happened in new york but after foreman's eye cut he had to stay there seeing the public hate him and the whole thing got him down and that coloured the outcome. Foreman lost his mojo and ali had the momentum and the country all cheering him which upset foreman. Why don't you watch the movie queeny and understand more about mubutu sese seiko. And I thought you knew about bo............!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8q0M-2Ts4s

muhammad ali boooomayaee george foreman!