Dispelling the myth about the "rope-a-dope" (Rumble In The Jungle)

[Ben Bolt]

That is quinessential Ali.

Yes, I’ve heard a lot of stories about Ali’s reluctance to humiliate other people (except for his boxing opponents).

Gennady Golovkin is no Ali, but your story reminded me of one I recently read. About this professional kick boxer who sparred with Golovkin, and said Golovkin hit harder than kick boxers kick. And (if it was the kick boxer or another sparring partner who said) that Golovkin threw precise punches from angles you didn’t know exist.

As spectators, we ain’t always aware of what is really happening in the ring, but for the guy who shares it with an extraordinary fighter, he very well knows.

[rightsideup]

He could not sucker Frazier though despite heavier mind games than the others. Credit to Frazier?

yes Joe was focused

[The Old LefHook]

So, Ali did not spend very much time on the ropes against Foreman. It was a form of mass hypnosis that still casts its shadow on objective viewing, eh?

I saw that fight live via closed circuit in Eureka, California at the old State theatre. To see Ali purposely lay on the ropes starting in the 2nd put the hearts of Ali fans in their throats. I think it put Angelo's there too.

But then after letting Foreman bomb away on his arms and gloves for a while, he would continually break off the ropes with accurate combinations, knocking George's head around. Ali rolled with the barrages, taking most of the punches on the arms and gloves. Not that they did not hurt, and some got in square enough to KO most boxers. Neither Norton or Frazier could withstand the Foreman attack.

Foreman ended up tired. Of course it was due to those insane barrages he unleashed on Ali against the ropes. Laying on the ropes went counter to every analyst's and fan's belief that Ali needed to keep moving to have any chance to win. He surprised everyone with this tactic, including his corner.

Historical revisionists have a hard time with people who were alive and fans during the time they want to revise. I know what the perception was. I followed the stories daily. Getting away with laying on the ropes might work against Frazier, but no one suggested that was the way to beat Foreman that I know of. It would have been considered suicide against a man with such power.

I have probably watched the fight a minimum of twenty times, looking for detail. Ali did many brilliant things besides lay on the ropes. He fought well at every turn. I am not sure what myth is being dispelled here.

[Ahmed_Ismail]

I agree that it wasn't only the rope a dope that won him the fight, he did some good work too through out the fight, but I don't agree with the ones who say that he wasn't getting hit, absolutely wrong, he slipped and blocked some punches but he ate a lot of leather in this fight, he's always had a great chin though, Foreman hit him a lot to the head and to the body and against a guy like Foreman even if u roll with the punches or if the punches don't land flush they still hurt.

Not taking any credit away from Ali, if it wasn't for the work he did on Foreman he wouldn't have gotten the KO, but he was definitley getting hit in this fight.

[The Old LefHook]

I agree that it wasn't only the rope a dope that won him the fight, he did some good work too through out the fight, but I don't agree with the ones who say that he wasn't getting hit, absolutely wrong, he slipped and blocked some punches but he ate a lot of leather in this fight, he's always had a great chin though, Foreman hit him a lot to the head and to the body and against a guy like Foreman even if u roll with the punches or if the punches don't land flush they still hurt.

Not taking any credit away from Ali, if it wasn't for the work he did on Foreman he wouldn't have gotten the KO, but he was definitley getting hit in this fight.

It was one of the great victories in all of sports history. I do not think that victory will be matched again in boxing, whose decline is likely permanent, disregarding a few minor upticks during its fall.

MW over Golovkin would be a victory perhaps of that category, but we will never see that one.

[LacedUp]

I've heard people say the craziest stuff about that fight, talking as if Ali was pummeled from start to about halfway into the 8th, landed a lucky shot and won.

The reality is, he was winning a lot of the rounds and making Foreman look like an amateur taking lead right hands multiple times a round.

For a couple of the mid rounds he did lie on the ropes, but even from the ropes he managed to fire back and hurt George.

I also think Ali was up on all cards?

[LacedUp]

Actually, it's a bad vid, just an example of how to distort the truth by cutting together scenes which justifies the view the maker wants to foist on people.

Like all these fake vids that "prove" that astronauts never have walked on the moon.

Ali has in his biography clearly described how Foreman forced him to 'invent the rope-a-dope' strategy during the fight to survive it.

Every sane human being should know by now that it's an absolute fact that nobody ever set foot on the moon.

[SalimShady1212]

I've heard people say the craziest stuff about that fight, talking as if Ali was pummeled from start to about halfway into the 8th, landed a lucky shot and won.

The reality is, he was winning a lot of the rounds and making Foreman look like an amateur taking lead right hands multiple times a round.

For a couple of the mid rounds he did lie on the ropes, but even from the ropes he managed to fire back and hurt George.

I also think Ali was up on all cards?

Yup, 70-67 on all three scorecards.

[Juof]

Foreman blew himself out in the african heat ali knew he would be exhausted

[Anthony342]

Yeah, he wasn't just laying on the ropes the whole time waiting like was believed. He, of course, fired back and made Foreman miss as well because you punch yourself out faster by missing shots than hitting them or even having them deflected and other times let Foreman his his elbows and forearms.