'Rumble in Jungle' that defined George Foreman

Of all the sporting events that take place across the globe, a boxing bout in the middle of Africa is one that is least likely to garner the attention of the media and fans. However, the clash for the World Heavyweight Boxing title, which took place in Kinshasa, Zaire (present-day Democratic Republic of Congo) on October 30, 1974, not only remains one of the most-watched events in its history but is also considered the one that transformed boxing into a popular sport. The bout is now popularly called the 'Rumble in the Jungle'.

Mohammed Ali, the self-styled “Greatest” who won this contest, used the victory as a springboard to rise in ratings and become a global sporting icon recognised and respected worldwide.

George Foreman, the defending champion who was defeated by Ali, did not recover from the stigma of this loss, which haunted him for a long time. However, he did well to overcome this setback before his death last month, at the age of 76.

Foreman was born into an impoverished family in Texas in 1949 as one of seven children. His childhood was not easy, and it was only good fortune that helped him escape life as a petty criminal who snatched purses and did small robberies.

He turned to boxing at the late age of 17, but within two years, he won the gold medal in the heavyweight category at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. In both the semifinal and final, the referee had to stop the contest in the second round to save his badly bruised and heavily bleeding opponents, some of whom were far more experienced than he.

With a career record of 22 wins and four losses in amateur boxing, Foreman turned professional in 1969. He took the world of professional boxing by storm, winning all 37 bouts in the first three years; 34 of them were knock-out victories.

With this record, he took on the reigning champion, Joe Frazier, in Jamaica in January 1973. Frazier was the overwhelming favourite, but Foreman, a 1:3 underdog, sent his opponent sprawling to the mat no less than six times in the first two rounds. This forced the referee to halt the bout and declare Foreman the winner, thus crowning him as the World Heavyweight Boxing champion at 23.

Foreman defended his title in the years following by defeating Jose Norman and Ken Norton before the sensational clash with Ali at Kinshasa. A month before the fight, Foreman suffered an injury that affected his practice sessions and forced the organisers to reschedule the tie. Ali, ever the showman, used this period to tour Zaire and promote himself, ensuring he was the crowd's favourite when the clash began.

His showmanship did not diminish Ali’s skills in the boxing ring, where he used a combination of his speed, the “rope-a-dope” technique and mighty punches to tire out Foreman, who was not used to prolonged bouts.

Ali’s quick movements helped him to use the “feint” successfully to escape Foreman’s punches, while his strategy of leaning on the ropes not only took away the power of the jabs but also tired out his opponent.

As fatigue enveloped Foreman, Ali started landing his mighty hooks on his face and head to send him reeling. Foreman lost the bout on points but there was little doubt that Ali was the deserving winner.

Foreman’s career went into a tailspin after this defeat. Ali was smart enough to rebuff his requests for a return bout, which left Foreman having to fight with the likes of Ron Lyle and Joe Frazier, without getting a real opportunity to wrest back the champion's title. Though he won these bouts and a couple of others, Foreman could never recapture the aura he had before his clash with Ali.

In March 1977, he won a bout against Jimmy Young, then ranked fifth in the world, but became so dehydrated and exhausted at the end that he needed urgent medical attention. He recovered quickly but the experience left him so scarred that he decided to quit professional boxing.

More than his retirement from the sport, what surprised observers was his choice of career for the next phase of his life. He claimed to have experienced a “near-death” situation after his bout with Young and decided to devote his life to the service of the Lord in the years ahead.

A move from the adrenaline-powered world of professional boxing to the mundane life of a street-side preacher was unimaginable, but Foreman managed it without any apparent difficulty. He moved up the ranks in his new career and became an ordained Minister of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston. The “Youth Centres” he opened made substantial contributions to the welfare of youngsters who had to face issues similar to those he faced in his adolescence.

The requirement for more funds to sustain and upgrade the Youth Centres forced Foreman to return to the boxing ring, almost a decade after he stepped out of it. His decision to stage a comeback at 38 was met with disbelief, even as his detractors sneered that he appeared to have gone off the rocker. But Foreman showed plenty of fight still left in him as he slowly moved up the ladder during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

More impressive was his relaxed persona, a far cry from the aloof and distant attitude he projected during his first innings. This helped him win many friends in the media and they also started positively presenting him. He also appeared in TV sitcoms and even reconciled with Ali, and the duo remained good friends until Ali's death.

Foreman defeated Evander Holyfield in 1991 and a host of other top boxers before meeting Michael Moorer in 1994. The victory against Moorer helped Foreman regain the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles, which he had lost 20 years earlier to Ali at Kinshasa. At 45, Foreman also became the oldest person to win this title, thus making the sceptics, who had made fun of his comeback bid, eat their own words.

Though he lost the title within a year due to some disagreements with WBA and IBF, Foreman was given the respect due of champions during the next three years, after which he bid a second and final adieu to boxing in 1997. His last fight was against Bryan Riggs in November 1997, when he lost on points and decided to hang up his gloves for good, aged 48! Though he planned one more comeback in 2004, that did not materialise.

The years after his second retirement, Foreman became active on many fronts, including working as a minister of the Church and as a TV personality. He promoted the George Foreman portable electric fat-reducing grills, which were sold in the thousands in the US.

This helped him earn millions as he received 40 per cent of the sales price. However, no one grudged him these fortunes as by then, his popularity as a preacher and his TV appearances had won him the hearts of his fellow countrymen. He was an animal lover, and his mansion in Texas was home to tigers and lions, besides dogs and horses.

Foreman married five times. His first four marriages were before 1985. Mary Joan Martelly, his wife for the last four decades of his life since 1985, was a stable influence on him and helped transform his image from a nasty short-tempered boor to a friendly, affable neighbourhood uncle. He also sired 12 children, besides adopting two more girls. Only one of his children - daughter Freeda - took up boxing. But, unfortunately, she died in 2019.

When George Edward Foreman left to meet his Maker on March 21, 2025, he left a life well lived. He rose from the slums of Houston to the summit of world boxing and contributed substantially to the welfare of youngsters and society at large. The world will remember him as a colourful personality who brought joy and cheer to the lives of millions of people.

Goodbye George Foreman.