Good luck finding an answer it's been 40 years, back in those days they didn't have the strict rules and regulations they have today, and I'm sure the Government there was going to do everything they could do to give Ali all the advantages.. Ropes slack or not, Ali would have found a way to win, Foreman always had major problems with slick boxers, if they would have rematched in 75, in the states Ali would have KO'D him again or won a comfortable decision..
Ali may have won a rematch just because of psychological dominance/manipulation. But there is no reason to believe '74 past prime but still great Ali would have found a way to win absent a combination of slack ropes +frequently not only holding, but pulling down on Foreman with all of his body weight. Ali abandoned stick & move due to knowing he, not Foreman, might be exhausted expending so much energy when Foreman was unexpectedly good at cutting off the ring. But his illegal tactics & getting Foreman to waste energy enraged was ebouh to exhaust Foreman, though Ali admitted twice being out on his feet. A prime ali takes Foreman fair & square though.
Foreman was mentally shot after that fight. The rope rumors have always been around. Their slackness certainly didn't help George.
A 1974 primed focused Ali would have taken Foreman in Kinshasa,Madison Square Garden,Timbuktu or even Galifrey ! The slackness of the ropes made little or no difference.
I cannot see how you can say that ring made no difference. So they were lying all those years about rope-a-dope? The Foreman that destroyed Frazier doesn't beat Ali in Kinshasa unless Ali can play those ropes the way he did. Ive never heard any stories about Angelo begging Ali to come off the ropes which surely any sane cornerman would do given what was happening.
Mbuto was so unaware of the scrutiny Zaire would come under that he didnt order any criminals rounded up and slaughtered to prevent a crime wave whilst the world descended on them. There was no lingering smell of blood in the national stadium changing rooms at all
IMO Ali is the greatest HW ever largely due to the fact that we never saw him in his prime (summer 67-summer 70) That being said, the ropes WERE loose and Ali was Never going to give Foreman a rematch. IMO the poster that said Ali would have beaten Foreman in 74 in any venue is wrong. Everything was geared in Ali's favor for that fight. An Astrodome bout would have been interesting (and scary) for the coming back Ali. George was the champion but had no cards to play.
If Angelo Mirena told me to climb up d roof & jump I would. And if Ali said he was d gr8est den hi iz
