It has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century" and was a major upset

It has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century" and was a major upset, with Ali coming in as a 4–1 underdog against the unbeaten, heavy-hitting Foreman. The fight is famous for Ali's introduction of the rope-a-dope tactic.
The rumble in tyhe jungle is 50 years old on Wednesday.
The Rumble in the Jungle - Wikipedia

 

I like how champions of that era took title fights around the world. True world champions.

 

50 years!!
And Will be talked about in another fifty.

 

It’s the boxing version of David and Goliath…one of my all time favorite fights

 

No chance it was bigger than Louis-Schmeling 2 or Jeffries-Johnson

 

Yep, bigger.

 

It was not close to being the greatest sporting event of the 20th century. Look I think Ali was the GOAT heavyweight but I'm not that big of a fanboy to get that far ahead of my skis on it.

 

It was perhaps bigger than we think because it was a genuine worldwide event. The other fights named here might have meant more in Europe and North America, but were probably nothing on the other four continents. Ali was a global superstar, which is why he is so revered.

 

It may not have had the storyline of Nazis vs America or the following of white America willing their man to beat the arrogant champion but it had a compelling story.

Handsome hero, most famous man on Earth, going up against a terrifying brute and unlike Johnson-Jeffries or Louis-Schmeling, the result was a shock. Made more amazing by the hero winning by playing the brute at his own game and defeating him in a manner that nobody foresaw as being possible.

Johnson v Jeffries was a mismatch pitting a man who had made a name by beating light heavyweight-sized challengers and quitting unbeaten. That unbeaten record, and his being white, is all that sold the fight. Schmeling had the compelling narrative of being German in the 1930s but, as far as box office went, that was it. And both fights were one sided beatdowns providing little in the way of surprise.

The rumble was also a bit of a one-sided beatdown, except, staggeringly, the victim won. The hero, the world's prettiest and most famous man bar none, won. And we have to remember that Ali was famous at the point where the media had the reach to make you globally famous but with limited channels, it didn't make all that many people famous compared to today's world of multiple superstars. There weren't that many vying for a share of Ali's limelight.

So the Rumble had the kind of global viewing figures that dwarfed anything seen decades previously. For every person who saw Johnson Jeffries, 5,000 saw the Rumble. Louis-Schmeling would have had a bigger audience but not in the stratosphere of Ali v Foreman.

I don't know what was the biggest sporting event of the 20th century. Boxing was one of those few sports that was global so it trumps baseball, basketball, cricket in appeal and reach. For my money, the Rumble is very much in the conversation not just in terms of the cast of players, or the audience but also the event itself and how the storyline unfolded. Everything about it was larger than life and the result didn't disappoint.

Sorry. Went on longer than intended and no disrespect intended @Melankomas in challenging your options. I see the value in them. I just see the Rumble as being better in every way.

 

The "FOTC"...March 8, 1971...was the biggest most watched sporting event of all time...it was the biggest fight in my lifetime...

 

Tak, było naprawdę fajnie.

 

It was watched globally.

 

It may have been the most viewed, Ali was one of the most famous people of the 20th century.

 

I’m sorry, but Louis-Schmeling 2 is unmatched due to the geopolitical implications.

 

I am aware of Ali’s status. Again, I think he was the GOAT heavyweight. This fight simply wasn’t the greatest sports event of the 20th century.

FOTC was a bigger fight.

And the greatest sports moment of the 20th century took place on June 9, 1973, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.