Rumble in the Jungle

Obviously a great performance but I wasn't that impressed by Ali. I was mostly very unimpressed by Foreman.

Still a very solid performance without a doubt and a great, great win. I simply feel that stylistically Ali had the advantage over Foreman and that he did not even need to be at his absolute best to win.

 

Ali made Foreman look unimpressive!

 

Not only was it an exceptional strategic performance, it was a victory that very, very few heavyweights in history could have pulled off ... this is where Ali was unique ... his size, speed, technique , stamina, physical strength and chin were a super tough combo to beat ...

That Foreman was still a killer on top of his game. He never knew defeat and was extremely confident. I don't know if I believe fight guys in the division history would have been able to beat him .. it was an amazing performance ..

 

You missed the point, his brilliance came from the fact, his original strategy was not working!

The majority think Ali went into this, and roped himself a dope from round one, but that was just not true.

Ali wanted to beat Foreman, like he beat Liston, on his toes, and he tried it in the first, but it was just not working.

Laying on the ropes, was Ali's attempt to bide time, and figure out another plan.....

But that was the plan that worked!

And if you do not believe it, watch Dundee scream at Ali to get off the ropes!

As for rope a dope as a name, listen to the post fight interviews, (Sir) David Frost was first to coin the phrase, not Ali....

 

It's a 10. In historical perspective and content and with regards to the actual performance and strategy it's a clear 10. If it's not, what is a 10? Adapting during the fight - brilliant move and Ali being carefully brilliant in avoiding George's biggest head-shots. Everyone talks about Ali chins because of this fight. I say it's his body toughness that's proven here (As with Liston I). He never really takes a hugely clean shot with all Foreman's power... I bet he could. He was on the ropes, covering up while being elusive, picking his clean shots with the jab and straights while WINNING THE FIGHT. That's the biggest thing... Ali was winning... easily! And he knocked out Foreman. What other fighter knocked Foreman out? Exactly...

"The great one has done it!"

The only performance in terms of Heavyweight fights that even compare would be Braddock vs Baer... and even that might be a stretch.

 

I think it was as foreman said:
"He shot an arrow in a barn and painted a bullseye around it"

I reckon Ali got a bit lucky. He tried the rope-a-dope against frazier in their first fight and backfired miseably

 

One of the greatest magic acts I've seen in the ring, even out of Ali. Proved two things beyond refute: Ali was a master of the psychological game and Foreman had some growing up to do. I do wonder, have wondered what would have happened had they met again. Anybody else think it may have come out a lot differently?

 

No, it took Foreman 20 years to get over Ali; if they met in 76/77, at worse Ali outpoints Foreman, as George, with hindsight, just had not come to terms with the defeat.

 

I know the outcome was impressive but it was a pretty sloppy fight. Ali's tactics wouldn't have worked too well against Frazier and Norton and they didn't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUJ155mf93U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys5ftt4y8UQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig2ls6_Wqmw

 

"To get over Ali," you mean it bothered him, haunted him, right? I have no doubt it did. But are we saying that, (and I'm not sure about the timing here), but that at no time over the next ten years that Foreman had learned enough to not fall for that rope-a-dope stuff?

HOLY ****, just saw a clip on CNN that Gatti is dead... commercial on now, so don't have the details yet...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gz0VQ-0XSa_oW3QYVqEpsAbOLNjQD99CGVAO0

 

And he won the fights TheGreatA used as examples!