Rumble in The Jungle: 40th Anniversary

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by RonPrice, Oct 25, 2014.


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  1. RonPrice

    RonPrice Mr Ron Price Full Member

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    MUHAMMED ALI AND ALI MUHAMMED

    Part 1:

    Last night I watched Ali,1 a 2006 biographical drama starring Will Smith as the legendary boxer and American icon Muhammad Ali. The film begins when Ali was known as Cassius Clay, winner of an Olympic gold medal. Cassius Clay grew-up in America`s South, where segregation was the norm and where blacks were still occasionally lynched by white racists. No wonder, then, that the young boxing champ was attracted to the radical Nation of Islam, and, for a while, became a close friend of the controversial Malcolm X.

    When Clay, now re-named Muhammad Ali(1942- ), took a stand against the Vietnam War, and refused to be drafted into that conflict, his troubles really began. The Establishment set about stripping him of his championship and his dignity.

    Part 1.1:

    This outspoken boxer presented a new and bold image for African Americans at the time, brimming with confidence and eloquence. He quickly captured the heavyweight title, and charmed sports fans with his charismatic personality, but his friendship with political leader Malcolm X, and association with the controversial Temple of Islam, began to sway opinion against him.

    Director Michael Mann portrayed the many aspects of Ali's larger-than-life existence: his romantic complications, his religious dedication and political beliefs all pulling the gifted athlete in different directions. The star-studded cast included: Jon Voight as Howard Cosell and Jamie Foxx as Drew 'Bundini' Brown, Ali's longtime corner man.1 I leave it to readers with the interest to find out more about this film, and watch it, if they have not done so already.

    Part 2:

    Back in the 1950s, during the years 1955 to 1959, I began to hear more and more about Alí Muḥammad Shírází(1819-1850). He was the founder of Babism, and one of three central figures of the Baha'i Faith. He was a merchant from Shiraz Persia who, at the age of twenty-four, on May 23, 1844, symbolically claimed to be the promised Qa'in or Mahdi. After his declaration he took the title of Báb, meaning "Gate".

    He composed hundreds of letters and books, often termed tablets, in which he stated his messianic claims and defined his teachings. These teachings constituted a new sharí'ah or religious law. His movement eventually acquired tens of thousands of supporters, was opposed by Iran's Shi'a clergy, and was suppressed by the Iranian government, leading to the persecution and killing of thousands of his followers, called Bábís. In 1850, at the age of thirty, the Báb was shot by a firing squad in Tabriz.2-Ron Price with thanks to 1SBS TV, 13 December 2013; and 2Wikipedia.

    Part 3:

    The Rumble in the Jungle was an historic boxing event in 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). Held at the 20th of May Stadium on the night of October 30, 1974 (4:00 am), it pitted the undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman against challenger Muhammad Ali, a former heavyweight champion. Ali won by knockout, putting Foreman down just before the end of the eighth round. It has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th. This week is the celebration of the 40th anniversary of that event.

    In October 1974 I was a tutor in education studies at what is now the University of Tasmania. My time was occupied with 60 hours a week of those responsibilities, with the demads of a wife-to-be and her two daughters then 8 and 3 years old, and tasks in the Tasmanian Baha'i community, then 50 years old, 1923 to 1974.

    Part 4:

    Charisma was writ-large across
    the personalities of these 2 men.
    I've known about the Bab for 60
    years, & Muhammed Ali for 50.

    Because I was moved by the story
    of these men, I have written these
    words, a contrasting summary of
    their lives, one of which found its
    home in Sunni Islam....and one of
    which was born in Shi'ah Islam, in
    that Ithna-Ashariyyih sect of that
    Shaykhi school which became, by
    degrees, a world religion, the 2nd
    most-widespread religion on Earth.1

    1 According to the Encyclopedia Britannica

    Ron Price
    15/12/'13 to 26/10/'14.
     
    RonPrice, Oct 25, 2014
    RonPrice, Oct 25, 2014
    #1
  2. markclitheroe

    markclitheroe TyrellBiggsnumberonefan. Full Member

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    Hi Ron...
    I will reply to this with my memories of this soon...40 years... scary
     
    markclitheroe, Oct 25, 2014
    markclitheroe, Oct 25, 2014
    #2
  3. markclitheroe

    markclitheroe TyrellBiggsnumberonefan. Full Member

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    Sep 14, 2013
    I was a young kid. Remember everyone said Foreman was unbeatable.
    I heard Ali won then remember my Dad picking me up from 'cub scouts' on Wednesday evening and rushing home to watch it on Tv...no recorders in those days.
    The fight had happened in the night Tuesday (early hours of wednesday)..it seemed a huge worlwide event.You heard tales of people who went to cinemas to watch it live....i never met anyone who did, but that sounded seriously exciting.
     
    markclitheroe, Oct 26, 2014
    markclitheroe, Oct 26, 2014
    #3
  4. Stevie G

    Stevie G Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Jul 17, 2009
    I recall it like it was yesterday :D

    I was 19 years old and already a big Muhammad Ali fan. I was telling all my friends that Ali was going to spring an upset,but inside I was a bit scared because Foreman had the image of The Incredible Hulk and Godzilla combined. I was overjoyed when my dad woke me up the following morning saying "Ali won....He knocked Foreman out in the eighth round" Muhammad's greatest victory without a doubt.


    Not the biggest upset by any stretch of the imagination - Douglas-Tyson and Honeyghan-Curry,to name but two,were much larger but a great victory nonetheless
     
    Stevie G, Oct 26, 2014
    Stevie G, Oct 26, 2014
    #4
  5. turpinr

    turpinr Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I was a 16 year old amateur boxer when they fought.I felt sorry for Ali even though I was never a big fan of his and I knew Foreman would KO him quickly.
    Nobody but nobody could have predicted how Ali would have boxed against big Jud...... Lie against the ropes, that's suicide.big Jud had crushed both Frazier and Norton who in turn had beaten Ali.
    Ali is a one off there'll never be another.big Jud was a wrecking ball and came again
     
    turpinr, Oct 26, 2014
    turpinr, Oct 26, 2014
    #5
  6. markclitheroe

    markclitheroe TyrellBiggsnumberonefan. Full Member

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    Sep 14, 2013
    At the time and for many years i thought Ali's performance was superhuman.
    Then i began to wonder if Foreman fought the dumbest fight i ever saw.
    Then with age and cynicism....you wonder if it was fixed.
    Georges book plus common sense gives you some ammo in that direction.
    But back to that night 40 years ago..i believed Ali was a God and Father Christmas was getting ready...!
     
    markclitheroe, Oct 26, 2014
    markclitheroe, Oct 26, 2014
    #6
  7. BillB

    BillB Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Foreman's account of what happened along with Don King's involvement and the fact it took place in a third world country where anything went, makes me think it was a fix.
     
    BillB, Oct 26, 2014
    BillB, Oct 26, 2014
    #7
  8. Green Man

    Green Man Guest

    Great event but a very overrated fight.
     
    Green Man, Oct 26, 2014
    Green Man, Oct 26, 2014
    #8
  9. klompton2

    klompton2 Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    Feb 10, 2013
    "Fixed." Whatever. The only thing that was fixed was Foreman's reputation. Probably the most overrated fighter of all time. Talk about a one trick pony with no plan B. He was just up against a tougher, faster, smarter, better fighter with more experience who was just as big as he was. He ran out of ideas quick and got totally owned. He's now come up with more excuses for a loss than any fighter Ive ever seen and none of them jive with the facts.
     
    klompton2, Oct 26, 2014
    klompton2, Oct 26, 2014
    #9
  10. Surf-Bat

    Surf-Bat Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Bingo
     
    Surf-Bat, Oct 26, 2014
    Surf-Bat, Oct 26, 2014
    #10
  11. BillB

    BillB Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Foreman says he was drugged and that his trainer instructed him between rounds, to keep swinging.
    Those are the only excuses I've heard him offer.
    How do you know that doesn't jive with the facts?
    How do you know what the facts are?
    Were you in the corner and did you analyze Foreman's water?
     
    BillB, Oct 26, 2014
    BillB, Oct 26, 2014
    #11
  12. SILVER SKULL 66

    SILVER SKULL 66 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    :good, Best post i've seen on here in awhile..

    The only thing fixed about this fight was ALI'S SUPERIOR SKILL LEVEL, Ali was smart enough not to just stand in front of the guy in the middle of the ring and let him smash you in the head like Frazier and Norton did..

    Foreman always had problems with slick boxers, that's why he was whipped by Jimmy Young, and clearly outboxed by Tommy Morrison, and wanted nothing to do with Holmes , because he knew he would have been given a boxing lesson there too...

    Ali thumped him end of story..
     
    SILVER SKULL 66, Oct 26, 2014
    SILVER SKULL 66, Oct 26, 2014
    #12
  13. SILVER SKULL 66

    SILVER SKULL 66 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Oct 6, 2013
    :zzz, YAWN, Fighters have been making excuses since boxing existed, and i take it with a grain of salt:lol:, ..

    With this fight i've heard it all and it's all bull****, with Foreman's lame excuses:|

    It was a 3rd World country, George agreed to fight there, he was the champ nobody put a gun to his head and told him to get on a plane and go to Zaire, he was a grown man and made the decision to go there..

    Saddler drugged him, sorry i've never heard of a trainer drugging his own fighter, what could he gain??:huh, your guy loses and fires you, bam your out of a job, real smart huh:lol:, and for a guy that was drugged he was fighting pretty well, pounding Ali on the ropes:nut

    Foreman complaining that someone put a curse on him:lol:, yea just goes to show how gullible, and naive George was, and goes to show how insecure George was at the time..

    George was finally in the ring with a guy just as big as he was, who wasn't afraid of him, and who was a better boxer than him, had a better trainer in the corner, and had the crowd behind him, and more experience to boot..

    NOT HARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW ALI WON,,,
     
    SILVER SKULL 66, Oct 26, 2014
    SILVER SKULL 66, Oct 26, 2014
    #13
  14. Savak

    Savak Guest

    Ali fought the best fight of his career and Foreman the dumbest
     
    Savak, Oct 26, 2014
    Savak, Oct 26, 2014
    #14
  15. Mr Butt

    Mr Butt Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Foreman got into the ring thinking he would KO Ali by simply pounding on him that was his plan and got beaten by the smarter fighter who had a brain and a plan .

    I was watching a old gil clancy espn interview and he said that the first version foreman could never relax in the ring and so burned up tons of energy and would always be gassing if the fight went over 5/6 rounds
     
    Mr Butt, Oct 27, 2014
    Mr Butt, Oct 27, 2014
    #15
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