What if the rumble in the jungle moved to the air-conditioning of Madison Square Gar?

Watch the fight again. Ali knew he had George beat by the 2nd round. It was the case of a master against a student. The humidity, ropes etc.. had nothing to do with it. Ali was just the superior fighter at the time.

 

Then Ali wouldn't have tired quickly from dancing around - from the 'heavy' ring - and would've KO'd Foreman in 11 in a much prettier display.

 

Seconded. :good

 

Exactly, a lot of hindsight is used post Rumble. Going into the bout most (The Sun picked Ali) thought Foreman had all the edges, including the psychological one.

 

The S*n, eh? Speaks volumes.

 

Foreman got up after being floored by Ali and walked to his corner, quite fine.

He's going to be quite capable of getting up in an environment that he doesn't feel completely mentally oppressed and defeated before the fact in.

Do you really think he lacked the ability to get up and continue fighting looking at his fight with Lyle?

 

It would be "The Rumble In The Garden".

 

I dont see what difference the loose ropes made, to be honest.

Foreman's problem actually seemed to be his over-eagerness to crowd Ali, and his punches were shortened by his own pressuring tactics. Foreman liked to throw long punches, that was how he got his leverage. But against Ali he bulled straight in and Ali smothered him, forcing himself to throw shorter ones, taking the sting out of his shots.
Most of the punches landed on Ali's arms or went AROUND Ali's head. So I dont understamd the loose ropes theory.
Ali could lay on tight ropes and smother Foreman's shots just as well.

Foreman could perhaps have won that fight if he had used his jab and taken his time. He should have changed tactics when Ali starting rope-a-dope, he should have stood off, jabbed, jabbed to the body, picked his shots, slowed to pace, and blocked some of Ali's counters.

Foreman lost because he lacked experience and a boxing brain. Ali was just a better, cleverer fighter at the time. Foreman had had a relatively easy run up til then. Beating Frazier and Norton so easily had made him think he could KO anyone quick, so he just got dumber.

The excuses being put forward for Foreman, his "mental state", the Africa factor, and all that crap, is pure revisionism. Foreman was a MASSIVE FAVOURITE, Ali was a massive underdog "going to his own execution". After the event, everyone blames the environment, and it suits Ali fans and Foreman fans alike. Ali fans love the myth of his "magic" and his "psyching" Foreman, and getting the whole of Zaire to "psyche" Foreman. And Foreman fans use it as an excuse. Truth is, even most of Ali's entourage thought he'd get smashed. And I'm sure when that first bell rang Foreman was 100% confident.

It's revisionism to say "everything was against Foreman" when the feeling among almost everyone in boxing was that this was gonna be Ali's last fight, he was gonna be retired by Foreman, (HOPEFULLY NOT KILLED), but brutally defeated for sure.

 

foreman for me i think not just the heat the whole africa factor was massive

 

Even with Foreman fighting a very "anxious" fight, his abuse still had Ali pissing blood for a week. Literally.

The punishment was there. Ali himself admits he was out on his feet.

Take away the entire continent of Africa breathing down George's neck, I think he could of won it.