In 1974 Muhammad Ali and George Foreman contested one of the most famous boxing matches of the 20th century, The Rumble in the Jungle. Fought in Kinshasa, Zaire, the event pitted the younger, undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world George Foreman vs Muhammad Ali, already past his prime at 32 years old. The buildup to the fight was incredible, with the Dictator of Zaire Mobute Sese Seko pulling out all the stops to make the fight memorable. He flew in musical acts such as James Brown, Celia Cruz, and B.B. King to put on a show unlike any seen before on the African continent.

     The citizens of Zaire quickly adopted Ali as one of their own, coining the phrase “Ali boma ye,” which means “Ali, massacre him.” The fight was held at 4:00 am Zaire time in the 20th of May Stadium before 60,000 screaming fans. It did not disappoint, with Ali adopting his famous rope-a-dope strategy, outlasting Foreman until he knocked him down in the eighth round. Foreman got up before the referee completed his count, but the referee declared the fight over despite Foreman’s desire to continue. Ali’s victory meant regaining the heavyweight title that was stripped from him due to his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. Foreman would not regain the title until his unlikely comeback at the age of 45 in 1994, where he defeated Michael Moorer for the WBA, IBF, and lineal heavyweight titles. This 20 x 24 inch photograph shows Ali connecting a hard right to Foreman’s battered cheek. Ali signed this photograph in silver marker. This photograph is accompanied by a LOA from PSA/DNA (5A01146).

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