Foreman and Ali’s fists still ring loud in the African jungle 50 years after the fight of the century

“In the dark before dawn, when only the textile factories work here, George Foreman is preparing to compete for his heavyweight world champion title in Muhammad Ali. The match will start at four in the morning (local time). Each boxer is guaranteed a purse of almost 300 million pesetas for changing their sleeping habits.” With these words began the narrative of lin ‘Superfight of the Century’ in Kinshasa from Mundo Deportivo 50 years ago, on October 30, 1974.

At that time, the fight aroused great interest throughout the world, during a few years in which boxing could be said to be experiencing a period of glory and great pomp, and such ink was written about this duel and all it involved, both on a sporting, political and social level, that this match was given the title of the match of the century. It is true that this qualification has also been given to other fights, but it can be said that this is perhaps the most appropriate in the meaning of the statement, because of everything described, because of the quality and personality of the opponents and it is appropriate. in the symbology of both.

The fight took place at 20 de Mayo Stadium in Kinshasa (Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo)between two of the greatest boxers in history, who happen to be Americans: George Foremanthe undefeated champion, and Muhammad Aligiven by all betting houses as losers. The battle, the first for the super heavyweight title at stake to be contested in Black Africawas surrounded by great controversy, which made the fists of both contenders ring in the jungle.

There are few people capable of organizing a battle like this and even fewer can be carried out in Africa, but the overwhelming figure of Don Kingwhich he found in the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko the charitable soul that financed it, for the small sum of 10 million. Both boxers were received by the master of Zaire at that time in his palace, surrounded by lush vegetation, zebras and leopards. The two exchanged a few words with the president, but it was Ali’s gesture that went down in history when he presented him with a name badge and these words that have remained in history: “I fly like a butterfly, but I stings like a bee.”

Two boxers with different paths and different personalities face each other. On the one hand, the boxer who renounced the name Cassius Clay, He converted to Islam and refused to go to school. War in Vietnama position he disputed with this phrase: “No Viet Cong has called me black”, as a result of which his license was revoked and he lost the title of world champion. Ali attended the event after falling in the New York fight Joe Frazier and had the possibility of losing to a machine that crushed its rivals George Foremanwho is undefeated after fighting 49 fights as a professional, in which he showed a good punch, since he won 37 of them by KO, annihilating his rival early 24 in a row. His knockout average is 0.925, the highest in boxing history.

For this reason, Foreman started as a favorite among betting houses in a fight scheduled for 15 rounds and decided early. He World Boxing CouncilHe remembered the battle this way. “In the first round, Ali rushed in and hit George with a powerful right hand to the forehead. But after that, he saved his energy, covered, and restricted George from fighting at close range. Ali caught George. right punches to the face and used cat-like reflexes to cover himself, however, George’s body seemed to dominate in the fifth round, but in the last thirty seconds Ali leaned against the ropes with his hands momentarily stunned by George, who hit by an oppressive heat, it was a test for the eighth round, when Ali caught George with a combination of five punches and a left hook that dropped him and a short right that knocked him down George stumbled and was followed by Ali to the end with a right hand ready, but the referee didn’t let go of that hand. Zack Clayton he set the end. A few minutes later, the skies opened up and the monsoon began. Ali became world champion again. He achieved the seemingly impossible by beating Big George.”

As is typical of boxing canons, the run-up to the meeting had moments of tension in the usual exchange of statements: “The best thing Ali can do is pray for what’s left of him to live,” said an old Foreman, who graduated. kissing the canvas Whenever the two clash in the distance, Ali challenges his rival with these words: “You disappoint me. Is this as hard as you can recall the writer Norman Mailer?”

The rest is history.