The great heavyweight boxer George Foreman recently passed away at the age of 76. Foreman has long fascinated me, especially since the iconic “Rumble in the Jungle” fight against Muhammad Ali. I was 10 years old at the time. The sports pages of the day extensively covered the fight. I didn’t get to watch it since it was broadcast live on closed-circuit TV in theaters rather than on network TV.

As we all know, Ali upset Foreman via KO in the 8th round. However, what is fascinating is the lead-up to the fight, the fight itself, and Foreman’s redemption 20 years later.

The Lead-Up To the Fight.

George Foreman was 40-0 heading into the fight, with 37 KOs. In the five years before the “Rumble in the Jungle,” none of his fights lasted beyond three rounds. In short, he was a 25-year-old wrecking machine. Many considered him the hardest puncher in the history of the heavyweight division. Lastly, Foreman was a mean, menacing thug, similar to the young Mike Tyson a few years later.

On the other hand, Ali was 33 years old heading into the fight. While still very much an elite boxer, his reflexes were nowhere near those of earlier in his career.

The video below notes that Ali struggled against opponents (Joe Frazier and Ken Norton) that Foreman easily beat—due to the age factor and Big George’s dominance, most bet on Foreman to prevail.

The above video does a fantastic job of breaking the fight down. Take the time to watch it. Anyway, Ali proved his greatness with this fight.

The Fight

He brilliantly exploited Foreman’s greatest weakness: his angry, brooding personality.

Side note: the Clubber Lang character in “Rocky III” was based partly on George Foreman.

In the second round, Ali resorted to the now-famous “Rope-a-dope” strategy by retreating to the ropes. While on the ropes, he dared Foreman to whale away at him. Ali was able to deflect the punches by covering up, clinching, using a high guard and counterpunching. While leaning on the ropes, Ali relentlessly taunted Foreman. “Is that all you got, George?” This angered Foreman, further inducing him to throw the kitchen sink at Ali.

The result is that Foreman exhausted himself by the eighth round, leading to his knockout loss.

Ali did more than knock out George Foreman; he also brutally exposed Foreman.

Post Fight

In an interview years later, Foreman admitted that it was not until 1981 (seven years later) that he finally came to terms with losing the “Rumble in the Jungle.” A hint that the loss to Ali haunted him.

He fought a few more years and ended the first phase of his boxing career with a loss to Jimmy Young in 1977. After the Young fight, he had a near-death experience in the locker room due to exhaustion and heat stroke. Foreman later said that this led him to become a born-again Christian.

That experience transformed George Foreman’s persona from being a thug to the jovial, self-deprecating salesman we became familiar with. That, in turn, profoundly affected his boxing style in the second iteration of his career.

Redemption

In 1987, Foreman returned to the ring at the age of 38. One of his reasons was that he needed to raise funds for his church. I am sure that he also sought redemption from the loss to Ali.

George Foreman returned as a very different man and a more patient boxer. He adopted Archie Moore’s famous cross-guard defense, and his punching was noticeably more efficient than earlier in his career. He exhibited much more patience in the ring. Perhaps it was due to his age, but I suspect it was also due to his changed personality.

Long story short, it took several years for Foreman to get back into fighting shape and earn a couple of shots at the title. He lost in his first attempt against Evander Holyfield in April 1991. Holyfield, in turn, lost his title to Michael Moorer.

The above video does a tremendous job of covering Foreman’s fights against Holyfield and his moment of redemption after knocking out Michael Moorer.

In hindsight, Foreman’s redemption seems foreordained. He wore the same trunks from his devastating loss to Ali. Angelo Dundee, Ali’s trainer in “The Rumble in the Jungle,” was in Foreman’s corner.

Also, Foreman borrowed a page from Ali’s playbook from their epic 1974 fight by fighting as if he was over the hill and pulling back on his power punches until the 10th round. He fooled Michael Moorer and set him up perfectly for the knockout.

Michael Moorer’s trainer, Teddy Atlas, beautifully explains, from his perspective, George Foreman’s redemption and exorcism of the ghosts of “The Rumble in the Jungle.”

Many regard George Foreman as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever. After all, he beat the top heavyweights of the 1970s and the 1990s. Losing to Muhammad Ali is nothing to be ashamed of. Perhaps Foreman’s crowning achievement is redeeming himself 20 years after that devastating loss.

I admit that I’m a sucker for redemption stories. And Foreman’s redemption story is one of the greatest in sports history.

What Can We Learn From Foreman

This may not apply to all of us, but some have suffered devastating or painful setbacks. I’ve known a couple who have, unfortunately, never recovered.

On the other hand, I know a few folks who have overcome enormous odds. For many, this required deep introspection and making huge changes within themselves. And that is exactly what George Foreman did in the years after “The Rumble in the Jungle.” A change in personality led to a more patient approach in the boxing ring.

Thank you to George Foreman for setting a great example for all of us. Rest in Peace.

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