WeeklySA_AdminFORMIDABLE: World heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medallist drew his last breath surrounded by his family…
By Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela
On the night of October 30 1984, billions of people around the globe woke up to watch on various television networks George Foreman defend and lose his World heavyweight title to Muhammad Ali.
But yesterday, the great, big George Foreman (76) succumbed to an undisclosed disease at a hospital in Houston, Texas, United States.
As the news of his death broke, the world was gripped in shock, perhaps a shock induced more by sadness of the heart for an unexpected event such as death.
But time flies. It is now 50 years and four months since Foreman lost his title to Ali. And his death also comes 50 years and five months after the Rumble in the Jungle.
Foreman’s death cannot be seen outside the greatness he achieved in the ring as one of the most outstanding fighters of his era, especially against the iconic Ali. Now back to Foreman and Ali, and the Rumble in the Jungle spectacle in the heat of Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Foreman was then a sprightly 25-year-old menacing juggernaut who had left a trail of destruction on his path, obliterating the best in the heavyweight division, clocking an impressive 40 wins, with 37 of his victims clubbed to slumberland within a few rounds.
First, to Joe Frazier, who was defending his world championship in 1973, from whom Foreman won the title, he was ruthless, making a short shrift of Frazier, mercilessly stopping him in the second round, after putting him down to the canvas with his sledgehammer no less than six times in less than six minutes, to complete the annihilation and take home the title.
To Ken Norton, a top-class heavyweight of the era, who was challenging him for the title he snapped from Frazier – a fighter wired with rippling muscles, fearsome in all respects – Big George was equally ferocious and relentless, stopping Norton in two rounds.
Norton was not an average fighter. He had caused an upset in the early 1970s, breaking Ali’s jaw and in the process stealing a points victory against the legendary and charismatic Ali.
Norton died of stroke complications at the age of 70 in 2013 after an illustrious boxing career, and so did Frazier who died two years earlier in 2011 after battling liver cancer.
In 1974, no one believed Ali would pull it against the towering fighter. On the contrary, boxing analysts and commentators, not only predicted Ali would lose on a stoppage, but they also feared for his life against such a formidable and stockily built Foreman.
In the eighth round, to unbelieving eyes, Ali inflicted a combination of quick left-right staccato blows, knocking out Foreman.
In the city of Kinshasa, the packed African crowd roared with jubilation.
Their favourite son, Ali, had regained the title. It was Ali who broke Foreman’s undefeated record of 40 fights, with 37 ending in stoppages.
Ali had regained the title he did not lose in the ring, but through legal machinations of the United States who stripped him of the title he had won in 1964 after stopping the feared Sonny Liston in the seventh round.
When Ali died at the age of 74 in 2016, Foreman was so emotionally devastated that he could – in an interview – only say: “Yea, we have lost – a giant tree just fell and Muhammad Ali – there will never be another…”
Foreman added, referring to their fight: “It was a strange event because I had beaten Joe Frazier who had beaten Ali. I had knocked out Ken Norton who had beaten Ali. I thought fighting Ali could be the easiest money…”
But there was no easy money. Ali knocked out Foreman, shocking the boxing world.
Now Foreman joins his friend, Ali, in the grave – and in eternity. It will be a great sombre reunion, and certainly a great welcome of Big George to the world of the dead by Ali, Frazier, and Norton.
Rest in peace, Big George.
