- Title: BOXING-ALI/RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE 40th anniversary of 'Rumble in the Jungle'
- Date: 30th October 2014
- Summary: KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (FILE - DECEMBER 2006) (REUTERS) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (SOUNDBITE) (French) CONGOLESE SPORTS JOURNALIST EUGENE KABALA SAYING: "However soon after, Muhammad Ali entered. As soon as he appeared, all the members of the public were shouting "Ali, bomaye! Ali, bomaye!" [Ali, kill him!] "
- Embargoed: 14th November 2014 12:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA85CHL3FKZWYP74HIK11FU5VDF
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- Story Text: Forty years ago on Thursday (October 30) Muhammad Ali added to his already legendary status by beating George Foreman in the 'Rumble in the Jungle' to win the world heavyweight boxing title for a second time; he lost it again, but retook it for the third time in 1978.
The 'rumble' was staged in Kinshasa, then the capital of Zaire and now the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has gone down in history as one of the greatest sporting events of the 20th century.
The fight was originally scheduled for September 25, but Foreman's eye was cut in training so it was postponed to October 30.
Ali had won the title in 1964 as Cassius Clay when he beat Sonny Liston, then lost it to Joe Frazier, who was himself defeated by Foreman.
In Kinshasa, Ali took the title back by knocking Foreman out in the 8th round.
Congolese sports journalist Eugene Kabala was at the fight and he later remembered Foreman appearing quite timid as he walked into the stadium, whilst Ali was greeted by fans shouting at him to 'kill' the champion.
Afterwards Ali said: "I told you, all of my critics, I told you all that I was the greatest of all time when I beat Sonny Liston. I told you, today I'm still the greatest of all time."
Many people agreed.
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