Ali and Foreman 40 years after their epic 'Rumble in the Jungle' fight

The outspoken Muhammad Ali won the 'Rumble In The Jungle' 40 years ago but has become a stricken, silent icon, while brooding slugger George Foreman has turned into an outgoing tycoon

Washington: In a reversal of roles, the outspoken Muhammad Ali won the 'Rumble In The Jungle' 40 years ago but has become a stricken, silent icon, while brooding slugger George Foreman has turned into an outgoing tycoon.

Take that: Muhammad Ali (right) lands a punch on George Foreman in Zaire (now Conga) on October 10, 1974. This image is part of a photograph that appeared on the cover of the November 11, 1974 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. Pic/Getty Images

Parkinson's disease ended the snappy banter that was Ali's trademark. The man who once said, "when you are as great as I am it is hard to be humble" no longer speaks in public and is rarely seen. Foreman was an awkward, unloved figure when he lost his title on October 30, 1974.

But he has evolved into a slick businessman selling barbecues and grills and speaking out as a champion for the 50-and-over set. It has been a cruel fate for Ali, who had the world title taken away in 1967 for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War.

Now: Muhammad Ali

He took his political battle to the US Supreme Court which in 1971 upheld his conscientious objector status, setting the stage for the Foreman showdown. Ali used a "rope-a-dope" strategy in Kinshasa and let Foreman, who had not needed more than two rounds to win or defend the crown, exhaust himself throwing punches.

Ali flattened his rival in the eighth round. Ali turned into a global symbol of greatness beyond sport, his fight for civil rights and social justice creating a legacy that saw him light the torch at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Even Foreman, who took 20 years to regain the crown cannot deny the Ali force.


Now: George Foreman 

"Muhammad Ali has always been bigger than boxing," Foreman said in an essay on his website. "I say Ali was the greatest man because there has never been a man so young and so good at what he did, give up so much," he added. "I say boxing is too small for Muhammad Ali. He changes the very world. No other boxer could do that."

In 1990, Ali went to Iraq to negotiate the release of 14 US hostages from Saddam Hussein. In 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honor. Also in 2005, the $60 million Muhammad Ali Center opened in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, as a museum tribute to his career and a base for his charity efforts.

Misleading reports?
Ali, now 72, has had to combat regular reports that he is critically ill, including this month. "Don't believe the hype. Feeling great earlier today," Ali tweeted, along with photos of himself at a Louisville school and a Virginia resort.

Foreman, 65, retired from boxing in 1977, became an ordained minister and opened a youth center. A decade later, he returned to the ring at a time when Mike Tyson was the feared heavyweight fighter. Foreman took Evander Holyfield the distance before losing a 12-round decision in 1991.

But in 1994, wearing the same red trunks in which he had lost to Ali 20 years earlier, Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer to win the heavyweight crown aged 45, still the oldest champion in heavyweight boxing.

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