"The Rumble in the Jungle", 1974
Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman
This is an original fight poster to the fight dubbed "The Rumble in the Jungle" between Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) and George Foreman held in Zaire , Africa on September 24, 1974.. The fight was originally planned for September 24th but was rescheduled to the 29th October (US time) after Foreman suffered a cut in training. Ali shocked the world, knocking out the "unbeatable" Foreman in the 8th round.
The poster is cardstock and measures 14 x 20". Excellent condition for its age with just a minor handling wear.. Nice bright colors, NOT faded like many of these we have seen.. One of the most popular venues in the Northeast to see the telecast LIVE in 1974 (41 years ago!) was at the Monticello Raceway in New Jersey. As you can see from the enlargeable image above, the original Monticello promo snipe is still at the bottom (not covering any of the poster images), adding a nice authenticity provenance to this terrific piece fo sports history! One of the best examples of this desirable poster that you could hope to find.
This was the first heavyweight championship fight ever fought in Africa !! And, it is the most famous and most heavily depicted heavyweight fight in history pitting these two former Olympic Gold Medal winners, the much heavily favored Foreman against the underdog, Ali. Foreman was undefeated up until this time. The critics, the world believed Foreman was invincible. He made such quick work over Joe Frazier and Ken Norton that I remember the ring side announcers joking that "Forman must have left the car running".
Ultimately it was a fight that proved Ali was "The Greatest," as he defeated Foreman in the 8th round. Ali allowed Foreman to punch himself out as Ali performed his famous "Rope-A-Dope," technique. And, at the right moment, Ali unleased a flurry of lightening speed punches that just overwhelmed the giant Foreman and sent him to the canvas as the world looked on in disbelief. As a result of this fight, Muhammad Ali was named Fighter of the Year by Ring magazine, and "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated! Ali also received the honor of being named Professional Athlete of the Year and received the 1974 Hickok Belt Award. But, maybe his highest honor was on December 20, 1999 when Sports Illustrated named Muhammad Ali "Athlete of the Century".
The significance of this RARE poster cannot be understated! The poster offered here was actually made for the fight that took place and was actually used to promote it for a telecast showing in the USA.!
Poster is printed on cardboard, great color and design graphics. ..* Beware of the reproductions which are usually 11x14" and on a thin glossy paper.
The most desirable poster for this most significant fight that the boxing world have ever seen. (Other than Zaire site poster that sells for 10-15 thousand dollars). * Of course these posters will continue to skyrocket in value.
Description: George Foreman VS. Muhammad Ali, the 1974 sport boxing event ("Live from Africa on Big Screen Closed Circuit TV"; "World Heavyweight Championship"; "Direct from Kinshasa, Zaire - Tuesday, September 24"; "15 rounds") promoting a fight between George Foreman ("World Heavyweight Champion") and Muhammad Ali ("Former World Heavyweight Champion"). The fight was originally to take place on September 24th but was moved to October 30th. This is the legendary fight where Ali used his "rope-a-dope" to win back the Championship from the much younger Foreman. It has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century".
Note: Cvtreasures stamp NOT on original poster
