Ali's knockout of unbeaten Foreman via the rope-a-dope tactic made this one of the most-watched sporting events of the 20th century.
Key Facts
- Date
- October 30, 1974
- Venue
- 20th of May Stadium, Kinshasa, Zaire
- Result
- Ali wins by KO in round 8
- Attendance
- 60,000 people
- Estimated TV viewers
- up to 1 billion viewers
- Worldwide revenue
- ~$100 million (~$700 million adjusted) USD
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
George Foreman held the undisputed heavyweight championship with an unbeaten record and a reputation for devastating power, making Muhammad Ali, a former champion seeking to reclaim the title, a 4–1 underdog. The bout was staged in Kinshasa, Zaire, as part of a heavily promoted international spectacle.
On October 30, 1974, Ali faced Foreman before 60,000 spectators. Ali employed a then-novel rope-a-dope strategy, absorbing Foreman's blows against the ropes to exhaust him, then unleashing a decisive combination in the eighth round to win by knockout and reclaim the heavyweight championship.
The fight became the world's most-watched live television broadcast at the time, reaching an estimated one billion viewers globally. It cemented Ali's legendary status, introduced the rope-a-dope tactic to boxing, generated roughly $100 million in revenue, and was later commemorated in the Academy Award-winning documentary When We Were Kings.