George Foreman celebrated the “best time of my life” just months before his death as he reminisced on his 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” epic against Muhammad Ali.
The legendary boxer-turned-entrepreneur memorialized the 50th anniversary of the famous Africa bout by chowing down a slice of cake with a huge grin.
“Can you believe 50 years ago, the “Rumble in the Jungle,” fighting Muhammad Ali. Looking back at the best time of my life—celebrate with me with a slice of cake, as I relive the ‘Rope-a-Dope,’” Foreman wrote on Instagram in one of his last social media posts.
Foreman, a two-time world heavyweight champion, died Friday at 78, his family said.
“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose,” Foreman’s family wrote.
Described for his humanitarian work before his boxing career that saw win gold at the Olympics and reign supreme twice on the world stage, Foreman was remembered by his family as “devout preacher” and a devoted family patriarch.
“He lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose,” the family said.
“He was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name— for his family.”
“Big George’s” smiling profile was shared with his followers on Oct. 30, 2024, half a century after the fight which saw the invention of Ali’s famed technique – the “Rope-a-Dope.”
The matchup, held in what was then the Republic of Zaire, pitted the then undisputed heavyweight champion Foreman against Ali in what was seen as one of the greatest sporting events of the century.
Ali, a 4-to-1 underdog, surprised boxing fans when he introduced the “Rope-a-Dope,” a tactic used to appear to pin himself up against the ropes, where his opponents would tire themselves with non-injuring blows before he unleashed a torrent of rapid-fire punches.
Foreman, unable to counter Ali’s fast hands, was knocked around in the ring as over 60,000 people watched in the arena with an estimated billion others watching on TV.
Ali secured the win by knockout in the eighth round.
In 1995, Foreman reflected on his fight with Ali on the bout’s 30th anniversary, calling his opponent “bigger than boxing.”
“I got into a ring with a man that knew something I didn’t know. He knew he could lose, I didn’t know I could lose,” Foreman told 60 Minutes.
The Texas native said he went into the ring believing he could knock Ali out with his powerful punch.
“I beat him up, I knocked him against the ropes, he said “yep, so what, fight me,’” Foreman recalled.
“Finally he laid on the ropes, and I like a dope, got tired and that’s the invention of the Rope-a-Dope. I was the dope that let him lay on the rope till I got tired,” he said.
Foreman admitted to going into the fight thinking he could knock out Ali in each round, but “The Greatest” survived each round and tired out Foreman, leading to the knockout.
“I’m down on the canvass, been knocked down. When I jumped up the referee said it was over. I had to live with that for year after year,” Foreman said. “It haunted me because I could’ve gotten up, I should’ve jumped up even if it killed me.
“I should’ve died before allowing this man to win. I had to live with this for many years,” he added.
Foreman said he “nearly lost his mind” because of the humiliation he experienced in the loss.
