AP PHOTOS: Ali's upset victory over Foreman in 'The Rumble in the Jungle' echoes 50 years later

AP PHOTOS: Ali’s upset victory over Foreman in ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ echoes 50 years later

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FILE - Challenger Muhammad Ali watches as defending world champion George Foreman struggles to keep his balance during the WBA/WBC championship bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, on Oct. 30, 1974. (AP Photo, File)

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FILE - Challenger Muhammad Ali is hit with a left jab by defending world champion George Foreman during the WBA/WBC championship bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, on Oct. 30, 1974. (AP Photo, File)

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FILE - In this Oct. 30, 1974 file photo, referee Zack Clayton, right, steps in after challenger Muhammad Ali looks on after knocking down defending heavyweight champion George Foreman in the eighth round of their championship bout in Kinshasa, Zaire. (AP Photo/File)

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FILE - Challenger Muhammad Ali, right, watches as defending world champion George Foreman goes down to the canvas in the eighth round of their WBA/WBC championship match, on Oct. 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

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FILE - Perspiration flies from the head of George Foreman as he takes a right from challenger Muhammad Ali in the seventh round in the match dubbed Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire on Oct. 30, 1974. (AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky, File)

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FILE - Challenger Muhammad Ali raises his arms in victory after defending champion George Foreman is counted out by referee Zack Clayton, ending the WBA/WBC championship bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, on Oct. 30, 1974. (AP Photo, File)

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FILE - Muhammad Ali looks down at George Foreman during their bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, Oct. 30, 1974. (AP Photo, File)

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FILE - This is a Sept. 22, 1974 file photo of Zaire’s President Mobutu Sese Seko, center, as he raises the arms of heavyweight champ George Foreman, left, and Muhammad Ali, right, in Kinshasa, Zaire. (AP Photo/Horst Faas, File)

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FILE - George Foreman works out after his eye injury, in preparation for his fight against Muhammad Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire on Oct. 2, 1974. (AP Photo/Horst Faas, File)

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FILE - Muhammad Ali, due to fight George Foreman, world heavyweight champion in Kinshasa, Zaire, tells a crowd of boxing fans in N’ Sele, Thursday, Sept. 12, 1974 “Ako bo mai ye,” which translates from Zaire’s Lingalla dialect as: “I will kill him.” (AP Photo/Horst Faas, File)

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FILE - Muhammad Ali winces as he takes a George Foreman left to the jaw in fifth round of their heavyweight championship bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, on Oct. 30, 1974. (AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky, File)

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FILE - A Zairian man in traditional clothing carries a spear as he leads Muhammad Ali through a crowd at the airport in Kinshasa, Zaire on Sept. 10, 1974. (AP Photo/Horst Faas, File)

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FILE - Muhammad Ali is greeted in downtown Kinshasa, Zaire on Sept. 17, 1974. (AP Photo)

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FILE - Heavyweight champion George Foreman responds to cheers of crowd in stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire Saturday night, October 26, 1974 during the weigh in for his title defense against Muhammad Ali. (AP Photo, File)

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

💬

Fifty years ago this week, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman met in a boxing ring in Africa.

Ali’s stunning knockout victory still echoes today.

“The Rumble in the Jungle,” as Ali dubbed the bout, was one of the most important sporting events of the 20th century. Sport intersected with culture, music and the political legacy of colonialism in an unforgettable promotion that culminated in a thrilling main event.

The two Americans met in Kinshasa, Congo – then known as Zaire – on Oct. 30, 1974, for a heavyweight title and the biggest purse in boxing history at the time. Their sport was in the tail end of its glamorous heyday, and this matchup between the charismatic Ali and the intimidating Foreman was watched by an estimated 1 billion people — a quarter of the globe’s population at the time.

After weeks of chaos and delays, Foreman was a significant betting favorite when the fighters finally reached the ring. Ali then put on a masterclass, demonstrating his sublime blend of elusiveness and counterpunching now known as “rope-a-dope” while he frustrated, wore down and eventually finished the frustrated Foreman in the eighth round.

Associated Press photographers documented every moment of this historic fight. Here is what they saw.

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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing