He fought one of his most famous bouts at 4 a.m.
It was 1974, a 32-year-old Ali made a title shot against that time undefeated 25-year-old champion George Foreman. Looking to generate some positive publicity for his country, Zaire’s dictatorial president Mobutu Sese Seko decided to pay both fighters $5 million to make the fight in his capital city of Kinshasa. In order to give the American audiences an opportunity to watch the fight live in prime time, the bout started in the early morning hours before the sun dawned on Africa. In what was famously called the “Rumble in the Jungle,” Ali won in an eight-round knockout to regain the heavyweight title which had been stripped from him seven years prior.
10 astonishing facts about Muhammad Ali you probably didn’t know
