Total Failure: How George Foreman's Losses Showed Him The Light
In the second part of our series, we talk to the boxer about his 1974 loss to Muhammad Ali and how it changed him forever.
George Foreman at 25 years old was a fearsome champion: 6 foot 4, biceps thick and gnarled as oak, a permanent scowl on his face and a right hand that flattened every opponent he faced.
So when Muhammad Ali challenged him in 1974 for a championship fight dubbed the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), most bets were on Foreman.
Ali was seven years older and past his prime. He'd had his title stripped after refusing the Vietnam draft in 1967 and was struggling to become a contender again.
Foreman was undefeated and planning to stay that way. "I took the fight because I could knock him out in two rounds," he
