50 years after Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman in Congo, the 'jungle' hasn’t stopped rumbling

Alfred Mamba remembers frenzy that gripped main soccer stium in Zaire, now known as Congo , as fierce heavyweight title bout unfolded through eight rounds between underdog Muhamm Ali and seemingly invincible George Foreman.

“It was a big party,” Mamba said as he recalled his far, one of co-founders of boxing federation in Congo, taking him to fight as a 15-year-old.

As Mamba flipped through a pile of photos he said were taken at fight, he remembered stium erupting as Ali and Foreman stepped out for much-anticipated “ Rumble in Jungle ” as contest was famously known.

“When Foreman was throwing punches, audience was screaming,” Mamba, now a boxing referee, remembered. "But Ali h surprised everyone with his hook technique. And how he was boxing on ropes. And voila, this is how he won fight.”

crowd's hysteria trailed series of punches until Ali’s last blow. It also created a new generation of fighters and fans that became inspired to keep this country on global boxing stage.

Ahe of 50th anniversary of Ali vs. Foreman fight, boxers and fans from across Africa have been in Kinshasa, Congolese capital, for just-concluded 21st African Amateur Boxing Championships that saw Ste des Martyrs stium and major ros lit up.

Landry Matete Kankonde, who represented Congo in men’s heavyweight division, lost to Senegal’s Karamba Kebe but said he is still dreaming about becoming next Ali, crediting 1974 bout with putting Congo on map.

“ next superstar will be me,” 24-year-old Kankonde said, a wide grin flashing across his face.

But in this impoverished country of 110 million mostly young people, people like Kankonde are fighting against odds to get to highest levels.

While Congo is one of most decorated African nations in boxing, it still lacks equate sporting infrastructure such as a gym for its national team, leaving many to train in open spaces, Mamba said.

In its eastern region, where a dely security crisis has resulted in one of world’s biggest humanitarian disasters , many can only dream of getting out of conflict zones and displacement camps to make it to official contests in faraway capital.

Even in Kinshasa, amateurs often train by roside and on streets with no gear, ducking and weaving as ir hands roll punches.

“Congo is a country where people are motivated by suffering that we know here,” Kankonde said. “Every time a Congolese boxer gives his all, seeing all that we endure here, it pushes us.”

1974 fight was one of boxing’s most memorable moments.

Mobutu Sese Seko, Congolese dictator who was seeking to put central African nation in spotlight, h partnered with promoters to bring contest to country, putting up a $5 million purse for fight.

Just before dawn on Oct. 30, 1974, with machine gun-carrying soldiers watching crowd from ringside and a huge portrait of Mobuto towering over Ste des Martyrs stium, spectators from across world watched bout between 25-year-old Ali – seeking a comeback after being stripped of world title for refusing to be drafted for Vietnam war – and n-undefeated 32-year-old Foreman.

Many believed Ali didn’t stand a chance against Foreman, having been out of ring for years after sanction.

“People were praying before fight that Ali doesn’t get killed," Bill Caplan, who was Foreman’s public relations man in Zaire, has said.

“I think it was one of top-10 upsets in boxing,” Ed Schuyler Jr., longtime boxing writer for Associated Press who was in Congo to cover fight, has said of Ali’s victory.

fight ended with Ali putting Foreman on canvas in eighth round, but that was only beginning of a passion for sport among many Congolese. After that, everyone wanted to learn boxing, said Mamba. He himself was inspired by both contest and his far, also a referee.

And for fifty years, Congo has continued to rumble, producing boxing greats like Sumbu Kalambay, Congolese-Italian champion who held World Boxing Association (WBA) world middleweight title in 1980s and Junior Ilunga Makabu, who held WBC cruiserweight title in early 2020s.

And people are still falling in love with sport in country, including Josue Loloje, who was among spectators at Kinshasa stium for African championship.

“ Ali vs. Foreman fight is foundation (for) se talents emerging in Congolese boxing,” Loloje said in between contests. “It all started re.”