10 Boxing Matches That Will Make You An Instant Fan

One of the all-time greats (if not the all time great) makes his first of two appearances on this list now for his part in the epic Muhammad Ali Vs George Foreman clash back in 1974...or as it's also known, The Rumble in the Jungle.

This fight saw undefeated world champion Foreman coming face to face with the former champ Ali in an event which saw 60,000 people cram into the 20th of May stadium in Kinshasa. Ali was arriving into the bout as a 4-1 underdog and wasn't expected to have enough to take the belt away from the unbeaten powerhouse Foreman.

Yet, Ali had a trick up his sleeve.

Sitting up against the ropes for much of the contest, Ali was able to avoid being bludgeoned by the more powerful man and picked his shots between Foreman's flurries - thus the 'rope-a-dope' was born.

Ali countered beautifully throughout the fight and as Foreman's energy started to wane from throwing bombs which seemingly had no effect on the would-be legend, his fate was sealed in the eighth round with a perfectly delivered left-right combination from Ali.

This fight is a sweet example of just how effective an unorthodox tactic can be if executed well.

If you ever see a fighter sitting back and waiting for their moment to strike, you can thank Ali for providing them with the blueprint in this legendary masterclass and for providing you with another key insight into exactly why this sport is more than just two people running head on into one another.