Boxing Mysteries-Who was George Foreman's"friend"(1974)

[Caractacus]

I dont wanna get sued,so i will just give u some clues whom I think it may be.
first clue,He along with Don King was one of the promoters.
second clue is.
(as to a song he made famous)what did Chuck Norris do to the hero and star of the movie
RETURN OF THE DRAGON,when he gave him a karate chop followed by a sidekick
in the Colliseum?

That there is a clue.
Maybe Kalan knows.

[Caractacus]

I don't think it was Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man),because Foreman thanks him in his book.
Who was a big boxing Fan and Boxer supporter.
My theory was that is was a "Soul Brotha".' probably from Houston Texas too.

[Caractacus]

I don't think that it was Ian Anderson either.

[SenorPipino]

I'm surprised that anyone believes that Foreman was actually focused on what people in the stadium were yelling instead of what was going in in the ring.

And to think that someone screaming "He's cheating!" would be enough to persuade Foreman to pretty much give up the fight...well that's insanity.

Foreman has always said a lot of bogus dopey things. Especially about Zaire.

I think he says it all with a sly grin and is surprised that some folks actually take him seriously.

[SenorPipino]

I don't think that it was Ian Anderson either.

Whenever I hear that song I always think back to Ali-Foreman in Zaire.

Rumble in the Jungle? More accurately it was George's Bungle in the Jungle.

I'm certain that terrific Tull ditty was released around the time of the fight. Maybe Anderson knew something.

[Caractacus]

.There is a very good reason that people associate this song with the fight in Zaire.
It is from their 1974 album release WARCHILD.
The 45 single was re-leased in the USA October.14.1975 and in Britain 26.October.1974.
It charted at no. 12 January 1975 in USA for 16 weeks.


]

[Caractacus]

I remember reading George Foreman's autobiography BY GEORGE.
In the chapter of the fight in Zaire he mentions something thats puzzled me since.
In the fight(around the fourth round I believe)He had Ali in trouble.
He had hit him with a tremendous roundhouse right to Ali's neck
when he was against the ropes.For a second Ali's legs buckled
and he sagged.Foreman was just about to follow up,when
directly in hiseyes view he saw someone in the crowd
(which he discribed as afriend of the family)yelling,
HE'S CHEATING!!!!HE'S CHEATING!!!!!
according to Foreman this so unnerved him to see this,
he basically went back to his corner and gave up the fight to win then and there.
the question is,
who may have this"friend"have been?
Foreman claimed he can not even remember his name anymore,
it affected him so much.
anyone here have any clues?

Can anyone here spot the Thunderous right hand to Ali's neck that made him buckle ?

[SteveO]

Can anyone here spot the Thunderous right hand to Ali's neck that made him buckle ?

I must have blinked and missed it!
Saw Foreman staggered though.

[oogiebe]

A majorituy of the sportswriters thought Frazier won the 2nd fight? Wow. Must say I never heard that before. Of course, a lot of sportswriters (especially the older ones at the time) didn't like Ali.

You didn't hear that because it's simply not true. I remember the sports writers were pretty much unanamous on the second fight. No controversy there.

[Caractacus]

i'm fairly certain they meant the first couple of rounds of the second fight.
( which btw had originally been scheduled to be held at Yankee Stadium)
even Joe Frazier thought he did.

[SteveO]

A majorituy of the sportswriters thought Frazier won the 2nd fight? Wow. Must say I never heard that before. Of course, a lot of sportswriters (especially the older ones at the time) didn't like Ali.

You didn't hear that because it's simply not true. I remember the sports writers were pretty much unanamous on the second fight. No controversy there.

And the official scorecards had Ali winning comfortably: 8-4, 7-4-1, 6-5-1

[Caractacus]

Larry Holmes was stunned and went limp for a second or two by a left hook to the neck in the last minute of the 10th round of this fight. (but of course he weathered it out too).

[Caractacus]

I have come to the conclusion (after many years)
That it had been singer Lloyd Price
who btw also helped Don King get into the boxing business
after he was released from prison in 1971.

[gilgamesh]

Foreman never at any point had Ali in any real trouble. He won some rounds, but he never buckled Ali.

[londonwar]

just what you like about the rope a dope but the first round was one of Ali's greatest.

[evrenb]

I have come to the conclusion (after many years)
That it had been singer Lloyd Price
who btw also helped Don King get into the boxing business
after he was released from prison in 1971.

Maybe it was Stagger Lee

[Syntax Error]

just what you like about the rope a dope but the first round was one of Ali's greatest.

Absolutely.

He started hitting Foreman with Right hand leads from the orthodox stance which nobody should ever do in high level boxing.

That must have driven Foreman nuts.