Even decades after their historic “Rumble in the Jungle” bout, Muhammad Ali continued to playfully tease George Foreman, his former fierce competitor who later became a close friend. The two once great rivals grew inseparable over the years.
Ali famously defeated Foreman in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1974, a fight watched by over ONE BILLION viewers worldwide. He achieved this victory using his renowned `rope-a-dope` strategy, allowing Foreman to expend his energy punching before Ali secured the win in the eighth round.
The build-up to the fight was intense, and their rivalry lingered afterwards, leading many to anticipate a rematch. However, after his loss to Jimmy Young in 1976, Foreman had a transformative experience where he claimed to have briefly died in his dressing room. Following this, he found God and retired from boxing.
This turning point paved the way for a profound bond to form between Foreman and Ali, a brotherhood that lasted until Ali`s death in 2016.
Ali`s grandson, MMA fighter Biaggio Ali Walsh, shared insights into their relationship. “My grandpa and George, they were very, very close. They spoke all the time,” he told SunSport.
Biaggio recalled a personal memory of meeting George Foreman at his grandfather`s 70th birthday party. “I was 12 years old and even at 12 years old, I knew who George Foreman was,” he said. “I had seen the fight with him and Poppy [his grandfather] and I was like, `Oh, George Foreman, nice to meet you.`”
He described Foreman as “such a nice guy, like super humble, down to earth,” also noting his success as a businessman at that time. While that was his only direct encounter, Biaggio emphasized, “I do know that him and my grandfather, they were really close.”
Ali retired in 1981 after 61 fights and three heavyweight title reigns. Sadly, he was diagnosed with Parkinson`s disease three years later. However, even with his illness, the quick-witted sports icon never stopped playfully jabbing his friend Foreman.
Biaggio, now 26, confirmed his grandfather`s constant joking nature. “Poppy was a jokester, man. Like he would always joke about certain things,” he revealed.
He shared a poignant reflection: “It`s crazy when I would visit him in Arizona and he`d be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I`d be thinking, `This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.`” This mix of awe for the legend and familiarity with his grandpa was “a very strange feeling my whole life really,” he added. “But yeah, they definitely had some banter… Poppy was a jokester, he`s always joking.”
Foreman made an incredible comeback in 1987 after a ten-year absence, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion ever at the age of 46.
Foreman, who also became a multimillionaire businessman known for his popular cooking grills, passed away at 76 in March.
Ali had passed away nearly a decade earlier, but his fighting legacy continues through his grandsons. Biaggio is an undefeated MMA fighter, and his brother Nico Ali Walsh is a professional boxer.
Middleweight Nico holds a record of 12 wins, 2 losses, and 1 no contest in his 15 boxing bouts, while Biaggio, a former American football prospect, has a 2-0 record in MMA.
Biaggio, signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), is set to compete again on June 27 in Chicago. He expressed his ambition to fight globally, following in his grandfather`s footsteps.
“I wanna just fight,” he stated. “So, anywhere it is, that`d be great.”
He enjoys the travel aspect of fighting: “It`s cool too, you get to travel and get to see a lot of new places and stuff. I`d never been to Saudi Arabia before until I fought there.”
“That`s what`s so cool about this job,” he remarked, “you get to travel and see new places and destinations, places you never been to.”
He concluded with enthusiasm for his promotion: “All are possibilities, especially with the PFL, man, I love the PFL.”