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Ali v. Foreman: Revealing Greatness
Subject: Greatness, Desire, Winning, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, True Character
The other night I was watching a documentary on that famous boxing match called The Rumble in the Jungle. The fight was between Muhammad Ali (Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee) and George Foreman.
Everyone believed that there was no way Ali could beat Foreman. Foreman was a power puncher and Ali was a ‘dancer’. During practice Foreman would hit the punching bag so hard he would leave a dent when he was done.
Despite losing his last two fights and knowing the power of Foreman, Ali continued to tell the media how he was going to ‘whup’ Foreman and make him look bad. Foremen ignored the taunts confident that he could beat Ali. During his training Foreman practiced ‘cutting off the ring’ so Ali wouldn’t be able to dance away from his powerful punches.
Ali in the meantime continued to practice his ‘dancing’ and didn’t let up the verbal assaults and insults on Foreman. He was clearly asking for beating!
Then something happened. Foreman was getting tired. By the 5th round he had punched himself out. By the 8th round he was in trouble. Out of somewhere deep inside of Ali came a barrage of punches off the ropes that pushed Foreman to the center of the ring. And with a few more punches, Ali watched as the titan known as Foreman hit the canvas floor. Ten counts later, Muhammad Ali was the champion. David had beaten Goliath.
Ali’s strategy, wasn’t to dance as he had led on, but it was to let Foreman tire himself out since he knew he couldn’t go toe-to-toe, punch-for-punch with Foreman. His now famous Rope-a-Dope strategy worked. Ali was written into history as “The Greatest” but for George Foreman, he would go into the deepest depression of his life for the next two years.
It’s easy to admire a champion like Ali because there is no denying his greatness in the sport. We as a nation admire strength and skill. We like winners. But when I look at George Foreman the Entrepreneur today, I have a deeper admiration. For here is a man who suffered one of greatest defeats in sport’s history in front of the world and yet was able to redefine himself.
Foreman has emerged as a true human champion having amassed the courage and strength within him to become a successful businessman and humanitarian. They say adversity reveals the true character of a man. Well Foreman has been revealed! And he has revealed that defeat isn’t final or fatal; that we can all make a comeback in our own way. He has revealed that success can be redefined. He has revealed to us that greatness isn’t what happens inside the ring when the whole world is watching, but what happens outside the ring when no one cares any longer.
Remember, Success Happens for a Reason
p.s., Foreman recaptured his title on Nov. 5, 1994 at age 45 with a 10-round KO of WBA/IBF champ Michael Moore, becoming the oldest man to win heavyweight crown. That's character !
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Victor Antonio G. is an author and motivational speaker.
Copyright © 2004 by Victor Antonio G. All rights reserved. This article MAY be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, as long as the author’s name, website and email address are included as part of the article’s body. All inquiries, including information on electronic licensing, should be directed to Victor Antonio G., info@victorantonio.com.
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