Featured Exhibit
A sketch by LeRoy Neiman, dated September 18, 1974, of Muhammad Ali in a boxing ring saying, "Please don't let George get out of the country--watch the airports, the railroads, the bus stations-- I'm ready."
Image courtesy of the LeRoy Neiman and Janey Byrne Neiman Foundation.
Muhammad Ali and George Foreman Arrive in Zaire
After tirelessly promoting and training for months, Muhammad Ali and his entourage arrived in Kinshasa, Zaire on September 10th. He was accompanied by his wife Khalilah, brother Rahaman, his parents, and a 35-person entourage, each wearing dashikis or other traditional African clothes. His entourage was warmly greeted by hundreds of fans, showing instant adoration of Ali. His arrival positively reinforced his image in the minds of locals, especially with his statement: "Foreman is a stranger coming to my home to fight me. He is a Belgian."
While President Mobutu provided housing for Ali and his entourage in the private N'Sele presidential compound, Ali was never far from the limelight, usually surrounding himself with the press and fans.
Many Zairian citizens were either unaware of Foreman, viewed him as a patriotic American, or recognized him only as a world boxing champion. This outsider status grew after Foreman arrived in Zaire accompanied by his beloved German Shepherds. Unbeknownst to Foreman, German Shepherds were historically used by Belgian colonial forces to police the citizens of Zaire. This fueled the opposing political ideologies between Foreman's American patriotism and Ali's unwavering social activism and critique of America.
While sparring with Bill McMurray nine days before the original fight date of September 25th, Foreman suffered a cut above his right eye. Much to the dismay of both fighters, medical professionals recommended the fight be postponed allowing Foreman’s injury to heal. The new date was set for six weeks later on October 30th.
When the fight was delayed, Ali was publicly disheartened. In an effort to shorten the delay, he floated ideas of moving the fight to the United States or flying in a different opponent to replace Foreman, even suggesting a rematch against Joe Frazier. He even considered canceling the fight altogether. However, the government of Zaire warned the fighters that it would be "unwise" for them to leave the nation. After a while, Ali accepted the situation and capitalized on the delay with further training, promoting, and taunting of Foreman.
