From the Archives: the George Kalinsky Collection
George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali Press Kit, 1974
A press kit that features Muhammad Ali and George Foreman superimposed over an outline of Africa and a boxing glove seemingly tearing through the outline. The kit is comprised of information about the promoters of the fight, the body measurements for both fighters, an answer to the question, "Why Zaire?" and more. This kit was given to the press that attended the Rumble in the Jungle on October 30, 1974.
Donated by George Kalinsky in 2015.
The original date of the Rumble in the Jungle was September 24, 1974, as seen on the cover of this press kit. The fight was postponed to October 30 when George Foreman suffered a cut above his eye during a training session. Despite the delay of the fight, a three-day music festival planned by promoter Don King went ahead as scheduled from September 22-24. This festival featured prominent Black musicians including James Brown, Bill Withers, and B.B. King. The music festival, as well as the eventual fight, were chronicled by Leon Gast and a documentary entitled When We Were Kings was produced years later.
