More than six million dollars is the sum paid last week by a collector to acquire Mohamed Ali’s world champion belt: that of the famous fight against Georges Foreman in Kinshasa on October 30, 1974, considered to be the fight of the century. A sale that coincides with the reissue of the reference book ” The Fight by the American writer Norman Mailer, an exceptional report that allows us to experience this fight from the inside.
Mythical combat and become mystical and obviously marked by the power of Mohamed Ali on and outside the ring.
“Yes, madness was fertile in Africa, and in this madness of Africa two fighters were to receive five million dollars each writes Norman Mailer in The Fight and continues: While a thousand miles on the shore of the world starvation black people were going to starve to death. Kinshasa became at the request of Mobutu, the world capital of boxing. Africa which visibly put Mohamed Ali in a trance.
Mohamed Ali against Georges Foreman, the fight of the century
Foreman swept into the ring, Mohamed Ali also totally eclipsed the third star of this fight of the century, the “Rumble to the jungle”. President Mobutu who had nevertheless announced throughout Kinshasa that he was at the origin of ” this gift to the people of Zaire “. This match had indeed been fully funded by the then ruler of Zaire as part of his authenticity policy.
On Mobutu’s side, there is a way to show his popularity, to show Zaire to African-Americans.
Amzat Boukari-Yabara, historian
► To re-read: The DRC has not forgotten Mohamed Ali