11.

AGILE ABSORPTION

On October 30, 1974, George Foreman, the reigning heavyweight champion of the world, joined hands with his cornermen in his dressing room. The men bowed their heads in silent prayer.1 In a few minutes, Foreman would enter the ring to defend his heavyweight title against Muhammad Ali, in a bout dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle,” held in Kinshasa, Zaire, and broadcast around the world. The stakes were high for both fighters, who would split a $10 million purse, with the winner carrying away the championship belt. Foreman and his cornermen did not pray for victory, which they took for granted. Rather, they implored God to protect Ali from serious injury in the ring.

Today, the name George Foreman evokes late-night television ...

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