Rumble in the Jungle: Was Ali vs. Foreman the best boxing match of all time?

It's been 50 years since the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman ended in spectacular fashion in Zaire – now the Democratic Republic of Congo – reportedly before the eyes of a billion viewers worldwide.

Ali, then 32 years old and with two losses as a professional, entered the fight for the heavyweight championship as an underdog and took on the 25-year-old Foreman, a notoriously strong puncher – and undefeated.

Still, it was Ali who emerged victorious, knocking out a tired Foreman in the eighth round after sapping his opponent's energy by using his new “Rope a Dope” technique to absorb or avoid heavy blows.

Zairians, whose support Ali had previously enlisted, chanted the now infamous slogan “Ali, boma ye!”, which translates to “Ali, kill him!”

Leading up to and even during the fight, Ali openly mocked Foreman in his sharp-tongued style, adding to the psychodrama that electrified the highly anticipated event.

While boxing was the focus, the Rumble in the Jungle was about more than just the fight.

It was a breakthrough for promoter Don King, who organized the fight with millions of dollars in funding from Zaire's President Mobutu Sese Seko, a dictator who seized a propaganda opportunity to promote his country – and its beliefs – on the world stage.

A music festival, Zaire 74, preceded the fight between September 22 and 24 to promote the fight and featured big stars such as James Brown, BB King and Bill Withers, among others.

But the fight, originally scheduled for September 25, had to be postponed until the end of October because Foreman was injured during training. A cut on his eye required stitches and took time to heal – complicating promotional plans but adding to the drama.

“The Rumble in the Jungle” spawned literature – like that of Norman Mailer The fight– and films – like the Oscar-winning documentary, When we were kings –and has long remained in our collective cultural memory.

But was it, as some suggest, the greatest fight in boxing history? Newsweek asked boxing insiders and experts for their thoughts as the fight celebrates its half-century.

Lou DiBella, boxing promoter, DiBella Entertainment, and Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame

I've been around boxing for too long and am too much of a boxing student to call anything the greatest fight of all time because fights are so different in nature.

Boxing is the purest form of theatrical sport there is. The Ali fight had the main character, the villain in the invincible giant, it had all the drama.

It wasn't Gatti and Ward. It wasn't a war from start to finish. There was a lot of strategy involved. Ali did doping and looked like he was going to get killed, and managed to turn the tide in the most unforgettable way imaginable.

It was certainly one of the greatest fights in boxing history. I remember as a child idolized with Ali – I must have been about 13 when that fight took place – worrying about my hero. Foreman was so impressive and young and menacing-looking and angry and tall.

I don't have a heavyweight fight that seems more memorable to me. Ali-Frazier I and II were sensational fights. There were others.

But as far as the plot and the setting are concerned, the entertainment that took place in the jungle with the great musical performances… When we were kingsthis documentary about Rumble in the Jungle, was easy to make because it was Was a film.

It was one of the most important fights in boxing history. It probably had the biggest hero, the biggest star that boxing has ever seen, on its A-side, and he was fighting a guy that a lot of people thought he couldn't beat. And then he outsmarted him and drugged him and the rest is history.

But let's face reality. People talk about sports washing. This was perhaps one of the first major examples of this, although it has always been around.

In a way, it was a genius of Don King to get this gigantic check out of Zaire. Also, give King the credit he deserves: He thought big and did things other people never did, for better or worse, and sometimes it was a miracle. In this case, that was the wonderful thing about it.

Freddie Roach, boxing trainer, former professional boxer and Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame

I don't think it was the greatest fight in boxing history, but it definitely makes my list as one of the most outstanding significant in the history of boxing. You have to remember that George Foreman was considered invincible and a beast at the time.

In his three heavyweight championship fights before the Ali fight, George had stopped Joe Frazier, Jose Roman and Ken Norton within 12 months. Meanwhile, Ali had looked more ordinary in his rematch against Joe Frazier, setting up his fight with Foreman.

Even though everyone was hoping for Ali's victory, no one gave him a chance to succeed. That's why his fight against Foreman is so memorable. Ali was so confident from day one that he cheered George on throughout the promotion. Everyone in Zaire adopted him as one of their own.

And then to win that fight the way he did by knocking out Foreman. It was one of the biggest sporting surprises of the century. It was a legendary fight and that's where Ali became immortal.

Ben Shalom, boxing promoter and founder of BOXXER

I remember my grandfather telling me about “Rumble in the Jungle” as a child. It's probably my earliest memory of boxing. It must be remembered as the greatest fight of all time.

I can only imagine the logistical nightmares, it would be difficult to achieve even today, let alone 50 years ago. But what an event and what a moment for our sport. The spectacle, the setting, the crowd, the drama, the delay, the rope-in-the-walk.

It was a special moment for boxing. Muhammad Ali was the fans' favorite, but he went into the fight as a huge underdog and produced a tactical masterstroke to cause an upset.

Such moments are difficult to experience. Exotic places. Battle of the eras. Two real superstars share the ring. Almost a billion people around the world are watching. It takes a cross-over star, someone who has become a global icon, like Muhammad Ali, to pull off an event of this magnitude – and something like that happens maybe once in a generation.

Mike Silver, boxing historian and author of three books on boxing, including the highly acclaimed The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Fall of the Sweet Science

It was far from the greatest fight in the history of the sport, from a technical standpoint it wasn't even a good fight. But as a historical “event,” it is considered one of the greatest boxing events (and in some ways even a cultural event) of the 20th century.

This was because it was a fighter who transcended the sport like no other athlete ever did.

Ali has been both vilified and virtually sainted throughout his amazing career, both in and out of the ring. He was a cultural force and a significant and somewhat controversial figure in the civil rights movement.

He was a 7-to-1 underdog and few expected him to win. Some even feared for his life against the fearsome ogre George Foreman, who seemed unbeatable.

But you can never ignore a legend like Ali. It was one of the biggest upsets and comebacks in sports worldwide. Ali was a magical figure and an amazing presence. And it was also a time when boxing meant much more to society than it does today.

This was back when the heavyweight championship actually meant something, unlike today where the average person has no idea and doesn't really care who the heavyweight champion is – whoever he is. (I think there is more than one, which is ridiculous).

As a cultural and sporting event, it ranks in one of the top places, although not quite, with Louis vs. Schmeling II and Ali vs. Frazier 1.

Jim Lampley, International Boxing Hall of Fame member, veteran sportscaster including blow-by-blow boxing duties, and co-host of viewer chats on PPV.COM's pay-per-view boxing live streams

Muhammad Ali's victory at the Rumble in the Jungle was the most surprising of his many successes in the ring, surpassing his two surprise knockout victories over Sonny Liston and his grueling passion play triumph over Joe Frazier at the Thrilla in Manila This year celebrates Golden Jubilee next year.

Thomas Hauser, award-winning boxing author, author of Muhammad Ali: His Life and Timesand was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame

No. Johnson-Jeffries, Louis-Schmeling II and Ali-Frazier I were all more important.