Muhammad Ali mourned in Kinshasa

In 1974 in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the legendary Muhammad Ali faced off two time world heavyweight champion George Foreman.

Dubbed the “The Rumble in the Jungle”, the bout was one of Ali’s iconic fights. As the world paid tribute to the fallen legend, residents of Kinshasa also honoured “The Greatest.”

“Boxing became valued in Congo thanks to him. He encouraged many young people to start boxing and brought attention to our country, Zaire at the time,” said Tonton Rossy, a resident in Kinshasa.

Ali’s knock out win cemented his iconic standing in Africa. The fight was attended by about 60,000 fans and was held in what used to be called the 20th of May stadium.

In addition to being a champion, he will also be remembered as a campaigner against racism, war and religious intolerance.

Reuters