Entertainment
50 years after Ali fought Foreman in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, Kongo is still fighting
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KINSHASA, Congo (AP) – Alfred Mamba remembers the madness that gripped the Zaire soccer stadium now generally known as Congoas the hard-fought heavyweight title fight lasted eight rounds between the underdog Muhammad Ali and the seemingly invincible George Foreman.
“It was a big party,” Mamba said, recalling his father, certainly one of the founders of Congo’s boxing federation, taking him to a fight when he was 15.
Looking through a stack of photos he believed were taken during the fight, Mamba recalled the stadium erupting as Ali and Foreman got here out for the long-awaited ” Rumble in the jungle ”, as the competition was commonly called.
“When Foreman was throwing punches, the audience was screaming,” recalls Mamba, now a boxing referee. “But Ali surprised everyone with his hook technique. And how he boxed on the ropes. And voila, that’s how he won the fight.”
The hysteria of the crowd followed the series of blows until Ali’s last blow. It also created a brand new generation of fighters and fans who were inspired to maintain the country on the world boxing stage.
Ahead of the fiftieth anniversary of the Ali vs. Foreman fight, boxers and fans from across Africa descended on Kinshasa, the capital of the Congo, for the just concluded twenty first African Amateur Boxing Championships, during which the Stade des Martyrs stadium and primary roads were illuminated.
Landry Matete Kankonde, who represented Congo in the men’s heavyweight division, lost to Karamba Kebe of Senegal, but said he still dreams of becoming the next Ali, crediting the 1974 fight with putting Congo on the map.
“The next superstar will be me,” Kankonde, 24, said with a giant smile on his face.
But in this impoverished country of 110 million people, most of them young, people like Kankonde fight against adversity to succeed in the highest level.
Although Congo is certainly one of Africa’s most successful boxing nations, it still lacks proper sports infrastructure reminiscent of a gymnasium for the national team, leaving a lot of them to coach in open spaces, Mamba said.
In the eastern region, where a deadly security crisis has resulted in certainly one of the world’s worst humanitarian disastersmany can only dream of getting out of conflict zones and IDP camps to get to an official competition in a distant capital.
Even in Kinshasa, amateurs often train on roadsides and streets without equipment, hiding and moving their arms as they execute their shots.
“Congo is a country where people are motivated by the suffering we experience here,” Kankonde said. “Every time a Congolese boxer gives his all, it gives us strength to see what we go through here.”
The 1974 fight was certainly one of boxing’s most memorable moments.
Mobutu Sese Seko, the Congolese dictator who desired to put the (*50*) African nation in the highlight, partnered with organizers to bring the competition to the country, committing $5 million to the fight.
Just before dawn on October 30, 1974, as soldiers with machine guns surveyed the ringside crowd and an enormous portrait of Mobuto towering over the Stade des Martyrs, spectators from around the world watched the 32-year-old Ali fight – longing for a comeback after being stripped of his world title for refusing to be drafted into the military for the Vietnam War – and the then undefeated 25-year-old Foreman.
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Many believed Ali had no probability against Foreman because he had been out of the ring for years after being sanctioned.
“People were praying before the fight that Ali wouldn’t die,” said Bill Caplan, Foreman’s public relations specialist in Zaire.
“I think it was one of the top 10 upsets in boxing,” Ed Schuyler Jr., a longtime boxing author for The Associated Press who was in Congo to cover the fight, said of Ali’s victory.
The fight ended with Ali dropping Foreman in the eighth round, but that was only the starting of the passion for the sport amongst many Congolese. “From then on, everyone wanted to learn boxing,” Mamba said. He was inspired by each competitions and his father, also a judge.
Congo has continued to thrive for 50 years, producing boxing champions reminiscent of Sumbu Kalambay, a Congolese-Italian champion who held the World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight world title in the Eighties, and Junior Ilunga Makabu, who held the title WBC cruiserweight in the early Twenties.
People in this country proceed to fall in love with the sport, including Josue Loloje, who was amongst the spectators at the Kinshasa stadium during the African Championships.
“The Ali vs. Foreman fight is the foundation of the talent emerging in Congolese boxing,” Loloje said between fights. “It all started there.”
Entertainment
The most iconic moments of the beauty of Robert Flack – Essence
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Anthony Barboza/Getty Images
Robert Flack, a valued singer, songwriter and pianist, died on February 24, 2025, at the age of 88. The legendary singer, whose velvety voice again defined the soul and R&B, stays a everlasting icon of elegance, emotions and artistry. With timeless classics, resembling “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “The First Time Ever and Wis See Your Face”, the singer died the audience captivated the audience along with her ability to weave delicacy and power in every note. Not only will we take heed to her repetitive music, but we won’t stop eager about its most iconic moments of beauty.
In the 70s Robert seriously swayed Afro – a daring statement of being black and proud – during performances at live shows, including the famous Newport Jazz festival. Two years later, she honored the scene of Ronnie Scott in London along with her hair drawn into the band, combined with dramatic long eyelashes, which defined her characteristic appearance. Always to experiment with hair, she also accepted braids decorated with beads, without effort combining style and cultural pride.
Just a few many years quickly forward, and Robert was still turning her head. While playing in Gillette Civil Rights 2010 between Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, she stunned the navy blue eye shadow, a dark light highlighter and daring red lipstick. The following yr, she performed at Bideawee Ball from 2011 with full rhythm – eyeliner, mascara, highlighter and its characteristic red lips. And in 2020 she performed unforgettable during the 62th annual Grammy Awards, wearing a beautiful curly crown and the same red lipstick that we met and loved.
In honor of her everlasting legacy, we glance back at some of the most iconic beauty moments of Roberta’s incomparable flack.
Entertainment
Joe Freshgoods X New Balance 992 “Starn Well” is celebrating cooperation
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Joe Freshgoods selects five years and counts with New Balance because of his latest version 992 “Arged Well”, a tribute to his creative partnership with a characteristic brand of sportswear, which still supports his design talents and a contagious passion.
After Debut On the Joe Freshgoods New Balance 992 website, Chicago Creative is preparing for a wider version of February 28 via newbalance.com and chosen retail sellers. The new edition of the sneakers means the fifth anniversary of Joe of New Balance, milestone after almost stood before closing his now widely beloved and known brand.
The document coming in June 2025 is shared within the history of Joe’s success, from his start as an area Streetwearus brand in his hometown of Chicago to providing New Balance partnership in 2020, when he wasn’t sure find out how to keep his business.
“He examines how the partnership influenced the global culture of sneakers and development transparency”, Joe common In the announcement on Instagram, “which was more important to me than just doing it about tennis games. This is a real life. ”
The trailer of the documentation offers access to Joe’s journey, presenting his modest approach to success and its influence on the Boston brand of sportswear founded in 1906. Since joining New Balance, Joe Robinson (higher referred to as Joe Freshgoods), a champion with a young history.
Five years later, with 20 Sneakers Publishing House and counting the most recent cooperation of New Balance Joe Freshgoods is a love letter for his creative journey with the Boston brand.
“Sometimes I feel that I shouldn’t be here. But I am here and say, “Oh, I’m good at what I do,” he says within the film.
Project 992 “Agnish well” attracts the inspiration from the primary cooperation of Joe Freshgoods from New Balance – the edition of New Balance 992 “No Emotions”, also referred to as “heart anatomy”. It was a right away hit and celebrated in the course of the NBA All-Star weekend, and now charges resale prices around $ 3,000.
While the explanations for the New Balance revival may vary, many consider the primary release of Joe 992 to be a catalyst that enlivened the brand. Sneakers have pink and red suede silhouettes placed on an olive mesh base and accented saddle skin on the tongue and rear card.
Four sets of lace are attached, and the box is decorated with unique details reflecting the theme “aging well”. In addition, Joe Freshgoods designed the “Championship Dreams” leather university jacket to commemorate his five -year success as a designer.
“I wanted this jacket to capture the essence of the last five years – each project was a milestone, another closed chapter, another dream,” Joe signature Post on Instagram. “Over time, I had the honor to tell culturally important stories, and this jacket reflects this travel project according to the design.”
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Entertainment
The best beauty looks at the black Essence women in the Hollywood Awards – Essence
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Getty images
This is a cloudy day in Los Angeles, but the shining stars of the city brought light to the annual black Essence women in the Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza. At the 18th 12 months, the show we celebrated extremely talented and galvanizing distinctions, akin to Cynthia Erivo, Tyana Taylor, Raamla Mohamed and Marla Gibbs.
Before the event, Black Beauty took a red carpet. The Essence cover star, Tyra Banks, got here in a neutral rhythm – with voluminous hair matching her makeup. Meanwhile, each of the Cynthia Erivo nails found a press release – drawing black and white stripes with decorative greens. And, Teyana Taylor, in the most perfect shadows to eye shadows and lips, she had black, half -burned pixie cutting.
Then Laverne Cox arrived with chopped and cropped bob-made by Jodie Turner-Smith-with a round blush to animate her cheeks. Speaking of hair, Taraji P. Henson immersed his ends in the bleach, which consumed shine on nails, mouth and eyes. To close the carpet, the butt appeared in a brief, curled cut and a thick black French tip.
Below is the best beauty of Essence black women in Hollywood Awards.
Tyra Banks
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Cynthia Erivo
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Teyana Taylor
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Laverne Cox
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Jodie Turner-Smith
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Taraji P. Henson
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Silence
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Nzyda Nash-Betts
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Fish
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Crystal Stewart
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Danielle Brooks
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Karrueche Tran
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Zoë Kravitz
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Meagan Good
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Tia speech
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Tasha Smith
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Yvette Nicole Brown
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Jackie all the time
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Dominique Fishback
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Kandi Burruses
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Muni long
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Storm Reid
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Ryan Destiny
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Danielle Pinnock
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Arnold in China
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