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.”

Nigel Xavier, a rising star in sustainable fashion, has taken the industry by storm with his revolutionary approach to upcycling. Upcycling is an environmentally friendly approach that mixes the ideas of “modernization” (adding value) and “recycling” (repurposing). It involves rethinking waste or discarded items and remodeling them into recent, precious products.

Best often known as the winner of the Netflix competition, Xavier rose to fame by combining the popular culture aesthetics of the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s with his signature patchwork designs. His works stand out for his or her visual appeal and deep-rooted sustainability, a worth he values. Now, in partnership with Meta, Xavier is bringing his style to the world of faculty football through his “Super Fan” program Artificial intelligence meets fashion and fandom.

Xavier’s fashion journey began with the necessity to precise himself differently despite limited resources. “I wanted to dress differently, but I didn’t have money for clothes,” explains Xavier BLACK ENTERPRISES.

“So I went to my closet and started rearranging everything, bleaching it, aging it, dyeing it.”

This creative improvisation laid the muse for his distinctive form of transforming existing clothes into original pieces by enhancing their essential details. Research shows that as much as 50-80% of this waste could be transformed into recent clothing by exploring upcycling methods and using surplus materials.

“I didn’t have much, so I used what I had,” he recalled, “adding lots of pockets or straps, highlighting features that excited me.” The ability to remodel what already exists into something completely recent is on the core of his brand.

As a part of the “Super Fan” campaign, Xavier created a limited-edition University of Texas (UT) tracksuit designed specifically for superfans preparing for game day. Using Meta AI, it has artificial intelligence to enhance its designs.

“I was able to develop questions that I didn’t know the answers to before,” says Xavier. “It’s like having a second mind – an assistant – that cuts down on the time it takes to research and dig deeper into what makes a fan base like UT Austin’s so special.”

Meta AI allowed him to tap into the culture and traditions of those fan communities, sourcing the whole lot from slogan T-shirts to symbols representing the team and incorporating these elements into his designs. “I wanted to use as many graphics as possible and make a statement, but at the same time keep the clothes cozy and simple in silhouette,” he adds, emphasizing the balance between daring graphics and luxury.

Xavier’s collaboration with Meta goes beyond a University of Texas sweatshirt. Meta has partnered with emerging athletes and fans who’re using artificial intelligence to reinforce their game day experiences. While Xavier uses Meta AI to create distinctive game day fashion, other creators, akin to rapper and TV personality Action Bronson, use it to design recipes for football viewing parties.

Xavier sees this collaboration with Meta as a solution to enhance his already unique approach to fashion, allowing him to streamline his creative process while exploring recent possibilities. “I can ask (Meta AI) something as specific as what stitch I should use, and it will give me thousands of options to expand on,” says Xavier. This dynamic interaction with artificial intelligence gave him a brand new perspective on materials and design techniques, helping him understand what works best for every element while staying true to his ethos of sustainability.

For Xavier, sustainability is greater than only a trend – it’s a core value that permeates every aspect of his work. According to Politician The Research Department predicts that the revenue share of sustainable clothing globally, including recycled clothing, will increase from 4.3% in 2022 to six.14% in 2026.

“When I use ready-made clothes, everything is already prepared,” she says. “I just take what he has to offer and make it my way.” His commitment to upcycling, the strategy of reusing existing materials into recent works, is a component of what makes his designs so appealing to a generation of eco-conscious consumers. And as fashion trends increasingly move towards sustainability, Xavier is on the forefront of this movement, proving that style and responsibility can coexist.

In his latest work, Xavier draws inspiration from the world of sport, and specifically football, which he describes as characterised by a “fierce culture”.

“When you think about football, you think about how excited everyone is,” he says. “It’s like a mascot – people want to show they’re part of something bigger, but they also want to look cool while doing it.” His limited-edition UT sweatshirt reflects this mentality, combining daring graphics with comfortable silhouettes to create an announcement and wearable look.

Xavier’s collaboration with Meta AI opened up recent creative possibilities and strengthened his commitment to maintaining the authenticity of his vision. “I have always been a unique designer,” he explains. “It’s about making an impression with every fit.”

Whether reinventing match style or turning recycled clothes into fashion pieces, Nigel Xavier proves that innovation, passion and purpose can improve the style industry. With Meta AI at your side, you are just getting began.

Jennifer Lopez showed up at AFI Fest 2024 to promote her upcoming film “Unstoppable” which is produced by her soon-to-be ex-husband, Ben Affleck.

The 55-year-old actress’s red carpet appearance at a Hollywood event on October 26 created a lot of buzz due to its revealing nature.

J.Lo arrived on the TCL Chinese Theater wearing a white shirt, fitted jacket, peach mini bubble skirt and brown high-heeled shoes with a 3- to 4-inch platform.

A number of days later she shared video her look on Instagram, which received over 586,000 likes and tons of of comments from people calling her “stunning” and saying, “This look is EVERYTHING. I’m proud of you!”

But when the comments were completely different Daily Mail. posted an article in regards to the singer’s band, wherein many individuals criticized the looks of the 170 cm tall celebrity within the comments.

One commenter wrote: “Stripper again! She won’t ever learn. The response to this comment was, “She doesn’t like being short. Let her pretend. The poor girl has had such a miserable yr.

Lopez has also been dragged online for allegedly pretending to be desperate for attention.

A 3rd said: “Way too old for this revealing outfit. She must have some pride and leave these skimpy outfits to the younger generation. Plus there’s that lip quiver that makes her look like she’s desperate to look sexy, however the effect is the other. Poor woman.

Another person wrote, “Aging gracefully defies this. The outfit, the wig, the shoes – she shouts, “Everyone is looking at me.” I’m ashamed of her.”

Commenters also brought up her pending divorce from Affleck, 52, but in response to J.Lo’s latest outfits, including one which said, “You came out just in time, Ben!”

“Unstoppable” is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on December 6. In addition to Lopez, the film also stars Emmy winner Jharrel Jerome of Netflix’s “I’m a Virgo” and “When They See Us.”

Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña and Don Cheadle are also a part of the solid of the sports drama directed by William Goldenberg.

In addition to Affleck as a producer, “Unstoppable” is also produced by his longtime business partner Matt Damon through their production company Artists Equity.

Principal photography on “Unstoppable” began in Los Angeles in May 2023, before filming had to be halted due to the Writers Guild of America strike later that yr.

Production resumed in December 2023, after a 148-day work interruption. “Unstoppable” premiered in September on the Toronto International Film Festival.

Between “Unstoppable” filming in 2023 and TIFF in 2024, Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck on August 20, 2024. They formally separated in April.

Lopez and Affleck initially became a public couple in 2002. The duo formerly generally known as Bennifer announced their engagement in November of that yr before splitting in 2004.

The “Gigli” co-stars began dating again in 2021, and in July 2022, they officially married in Las Vegas. The following month, JLo and Ben hosted a special wedding celebration for family and friends.

As previously reported, Lopez filed divorce papers just hours after Ben Affleck flew his ex-wife Jennifer Garner from New Haven, Conn., to Los Angeles in August.

Affleck and Garner traveled across the country to drop off their daughter Violet at Yale University in Connecticut. The “Daredevil” castmates were married from 2005 to 2018.

Despite the divorce drama, Lopez, Affleck and Garner recently attended the identical event on October 18 in Los Angeles.

Affleck and Garner arrived with their 15-year-old daughter Seraphina. The other two children, Violet, 18, and Samuel, 12, weren’t seen. JLo showed up within the Brentwood neighborhood with Emme, one in every of her 16-year-old twins with ex-husband Marc Anthony, and two unknown guests.