The Fight (book) The Fight (book) The Fight is a 1975 non-fiction book by Norman Mailer about the boxing title fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman at Kinshasa in Zaire in 1974, known as the "Rumble in the Jungle". The author is both the narrator and, in an example of illeism, a central figure in the story. To begin with, "Norman" goes to Ali's training camp at Deer Lake, Pennsylvania and observes his preparations. Clearly, Ali is his hero. He meets his entourage, among them Bundini, and the sparring partners such as Larry Holmes, Eddie Jones, and Roy Williams. The next scene
The Rumble in the Jungle sold at $20 (inflation-adjusted $), grossing $60million (inflation-adjusted $million) in the United States. The promoters and fighters received over half of the US closed-circuit revenue, generating an income of at least $30million for the promoters and fighters; Ali and Foreman were paid $5million each. In total, including closed-circuit and free television, the fight was watched by a record estimated television audience of 1billion viewers worldwide, about a quarter of the world's 4billion population in 1974. It was the world's most-watched live television broadcast at the time. In the United Kingdom, the fight was watched by 26million viewers on BBC One,