George Foreman didn't want him to get into the fight", Foreman said when interviewed years later. This fight became known as the "Caracas Caper". Foreman had cruised past two of the top names in the rankings. The win gave him a 40–0 record with 37 knockouts. Foreman's next title defence, against Muhammad Ali, was historic. During the summer of 1974, he traveled to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to defend his title against Ali. The bout was promoted as "The Rumble in the Jungle". During training in Zaire, Foreman suffered a cut above his eye, forcing postponement of the
George Foreman was reinvented, and the formerly aloof, ominous Foreman had been replaced by a smiling, friendly George. He and Ali had become friends, and he followed in Ali's footsteps by making himself a celebrity outside the boundaries of boxing. Foreman continued his string of victories, winning five more fights, the most impressive being a three-round win over Bert Cooper, who went on to contest the Undisputed Heavyweight title against Evander Holyfield. In 1990, Foreman met former title challenger Gerry Cooney in Atlantic City. Cooney was coming off a long period of inactivity, but was well regarded for his punching power. Cooney