Joe Frazier vs. George Foreman twice in dominating fashion. First he knocked out José Roman in the first round on September 1, 1973. He would follow this by knocking out another future hall-of-famer in the second round in Ken Norton. Foreman would lose the titles in his third defense against Muhammad Ali in one of the most famous fights in boxing history dubbed "The Rumble in the Jungle" Frazier would fight seven more times after his first fight with Foreman. He would gain one more chance to recapture the WBA and WBC titles by challenging his rival Ali for a third fight dubbed the "Thrilla
The Rumble in the Jungle Ali and Foreman to sign separate contracts saying they would fight for him if he could get a $5 million purse. However, as King did not have the money, he began seeking an outside country to sponsor the event. Zaire's dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, eager for the publicity such a high-profile event would bring, asked for the fight to be held in his country. King had pulled together a consortium that included Risnelia Investment from Panama; the Hemdale Film Corporation, a British company founded by film producer John Daly and the actor David Hemmings; Video Techniques Incorporated of New York;