EXCLUSIVE Behind the scenes in Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s dressing rooms before the Rumble in the Jungle

Muhammad Ali

AS Muhammad Aliโ€™s business manager, Gene Kilroy was one of โ€œThe Greatestโ€™sโ€ closest confidants. One year on from Aliโ€™s passing, the man known as โ€œThe Facilitatorโ€ looks back on some of his memories of Muhammad.

โ€˜Death in the airโ€™
I went into the dressing room when they were wrapping George Foremanโ€™s hands [before the Rumble in the Jungle in October 1974]. [Foremanโ€™s trainer and light-heavyweight legend] Archie Moore was walking around in there, saying โ€˜I smell death in the air.โ€™ I went back to Aliโ€™s dressing room and told him what Moore had said. Ali responded by saying, โ€˜I canโ€™t wait to get Foreman.โ€™ But the one who told Ali how to beat Foreman was [legendary trainer] Cus Dโ€™Amato [whom he spoke to on the telephone before travelling to Zaire for the fight]. He was a brilliant, brilliant boxing man. Ali had a lot of respect for him.

A member of the family
I was very close to Ali and his family. Iโ€™ve never told this story before, but when my mother died, I came home and was sitting on my bed with tears in my eyes. The phone rang, and it was Aliโ€™s mother. Miraculously sheโ€™d just called โ€“ she didnโ€™t know about my motherโ€™s passing. So I said to her, โ€˜My mother just died.โ€™ And she said, โ€˜OK. Youโ€™ll be my son now, and Iโ€™ll be your mom. If you need anything Iโ€™m there for you.โ€™ Thatโ€™s the type of person she was. I was part of the family. I was respected by Aliโ€™s family, his children, the Nation of Islam. Thatโ€™s what itโ€™s about โ€“ being respected.

In conversation with the greats
One time, someone asked me if I had any fears in my life. I said the only fear I have is that one day Iโ€™m afraid my motherโ€™s going to wake me up for school, and Iโ€™ll realise that everythingโ€™s been a dream. Itโ€™s something special to be able to say that I was able to sit down with Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Billy Conn, Rocky Marciano and Mike Tyson.

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH GENE KILROY, PICK UP A COPY OF NEXT WEEKโ€™S BOXING NEWS โ€“ AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD ON JUNE 6, AND IN THE SHOPS ON JUNE 8.

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