darts left and jars him with three left jabs, keeping him on the rope. foreman's training to defeat ali's dancing, his "float + sting" tactics.
suddenly switches.
throws a right hand. it, too, slams through ali's guard. he's in trouble.
desperate, pounds a left to ali's side, a blocked left to the head, three lefts to the belly, which get through! ali's left arm convulses downwards, involuntarily, with the blows. what ali's not ready for and doesn't block is the right hand that follows. this shot is jarring and concussive. he grabs foreman's neck and has to hold on.
gets in a couple of lefts that ali deflects. ali takes another on the cheek, leans way back again. suddenly, he seems tired, as is foreman. tied up, they go diagonally to the other corner of the ring, both fighters exhausted, leaning against each other. resting. but.
backs ali into the corner.
wrestles ali into the center. and the most significant moments begin.