Rope - a-dope - wikipedia Rope - a-dope `` Ropeadope '' redirects here. For the American record label, see Ropeadope Records. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2012 ) The rope - a-dope is a boxing fighting style commonly associated with Muhammad Ali in his 1974 Rumble in the Jungle match against George Foreman. In many competitive situations, rope - a-dope is used to describe strategies in which one contender lets their opponent fatigue themself by drawing non-injuring offensive actions. This then gives the contender an advantage towards the end of the competition or before, as the opponent becomes tired, allowing the contender to execute devastating offensive maneuvers and thereby winning. Contents 1 Origin of the term 2 Technique 3 Notable fights 4 References 5 See also Origin of the term According to Angelo Dundee, the idea for the strategy used against Foreman was suggested to Ali by boxing photographer George Kalinsky, who told him : `` Why do n't you try something like that ? Sort of a dope on the ropes, letting Foreman swing away but, like in the picture, hit nothing but air. '' Publicist John Condon then polished the phrase into `` rope - a-dope ''. Technique The rope - a-dope is performed by a boxer assuming a protected stance ( in Ali 's classic pose, lying against the ropes, which allows much of the punch 's energy to be absorbed by the ropes ' elasticity rather than the boxer 's body ). The boxer keeps their guard up and is prepared for the incoming blows, while looking for opportunities to counter punch their opponent, who by mounting an offensive may have left themselves open to counters. By being in a defensive posture and being prepared for the incoming blows, the plan is to decrease the chances of being caught with a clean flush blow, as ideally a significant portion of the punches will land on the boxer 's hands and arms, or will miss completely as a result of the boxer slipping the punch. Additionally, if the opponent lacks stamina, their power will decrease throughout the fight as they lose their energy, and essentially `` waste '' many punches into the boxer 's guard. However, a boxer employing this tactic must have a great chin and great ability to withstand punishment to be able to withstand the punches that do get through the boxer 's defenses and land. Offensively, the boxer employing this tactic will look to exploit mistakes made in their opponent 's attack by countering if the opponent has left themselves open. They will also look to mount short bursts of offensive attacks in between their opponent 's attack, being sure to immediately get back in their defensive posture as to not leave themselves open to a counter attack. Despite the name, the boxer does not have to be against the ropes in order to rope - a-dope the opponent. Notable fights The maneuver is most commonly associated with the match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, known as The Rumble in the Jungle. Foreman was considered by many observers to be the favored to win the fight due to his superior punching power. During the match, Ali purposely angered Foreman, provoking Foreman to attack and force him back on the ropes. At the time, some observers thought that Ali was being horribly beaten and worried that they might see him get killed in the ring. Writer George Plimpton described Ali 's stance as like `` a man leaning out his window trying to see something on his roof. '' However, far from being brutalized, Ali was relatively protected from Foreman 's blows. Norman Mailer described the advantage of Ali 's rope - a-dope this way : `` Standing on one 's feet, it is painful to absorb a heavy body punch even when blocked with one 's arm. The torso, the legs and the spine take the shock. Leaning on the ropes, however, Ali can pass it along ; the rope will receive the strain. '' Ali 's preparation for the fight, which involved toughening himself up by allowing his sparring partners to pummel him, contributed to observers ' sense that Ali was outmatched. But when Foreman became tired from the beating he was delivering, Ali took advantage and won the match. Manny Pacquiao used the strategy to gauge the power of welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto in November 2009. Pacquiao followed up the rope - a-dope gambit with a withering knockdown. Nicolino Locche, Argentine boxer nicknamed `` El Intocable '' ( The Untouchable ), used this technique extensively throughout his career. He would get against the ropes and dodge nearly every single punch until his opponent would tire, then he would take him down with combinations. `` Irish '' Micky Ward utilized this strategy during many of the fights in the later part of his career. Ward would wait for his opponent to become fatigued and would hit with either a left hook to the body or any number of other combinations. This strategy led him to the junior welterweight championship of the WBU where he took the belt from Shea Neary. Floyd Mayweather often utilizes this technique in his bouts, as he recently ( August 2017 ) demonstrated against Conor McGregor. References Notes Jump up ^ Angelo Dundee, Bert Randolph Sugar, My view from the corner : a life in boxing Jump up ^ Norman Mailer. The Fight. Vintage International, 1975. p. 191. ISBN 0 - 375 - 70038 - 2. Jump up ^ http://nytimes.com/2017/08/26/sports/mayweather-mcgregor.html Bibliography Jason Hook : Muhammad Ali : The Greatest, Raintree Steck - Vaughn, 2001, ISBN 0 - 8172 - 5717 - 9, hier online See also Boxing Professional boxing Amateur boxing Women 's boxing White - collar boxing London Prize Ring Rules Marquess of Queensberry Rules Terms The distance Weight class Pound for pound Lineal championship Cutman Gatekeeper Journeyman Long Count Outpoint Punching power Punch - out Punches Jab Cross Hook ( Swing ) Uppercut Overhand Counterpunch ( Cross-counter ) Bolo punch Short straight - punch Rabbit punch Liver shot Below the belt Styles and technique Bob and weave Bobbing Head fake Slipping One - two combo Check hook Peek - a-Boo Rope - a-dope Footwork Orthodox stance Southpaw stance Related articles Boxing training Boxing glove Boxing ring BoxRec Compubox Chess boxing International Boxing Hall of Fame List of boxing families Tent boxing Dementia pugilistica Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act Bare - knuckle boxing Category : Boxing Commons : Category : Boxing Wikiquote : Boxing Muhammad Ali Fights Boxing at the 1960 Summer Olympics Clay vs. Hunsaker Clay vs. Siler Clay vs. Esperti Clay vs. Robinson Clay vs. Fleeman Clay vs. Clark Clay vs. Sabedong Clay vs. Johnson Clay vs. Miteff Clay vs. Besmanoff Clay vs. Banks Clay vs. Warner Clay vs. Logan Clay vs. Daniels Clay vs. Lavorante Clay vs. Moore Clay vs. Powell Clay vs. Jones Ali vs. Cooper Liston vs. Ali Ali vs. Patterson Ali vs. Chuvalo Ali vs. London Ali vs. Mildenberger Ali vs. Terrell Ali vs. Williams Ali vs. Folley Ali vs. Quarry Ali vs. Bonavena Fight of the Century ( Ali vs. Frazier I ) Ali vs. Ellis Ali vs. Mathis Ali vs. Blin Ali vs. M. Foster Ali vs. Lewis Ali vs. B. Foster Ali vs. Bugner Ali vs. Norton Ali vs. Lubbers Ali vs. Frazier II The Rumble in the Jungle ( Ali vs. Foreman ) Ali vs. Wepner Ali vs. Lyle Thrilla in Manila ( Ali vs. Frazier III ) Ali vs. Coopman Ali vs. Young Ali vs. Dunn Ali vs. Evangelista Ali vs. Shavers Ali vs. Spinks Spinks vs. Ali II Holmes vs. Ali Drama in Bahama ( Ali vs. Berbick ) Media Requiem for a Heavyweight ( 1962 film ) The Super Fight ( film ) a.k.a. Cassius Clay ( film ) `` Black Superman '' ( song ) I Am the Greatest ( album ) The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay ( album ) I Am the Greatest : The Adventures of Muhammad Ali ( animated series ) Superman vs. Muhammad Ali ( comic book ) The Greatest ( film ) Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing ( video game ) Foes of Ali ( video game ) When We Were Kings ( film ) King of the World ( TV film ) Ali : An American Hero ( TV film ) `` Muhammad Ali '' ( song ) Ali ( film ) `` The World 's Greatest '' ( song ) Facing Ali ( film ) When Ali Came to Ireland ( documentary ) The Trials of Muhammad Ali ( documentary ) Muhammad Ali 's Greatest Fight ( TV film ) I Am Ali ( documentary ) People Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. ( father ) Odessa Grady Clay ( mother ) Rahman Ali ( brother ) Khalilah Ali ( first wife ) Veronica Porché Ali ( second wife ) Laila Ali ( daughter ) Chuck Bodak ( trainer and cutman ) Angelo Dundee ( cornerman ) Drew Bundini Brown ( trainer and cornerman ) Ferdie Pacheco ( personal physician and cornerman ) Joe E. Martin ( first trainer ) Archie Moore ( trainer ) George Dillman ( instructor ) Jabir Herbert Muhammad ( manager ) Luis Sarria ( trainer, cutman, and masseur ) Joe Frazier ( opponent and friend ) Books The Greatest : My Own Story ( 1975 autobiography ) The Fight ( 1975 ) Muhammad Ali : His Life and Times ( 1991 biography ) King of the World ( 1998 biography ) Facing Ali ( 2002 ) Muhammad Ali : The Glory Years ( 2003 biography ) The Soul of a Butterfly ( 2004 autobiography ) Twelve Rounds to Glory ( 2007 biography ) Other Religious views of Muhammad Ali Rope - a-dope Ali Mall Clay v. United States Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki Muhammad Ali Center Muhammad Ali in India Muhammad Ali in China Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rope-a-dope&oldid=800345912 '' Categories : Boxing terminology Muhammad Ali Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from December 2012 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Italiano Suomi Edit links This page was last edited on 12 September 2017, at 23 : 57. About Wikipedia

Question: where did ali do his rope a dope
Answer: his 1974 Rumble in the Jungle match against George Foreman