A Utahn has the only signed ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ poster — Here’s the story behind it

SANDY, Utah (ABC4) — Decades ago, a Sandy woman got a ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ fight poster signed by both George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. She did it for her son after he lost his father.

Boxing legends Foreman and Ali fought in the African nation of Zaire on Oct. 30, 1974. The fight was known as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle.’ But to Diane Summers, the poster means a lot more than just the fight as it connects her to her son, KC, who tragically passed away at the age of 21.

“The big thing is, they each gave a few minutes of their time to a young boy who had just lost his dad,” Summers said of her son’s experience.

Summers says KC’s father was a great lover of boxing. After he passed, Summers and KC came into possession of the poster and decided to try to get it signed.

“If I’m going to get George Foreman’s signature, why wouldn’t I get Muhammad Ali’s?” Summers said, adding that many were skeptical she could do it.

Shortly after, Foreman and Ali both agreed to sign the poster, along with other merchandise.

“George was fonding over him,” Summers told ABC4.com. According to Summers, Ali also shadowboxed with KC and even fell down, only to tell him that he could now tell his friends he knocked over Muhammad Ali.

Foreman passed away Friday, Mar. 21. He was a two-time heavyweight champion, Olympian, businessman, and humanitarian.

Summers told ABC4.com that Foreman’s passing feels like the end of an era for her and her family.