Could Muhammad Ali Have Overthrown Mobuto After the Rumble In The Jungle?

[Tjakari]

Bare with me

I don't know if it's an historical exaggeration that I picked up somewhere in my time but from the way the story is told about the Rumble in the Jungle it seemed like Ali had enough star power to start a riot after that fight.

I'm woefully ignorant about Zaire at the time (the Kongo in general if I'm being honest) and I wanted to know if I was fishing in an empty pond.

 

[overoceans]

You mean could Ali have started a riot that eventually led to Mobutu's overthrow? Sure, anything is possible I guess.

I think Foreman pissed off the locals by walking around with dogs that were associated with the secret police, so maybe that could have led to riots as well. Or any number of things.

If you mean could Ali have actively and intentionally launched an overthrow of Mobutu, almost certainly not. I doubt he had the barest understanding of the internal workings of Zairean politics at the time, which you would need to have to know which factions to support, oppose, ally with etc.

 

[Tjakari]

You mean could Ali have started a riot that eventually led to Mobutu's overthrow? Sure, anything is possible I guess.

Alright, going off of that. Was there anything going on at that time that could been a final straw, something to spark an actual uprising?