The rope-a-dope is most famously associated with Muhammad Ali in his October 1974 Rumble in the Jungle match against world heavyweight champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire.
The boxers keep their guard up and are prepared for the incoming blows while looking for opportunities to counter-punch their opponents, who by mounting an offensive may have left themselves open to counters.
[citation needed] Writer George Plimpton described Ali's stance as like "a man leaning out his window trying to see something on his roof."
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.
Manny Pacquiao used the strategy to gauge the power of welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto in their November 2009 fight.
Nicolino Locche, an Argentine boxer nicknamed "El Intocable" (The Untouchable), used this technique extensively throughout his career.
[citation needed] Floyd Mayweather Jr. often used this technique in his bouts, as he demonstrated in his August 2017 fight against Conor McGregor.