At last, George Foreman has been vindicated.

Seventeen years ago in Kinshasha, Zaire, his place in boxing history appeared to have been set. It was there on Oct. 30 that he lost his heavyweight title to the master—Muhammad Ali.

Foreman did not lose his title through conventional methods that evening. He was duped. For seven rounds Ali played possum. He absorbed Foreman’s thunderous blows, but threw few punches in return.

As the fight progressed, Foreman was unwittingly becoming the pawn in Ali’s game—the “dope” at the end of Ali’s “rope.” By the eighth, Foreman was licked. Ali knocked him out with a three-punch combination just before the bell would have ended the round.

Not many bemoaned Foreman’s fate that night, for he was a surly, compassionless champion. It was no surprise that his retirement from the fight game three years later brought few eulogies. He was going to be remembered as the fighter outfoxed by Ali’s cleverest of schemes.

But Foreman had other ideas. He decided to re-enter the ring in 1987. But this time he didn’t play the part of the sullen pugilist. He was now a jovial giant, a blithe spirit, a happy hamburger eater. In other words, yes, the reincarnated antithesis of his old self.

For four years Big George plodded and swashbuckled his way up the heavyweight ranks. Then, after his first round knockout of Terry Anderson last September, he was given a shot at the title by its holder—Evander Holyfield.

Sure, boxing experts said, Foreman has a chance—a puncher’s chance. But, they agreed, if he doesn’t end the fight early, his 42-year-old legs will never allow him to go the distance.

So what did Foreman do in last Friday’s fight? He went the 12 round limit, the longest he’s ever fought in his professional career. This time it was he that did the duping. That Holyfield won by a unanimous decision was unimportant.

He (Holyfield) won on points,” Foreman said, “but I made a point.”

That he did, and he has rewritten the final scene in the script of his boxing life. No longer is the joke on him.