Muhammad Ali's journey from Olympic n Heavyweight Champ to Draft Dodger n then to International Icon?

Question

Any details/ explanations on this would be very much appreciated

Answer 1

Upon returning from the Olympics with a gold medal he was refused service in a restaurant in Louisville, his home town.  He fought through the heavyweight ranks undefeated and then faced Sonny Liston for the championship.  Once he had the championship he was a big voice for the people who were discriminated against as he had been years before.  He was a conscientious objector meaning he stood up to the system on religious reasons and said he would not serve in the military.  If he were a draft dodger he would have fled the country.  He stood up for his beliefs.

The icon he is today will be debated on how you feel about him based on his refusal to sign on into the military and his loud mouth during his hay day.  

For me I always loved the guy.  He was a great showman, a great boxer, fastest heavyweight ever, I watch alot of his fights to this day.  He should have signed on into the military done his tour like Louis did and got out.  He didn't do it so that is that.  

In Sept. 2001 I think he made a great contribution to make people understand that most Muslims are peaceful and he apologized for what militants had done in NYC.  I find it very unsettling what has happened to his motor skills, voice, and entire body because of the Parkinson's Dementia that he has.  He has done the best that he could for this peace issue but how much more could he have done if he were alright.

I feel that is the greatest injustice ever done to him.  It kept him from getting out to more people when I think he could have done a great deal.

Answer 2

now before i say this understand that I believe Ali is and will always be the greatest boxer of all time.Ali was tough to box by a cop in his neighborhood.At this time he was known as Cassius clay.He went over to Germany and won the gold medal and came back and started his pro career.He started to become disliked but at the same time everybody loved to watch him.he was known as the boxer who would predicted his fights.for instants "Archie Moore down in four".by the time he was put up against Sonny Liston for the title he had ko'd 9 of his last 10 opponents.Ali new that the key to beating someone was to beat them emotionally first.By the time the fight happened Liston was scared because he thought Ali was crazy.ali would go on to win by tko in the 7 rd after the fight ali changed his name from clay to ali and became a Muslim.after defending his title a number of times he was stripped of his title and sentence to jail time for notrepoting to the military after being drafted for vietnom.after some time the jail time was droped.Ali spent the next 2 years talking about his religion and talking about how he was wronged.so after 2 years and a couple of warm up fights later he was put up to fight joe frazier for the heavyweight title in what was called the battle of the undeafeteds.the fight has been called one of the greatest fights of all time even though ali lost.soon after frazier would lose the title to george forman.a couple of years after this Ali had come back to beat frazier and was put up against forman in what was called the rumble in the jungle.Ali was brilliant a used his rop a dope technigue to ko forman in 8 rds and became only the second two time heavyweight champ.Soon after ali frazier and ali went at it again and once again put up a fight that was called one of the greatest of all time.this time ali would win when frazier did would not answer the last round.for the rest of ali's career he would proove why he was called the greatest even loseing and winning back the title against leon spinks.Ali would retire in 81 after loseng 2 fights in a row,but would still be called the greatest of all time.Muhammead ali  with a record of 56-5-0

Answer 3

One thing that needs to be mentioned is how Ali was just shuffled along in school, "earning" D minuses because he was expected to pick cotton.  When he took the Army IQ test, he failed miserably, because all he knew was boxing...he couldn't even drive a car.  Then the very country that considered him "uneducatable" changed the IQ rules as a method of "getting" Ali with the draft.  He was clearly not a stupid man, but he wasn't considered worth educating back on those days.

Answer 4

There are plenty who rate this guy The Greatest. I'm not as sure.

His career 1962-1966 had a lot of gaps. He dodged top guys. Doug Jones and Henry Cooper embarrassed him and they were 185 pounds. Jones was never rematched. Ali waited until Cooper was well-past prime, along with others.

Frazier and Norton really beat him at least twice each. Both chased him around the ring and landed real punches while Ali jabbed and clinched. Young embarrassed him also.

He dodged top guys and took Leon Spinks, who had like eight pro fights. And he still lost!

Ali was a boxing great. But the rest is largely a racist myth.  A number of guys were just as good. Several may have even been better.

Answer 5

It is because Howard Cosell and the rest of the left-wing media fawned all over him. They even gave him a free ride over his terrible racist comments to Joe Frazier.