Muhammad Ali, the three-time world heavyweight boxing champion who helped define his turbulent times as the most charismatic and controversial sports figure of the 20th century, died on Friday in a Phoenix-area hospital. He was 74.
The hype is warranted. As a boxer the guy was a freak! Low fast hands, dancing all over the place and could take punishment. He also bought swagger to the modern athlete. He got booed a lot in the early days and no one rated him because he was too far out there, and yet he won. He wouldn't go to Vietnam. Took his titles and money. Yet he came back to win after near on 5 years. He gave hope to blacks in America at the time through civil rights and his achievements.
I got massive respect for the guy and it was sad to see him pay the price in later life.
RIP
Last edited by Dr. Pain on Sun Jun 05, 2016 10:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
He never went to prison for being a conscientious objector, nor had his money taken. He was convicted, but paid a bond to stay free while he appealed the decision. He did lose his title and was refused a license to box for around 4 years.
I'm no boxing fan, but it's not like all he had going for him was his sledging.
"Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I'm not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality... If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn't have to draft me, I'd join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I'll go to jail, so what? We've been in jail for 400 years."