CONTENTS Born Cassius Clay Becoming the Greatest Self-Promoter New Name New Outlook A Different Kind of Fight The Comeback Rumbles and Thrillers A Shadow of His Former Self Life after Boxing Remembering a Legend Important Dates Source Notes Selected Bibliography Further Reading Index 9 11 14 15 19 23 27 31 33 37 40 42 45 46 48
Heavyweight fighter Cassius Clay spent many hours at City Parks Gym in New York in the 1960s
Twelve men stood in a line in the Military Entrance Muhammad Ali the world heavyweight champion in boxing and one of the most famous athletes in the world Ali looked on as the induction hearing got under way Processing Station in Houston Texas on April 28 1967 Among them was twenty-five-year-old on that spring day He and the others in the line were being asked to swear themselves into military service The officer in charge of the hearing called out Ali’s name It was a moment months in the making Upon being drafted into or required to join the military in 1966 Ali had filed as a conscientious objector or a person morally opposed to war The officer overseeing his case had agreed that Ali’s plea was sincere and had recommended Ali be cleared of military obligation Usually that would have been enough But Ali’s wasn’t just any case He was a star and one publicly critical of the Vietnam War 1957 1975 His request had been refused 7
