Muhammad Ali and the Vietnam War

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The protests that, perhaps, derailed an even greater career

Muhammad Ali is, if not the best boxer of all time, then certainly one of the best. The successes speak volumes for Cassius Clay's impressive career. Only 18 years old, he won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rome in the light heavyweight category, and subsequently became a record holder with 3 world titles in the heavyweight category.

The turning point in his career was the date April 28, 1967. Date Ali was drafted by the US Army to join the war effort against Vietnam. The boxer refuses and gets into extremely serious trouble. The most severe penalties that the law can impose are a fine of 10 thousand dollars and imprisonment for up to 5 years.

Ali is currently arrested, and the New York State Sports Commission revokes his boxing license for 3 years. Years in which Cassius, who changed his name to Muhammad because of his conversion to Islam in 1964, remained a free man, but was on the verge of poverty. Ali has to rely on help from her co-workers in order to have something to put on the table and pay her bills.

3 years in which Ali is between the ages of 25 and 28. The years in which legends like Roy Jones Jr. and Sugar Ray Leonard achieved their greatest successes. Would it have been the same with Muhammad Ali? We have no way of knowing. But on October 26, 1970, he returned with a victory, knocking out Jerry Quarry in the third round.

It is clear that Ali's career is great, because even after his absence from the professional ring within 3 years, he managed to win 2 more times the WBA world title and once the WBC.

And besides the successes in sports, Muhammad Ali was able to inspire hundreds of thousands of people to oppose the war in Vietnam. An achievement that falls short of world titles and Rome gold, but certainly no less significant.

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