Muhammad quickly lost his popularity when he changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali. In 1964, Ali wanted spiritual guidance in his life, so he decided to join the black Muslim group, known as the Nation of Islam. He changed his name to Muhammad Ali, once he joined the Nation of Islam. Muhammad meaning "praised one" and Ali meaning "noble". Ali believed, like most people do, that there is an afterlife and if he doesn't change how he perceives life then he will end up in hell. While declaring himself being apart of the Nation of Islam, the Vietnam War was starting. Ali refused to acknowledge his military service after being drafted (Biography.com). He said, “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” Since he was a practicing Muslim minister, his religious beliefs prevented him from fighting in the Vietnam War (History.com). On June, 20 1967 Ali was found guilty of refusing to be inducted into the military. Ali’s refusal caused the U.S. Department of Justice to sentence him to five years in jail, a $10,000 dollar fine and a three years banned from boxing. The boxing association took away his title and suspended him from the sport for three and a half years. Ali did not stop speaking out against the war. He went to college campuses and shared his opinions with students. As Ali spoke out to the world the people around him supported what he was fighting for.
Muhammad Ali’s view on the Vietnam war was the same. He questioned why he would want to go to another country to shoot people with dark skin. When those people never called him N****r or lynched an African American. His enemy was the white people, he believed that if the white person would not stand up for African American rights, then why would he stand up for America and fight in Vietnam. He spoke out against Americans stating “Integration is wrong. We dont want to live with the white man; that’s all.” Also he stated “No intelligent black man or black woman in his or her right black mind wants a white boys and white girls coming to their homes to marry their black sons and daughters”(hollowverse.com). Ali’s vision on racism in the United States was much different than others. Many African Americans were fighting for integration so everyone can be equal, while Ali still wanted to be segregated because the white man had brought so much pain to his people.
Athletes at the time did not do what Ali was attempting to do. Many athletes were just athletes, they were not spokesmen for political issues. Ali was the first athlete to speak his mind in the public. He used his fame from the boxing ring to help support his controversial ideas about racism in the United States and about the war in Vietnam. Not only was he the first to support political changes in society, but he was one of the first well known athletes to change his religious views and praise. At the time of racial prejudice and thousands of American soldiers dying in Vietnam, people needed to speakout. Having a famous athlete question how society functions, helps create change. Now there are more athletes that create change because they too know that there popularity with the people can help change society for the better. With their fame and money, they give back to society with donations to charities. Athletes know a days may not be as outspoken like Muhammad, but their generous donations to struggling communities or to scientific research for curing cancer has the same effect. Muhammad Ali was rare athlete who could not only become one the greatest athletes in the world, but also become of the greatest activist in the world. As Ali once said,“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
Muhammad Ali, often referring to himself as "the greatest", was not afraid to sing his own praises. He was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and phrases. He was the first of his kind. His attitude in the ring lead him to 56 wins, 37 knockouts and 5 loses (Boxerrec.com). Ali is a former heavyweight champion boxer and one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century. He has an Olympic gold medalist and the first fighter to capture the heavyweight title three times. Even with all this fame he was one of the most controversial figures of his time.
Many aspects of boxing has been changed by Muhammad Ali. His style was different than most boxers of the time. He was light on his feet and quick with his hands. Ali’s new style paved the way for future boxers and changed how we view the sport of boxing. The best way to describe how Ali fought is with one of his most famous quotes, "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee". This poetic line connects to Ali’s boasting. How he acted outside of the ring was not the norm. He made speeches that were loud, poetic, and intimidating. His wit and poetic rhymes changed how the public viewed a champion. This witt and boasting later helped him in life when he faced challenges outside of the ring.