The Greatest Of All Time
...himself that made him stand out among so many people. He represented charisma and strength in which he was as person. There is a reason why people say he was one of the greatest icons of all time.
As a boxer, Muhammad brought speed and grace to his sport, while his charm and wit changed forever what the public expected a champion to be. His accomplishments in the ring are the characteristics of legend, two fights with Sonny Liston, where he proclaimed himself "The Greatest" and proved he was; three epic wars with Joe Frazier; the stunning victory over George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle; and defeating Leon Spinks to become heavyweight champion for a third time. But there was always far more to Muhammad than what took place in a boxing ring.
In his early career, Muhammad Ali shocked the world by converting to the Nation of Islam where he changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali. Ali believed that Cassius Clay was a “slave name”. This statement brought forward a new era in black culture. Joining the Nation of Islam at this time was said to be “outrageous”. The nation of Islam was considered to be a cult and embarrassed by lunatics. Believing that changing his name for the sake of being identified as a slave had a big impact on the way many African Americans then portrayed their lives. Along with Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali there was a rise of young African American converting their religions. At this point in Ali’s life where he couldn’t have been older than 22 years old, he was already making an impact on the world.
The draft was huge part of the Vietnam, many young American were shipped out half way around the world to fight in a foreign nation. Muhammad Ali on the other hand stood by for what he believed in and didn’t fight for America. He didn’t believe in going to the war, because he felt that he...
View Full Essay
