A great biopic starring Will Smith, as the controversial Muhammad Ali, greatest boxer who ever lived - the "people's champion", heavy weight boxing champion of the world.
In his peak years, he risked his freedom and his career by refusing to heed the call up to be part of the U.S. Vietnam War effort (to be an army demonstration boxer), back in the early days of the Vietnam War, when the peace movement was very small and peace was not a popular cause: 'I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong - no Viet Cong ever called me "nigger"'.
In response, the U.S.-controlled international boxing organizations took away his belt and the top fighters refused to fight him: 'They couldn't take away my heavyweight title in the ring - this is the only way they could do it'.
And when, after 3 years of financial hardship, 3 of his prime boxing years, Ali was allowed by those boxing organizations to return to the professional boxing that they controlled, once again he shot straight to the top. What a legend!
In his peak years, he risked his freedom and his career by refusing to heed the call up to be part of the U.S. Vietnam War effort (to be an army demonstration boxer), back in the early days of the Vietnam War, when the peace movement was very small and peace was not a popular cause: 'I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong - no Viet Cong ever called me "nigger"'.
In response, the U.S.-controlled international boxing organizations took away his belt and the top fighters refused to fight him: 'They couldn't take away my heavyweight title in the ring - this is the only way they could do it'.
And when, after 3 years of financial hardship, 3 of his prime boxing years, Ali was allowed by those boxing organizations to return to the professional boxing that they controlled, once again he shot straight to the top. What a legend!