Ali Stripped Of World Title
Muhammad Ali is legendary for many reasons. His actions on April 28th, 1967, rank high among them.
On April 28th, 1967, Muhammad Ali's career came to a crashing halt. The 25-year-old word champion was eligible to serve in the Vietnam War. Yet, when the time came to sign up, Ali refused. The decision cost him his title and could have ruined his future. Instead, it helped shape him into a star.
Ali was a conscientious objector. He wanted no part in the war, stating ""I ain't got no quarrel with those Vietcong. He saw it as an exercise in genocide and stood his ground, refusing to step forward when his name was called at the induction center in Houston.
A couple of months later, on June 20th, he received an official conviction for draft evasion and a 5-year prison sentence. Although he was able to avoid jail time because of the appeal process, he still had to pay a $10,000 fine and serve a three-year ban from the boxing ring.
Ali was far from alone in this crusade. There were around 570,000 known drafter offenders during the war. Of the 210,000 that were formally charged, 3250 went to jail. Some of these were conscientious objectors, while others took a different approach. On one side, you had those who actively burned their draft cards in protest, Meanwhile, others immigrated to other countries, such as Canada. Another popular tactic was to enlist to avoid conviction but to do so in a service that wouldn't see active conflict, such as the Coastguard.
Ali's straightforward approach was refreshing compared to other celebrities of age at the time. Chevy Chase claimed to have faked homosexual leanings to get out of conscription. Many future presidents had medical conditions that made them ineligible - one of the most famous being Trump with his bone spurs.
During his four years in exile fighting the appeal, he became a spokesperson for anti-war and civil rights movements. It was clearer than ever that his voice resonated with people, and he was a great orator.
In 1970, Ali made his return and knocked out Jerry Quarry. The following year, he suffered his first loss to Joe Frazier. That summer, the Supreme Court put an end to the exile. Apparently, there was a secret meeting in April 1971. It concluded with a 5-3 vote that he wasn't a conscientious objector and deserved prison time. However, the case was reconsidered and overturned.
Eventually, in October 1974, he reclaimed the heavyweight title at the Rumble in the Jungle. He got to continue his career and was heralded as one of the greatest of all time. A few years later, in 1977, President Carter issued a full unconditional amnesty to all draft resisters.