Ali did not follow the script. He didn’t just win matches and bask in the glory of his athletic prowess; he used his position to influence and motivate change. Ali was not just a champion in the ring, he was, and still is, the undisputed champion of social justice in sports.

While Muhammad Ali often made the front pages because of his athletic achievements - his words outside of the ring were as lethal as his blows and footwork against his opponents – he was a force to be heard. Refusing to be drafted during the Vietnam War, he nearly sacrificed his entire boxing career, losing nearly four prime boxing years. Despite the consequence, he was steadfast in his choice - a moral one as he could not rationalize the idea of fighting a war elsewhere when his country when there was a still a fight at home in America.