The Resurgence of Muhammed Ali
Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammed Ali in 1964, the same year he won his first world heavyweight championship in a stunning upset of Sonny Liston at the age of 22. Two years later, his title would be stripped, along with his boxing licenses and passport, after Ali refused to report for service in the Vietnam War on conscientious objector grounds. In the four years that followed, Ali wouldn’t be allowed to fight - making his living instead by appearing in a short-lived Broadway play and participating in a ‘computerized’ boxing match against retired champion Rocky Marciano.
By 1970, public perception of the Vietnam War was turning. On college campuses across the country, where Ali had taken to guest lecturing to supplement his exile-stunted career, anti-war sentiment was stronger than it ever had been. 1969 had seen a glut of demonstrations and parades in major U.S. cities. Woodstock had called attention to a growing popular resentment to President Richard Nixon and the Vietnam conflict. In May of 1970, four students were killed by U.S. National Guard soldiers during an anti-war demonstration - prompting four million students to go on strike as a result.
For an anxious and aging Ali and his team, the time was right to try and get back into the ring.
Unfortunately despite the shift in public perception, boxing licences were still granted by elected officials - none of whom were eager to face public outcry for allowing Ali to fight in their backyard. Ali’s team was turned down for licenses by nearly everyone. Ronald Reagan, then governor of California, quipped that “That draft-dodger will never fight in my state.”
Promoter Robert Kassel had financed every failed attempt at a new fight for Ali, and had attended college at Emory University. As a last-ditch effort, he decided to try Atlanta. After a phone call, he was connected to Leroy Johnson, the first black state senator elected in the State of Georgia since Reconstruction, and one of the most powerful men in Atlanta. Johnson was a political mastermind, and he somehow cleared the idea with notoriously segregationist governor Lester Maddox.
Muhammed Ali was a contender again.
The fight itself would be against the world’s top heavyweight hopeful, and current “great white hope” Jerry Quarry, who had defeated the number 1 heavyweight contender Mac Foster earlier that year.
The whole world was watching, but Black America descended on Atlanta that weekend. Legendary boxing historian Bert Sugar said of the atmosphere “It was the greatest collection of black money and black power ever assembled until that time. Right in the heart of the old Confederacy, it was Gone With the Wind turned upside-down.” Attendees included Sidney Poitier, Curtis Mayfield, and Civil Rights icons like Ralph Abernathy and Jesse Jackson.
When the smoke cleared, it was Muhammed Ali that was left standing. Jerry Quarry would refuse to answer the bell in the 4th round after taking the full force of an Ali punch to the left eye, opening up a gash that left patrons in the first few rows spattered with blood.
Muhammed Ali would regain his heavyweight championship nearly four years later when he defeated a young George Foreman in Zaire.
Time waits for no man.