Muhammad Ali Enters Boxing’s “Moral Crusade”

Sports History This Week

November 22, 1965. In downtown Las Vegas, thousands of fans come inside from a rare rainstorm to watch a boxing match featuring young superstar Muhammad Ali. But the lopsided crowd isn’t cheering for Ali; it’s backing two-time heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson. The two men have come to symbolize more than boxing, but an entire societal struggle.

Today, why was Muhammad Ali—formerly Cassius Clay—such a polarizing figure across America? How did this boxing match embody an internal struggle within the Civil Rights movement? And how did it serve as a key stepping stone in Ali’s evolution into one of the era’s most iconic activist voices?

Special thanks to our guests: Dr. Gerald Early, professor of English and African American Studies at Washington University in St Louis; Dr. Todd Boyd, professor at the University of Southern California and chair for study of race and popular culture; Jonathan Eig, author of the biography “Ali: A Life”; W-K Stratton, author of the biography “Floyd Patterson”; and Dave Kindred, an American sportswriter known for his coverage of Muhammad Ali.

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