A part of boxing history that is highly significant in the story of Muhammad Ali is set to go under the hammer.
To this day, fighters are often held to the standard of the man whom many believe to be ‘The Greatest’.
UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is the latest fighter to receive Ali comparisons, though there’s an argument to be made that no one will ever match the boxing legend.
Like any great fighter, Ali featured in many classic bouts during his legendary career that ended in 1981.
However, his legacy goes far beyond the accomplishments that he produced inside the ring, with his actions outside of it also being highly significant.
Muhammad Ali’s unsigned draft card which had a huge impact on his career is set to be auctioned
The story of Muhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay, has been told a thousand times at this stage.
While fight fans will likely know about some of his most iconic bouts, his conduct away from the sport of boxing is also a crucial part of his legacy.
In 1967, Ali created controversy by refusing to be drafted into the U.S. armed forces in order to fight in the Vietnam War.
The 25-year-old cited his religious and ethical beliefs as his reasoning, with this decision leading to him being stripped of his heavyweight titles and receiving a boxing ban.
This one decision ended up keeping Ali out of the ring for over three years, before he returned in 1970 to face Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, Georgia.
A recent post from The Ring Magazine revealed that Ali’s unsigned military draft card, which had a massive impact on his career, is set to be auctioned next month.
Christie’s has estimated that it will have a selling price of between $3-5 million.
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Muhammad Ali suffered his first loss just months after he returned from an enforced hiatus
Muhammad Ali put together back-to-back wins in 1970 to re-establish himself as one of the best in the heavyweight division following his enforced hiatus.
His third fight back saw him challenge Joe Frazier for the WBA, WBC and The Ring belts at Madison Square Garden, where he suffered his first career defeat.
Ali would go on to avenge his loss to Frazier in a 1974 rematch that took place in the same building as their first encounter.
One year later, ‘The Greatest’ retained his heavyweight titles by stopping Frazier to close out their iconic trilogy.