"At first that didn't sit well with the people in the United States. For Bob Arum, the famed promoter who befriended Muhammad Ali some 50 years ago, the former heavyweight champion's legacy in the boxing ring pales in comparison to his impact on America and the world. Arum, 84, recalled that Ali strode onto the world stage in the mid-1960s, at a time when African Americans were still fighting for basic civil rights. Arum said he disagreed at the time with Ali's refusal to be drafted into the U.S. Army and fight in Vietnam, a stand that cost the fighter his world boxing crown. The promoter said Ali gave up three years in the prime of his career to stand up for those convictions and was ultimately vindicated in the public eye.

Source: The Star June 05, 2016 02:26 UTC