In 1964, a brash new pro boxer, fresh from his olympic gold medal victory,
explodes on to the scene, Cassius Clay. Bold and outspoken, he cuts an
entirely new image for African American's in sport with his proud public self
confidence with his unapologetic belief that he is the greatest boxer of all
time. To his credit, he sets out to prove that with his highly agile and forceful
style soon making him a formidable boxer who soon claims the heavyweight
championship. His personal life is no less noteworthy with his allegiance to
the Nation of Islam, his friendship with the controversial Malcolm X and his
abandonment of his slave name in favour of Muhammad Ali stirring up
controversy. Yet, at the top of his game, both Ali's personal and professional
lives face the ultimate test with the military draft rules are changed, making
him eligible for military induction during the Vietnam War. Despite the fact that
he could easily agree to a sweetheart deal that would have meant an easy
tour of duty for himself, Ali refuses to submit on principle to cooperate in an
unjust war for a racist nation that treated his people so poorly. The cost of
that stand is high as he finds himself unable to legally box in his own
country
while his case is contested in court. What follows is a battle for a man who
would sacrifice so much for what he believes in and a comeback that would
cement his legend as one of the great sports figures of all time.