Free Speech and Boxing

Combat sports are best defined as competitive full contact contest where two opponents engage in an exchange of lethal strikes. These strikes are interpreted as points according to the judges' scores cards. A competitor wins by either landing the most significant strikes or rendering his opponent "unable to intelligently defend himself" or technical knockout. Knockouts are typically when an opponent is no longer conscious or has a cut above his eye, disabling his vision and preventing him from making a convincing come back. Combat sports include a wide variety of disciplines which consist of but are not limited to kickboxing, boxing, karate, wrestling, Brazilian jujitsu, karate, and Tae Kwon Do. How long have combat sports been around? According to oral tradition whenever a man first raised his fist toward another man in a gesture of play.

Mixed Martial Arts and Boxing are the two most popular self defense mechanisms and even broken the mainstream with multi-million dollar industries that continue to advertise and promote fights.  Controversy has surrounded that sport since the phrase , “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong,” was first uttered by three time world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. Not only did Ali upset White America by resisting the military draft but also by identifying as a member of the nation of Islam. Ali's failure to comply with federal law resulted in him being striped of his title belt, a $10,000 fine, and a 10 year prison sentence. The supreme court in 1971 would reverse they're initial decision in the famous Clay v. The United States court case. 

Despite many boxing fans awaiting to see his return in the ring many argued that one who indulges in violence for a living cannot object to the violence of war. Though Ali held a hypocritical perspective, his freedom of religion was still infringed upon by the United States government due to Islam's beliefs regarding war. 

“What is all the commotion about? 

Nobody asks other boxers about their religion. 
But now that I’m the champion, 
I am the king, so it seems the world is all 
Shook up about what I believe. 
You call it the Black Muslims, I don’t. 
This is the name that has 
Been given to us by the press. 
The real name is Islam. 
That means peace.”
— Muhammad Ali, 

Ali's anti war rhetoric made him a target for the government. His refusal in the draft resulted in him losing millions of dollars and even held back his career to an extent. These are restrictions on his freedom of speech because his boxing was not only him throwing jabs at a man in the ring. An African American heavyweight champion communicated how to achieve and be successful through his victories. However his greatest victory of all was not in the ring but in the courtroom.