If you had a time machine???

I would probably tell Michael Nunn to keep his focus on boxing.

 

Both, you're telling me that Islam prevented him from being whacked?

 

The mob threatened Ali before his association with the NOI was known.
Next time Ali met with the mob, he brought the NOI with him.
That was the last time the mob tried to touch Ali.

There is no way Ali could've been as brash, egotistical, outspoken, and controversial without the support system of a group like the NOI. They kept him safe during volatile times.

Ali and the NOI were a perfect partnership.
The side effect was some counter intuitive segregationist rhetoric during a phase in his life. But those faults pale in comparison to his life work, achievements and deeds, which could only have been enabled with the partnership with NOI.
The good outweighed the bad 1000 to 1.

 

Jack Johnson didn't do too bad being all of the above, I seriously doubt Ali would have been murdered had he not converted to Islam.

 

That's what I was getting at although I still think there's a good chance Ali would have refused to go to Vietnam.

 

Didn't do too bad? Living in rat-hole hotels whilst in exile for years ,that must have been a hoot!

 

His faith was a deep, personal , sincere thing, he was committed to Islam ,I would say it gave him a lot of comfort during his later years.I certainly hope so!

 

Jack Johnson wasn't making headlines trashing US culture and policy. Ali was on the forefront of civil rights and the Vietnam war, some very serious political issues. The comparison to Johnson just because they are both boxers is arbitrary, and doesn't adhere to relative circumstances.

I don't think he'd have been murdered either. I mean it's possible, it was the 1960's after all. More realistically he wouldn't have felt as safe and secure and probably wouldn't have put himself out there much. Also, I don't know what he would've done about the mob issue.

 

I would have told Dempsey to make sure he went to a neutral corner against Tunney. I would have told Cerdan to take a boat. I would have told Quarry that maybe it would have been a good idea to get up at about '5' against Chuvalo and to retire for good after the Norton fight.

 

My comparison to Johnson was nothing to do with them being just boxers, both were black and both were anti-establishment. I'd say Johnson lived in hairier times than Ali and behaved even worse.

 

Which was a reflection of the struggle millions of people like Ali were experiencing.

Also, so what? Johnson wasn't as politically charged as Ali, what does the origin of Ali's style of political rhetoric have to do with it?