Ali opting out of the Vietnam draft was a huge, huge moment in sports history.

He was at his absolute peak abilities at a boxer. The stand he took against the war caused his title to be taken from him, as he knew that it would. Jail time was even a possibility, but he did not waver from his beliefs. It made him the first heavyweight champion in history to have his title taken by anyone other than another boxer.

Over three years passed before he was allowed to box again, and by that time, his skills had noticeably deteriorated. Not so much that he wasn’t still the best, of course!