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The Facts:

On <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />February 22,1964. 22 year old Muhammad Ali became heavyweight champion of the world with a 7^th KO of Sonny Liston. Over the next 3 years he defended his title 11 times. On April 28, 1967, at the height of the Vietnam War, Ali, now a minister and a conscientious objector refused to step forward to be drafted into the United States Armed Services. He had been reclassified 1-A by the army Draft board. Ten days later he was indicted.

On June 20, 1967 a jury for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division deliberates 20 minutes before convicting Ali of refusing induction into the Army. He was tried and convicted of draft evasion by Judge Joe Ingraham and was sentenced to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. To add insult to inury The U.S. Justice Department stated in their opinion that Ali's objections to military service were political, not religious.

 Ali’s lawyers appealed and he was out on bail.

In a punitive action the NY state Boxing commission and the WBA stripped him of his World Heavyweight title on April 29, 1967 before he was even indicted. He was ridiculed by the press and prosecuted by the government. The court went as far as to take his passport. Without a license to box in the USA and without a passport to go over seas and box he was unable to defend his title for 3 ½ years.

Ali’s appeal was heard In the U.S. Supreme Court on April 19, 1971, with vindication coming on June 28, 1971 when the Court announced its decision in Ali's favor.

The Problem:

Ali was illegally and unjustly treated. Neither state boxing commissions, promoters, government bodies or the USA can strip a Champion of his title. A Champion can only lose his title in the ring. The draft boards actions and the boxing commission’s actions were illegal. The US Supreme court would later rule that he was sincere.

The Solution:

Restore Ali’s title for the period 1967 to 1971 and declare the two fights he had in 1970 and 1971 as legitimate Heavy weight boxing title defenses. On June 28, 1971 The US Supreme court up held Ali’s appeal and decided 8 to 0 that Ali’s due process had been denied and that the draft board should have granted him conscientious objector status based on it’s own evaluation.

Action we want taken:

All we are asking is for the WBA, the NY State boxing commission and all other 50 US states boxing commission’s recognize the 2 fights Ali had in October and December of 1970 before he actually lost his title to Joe Frazer in March of 1971 as title defenses and title fights, which he won.

It won’t cost the sanctioning bodies a dime. It will only involve a resolution by all 50 states boxing commissions and the WBA that the 2 fights that Ali had in October and December of 1970 were title fights since a champion can only lose his title in the ring. The Boxing commissions had no authority to strip him of title and revoke his boxing license.

The US government had no cause to revoke his passport and not allow him to earn a living in America nor leave the country to earn a living.

This petition will be mailed to the Boxing commissions in all 50 states and to the WBA and other boxing sanctioning bodies in the US and abroad.

A request that the commissions issue an edict revoking and lifting of the suspension of his boxing license retroactive to April 28, 1967 will be sent along with the petition.

A request that the official ring records of all boxing organizations indicate that the 2 bouts in October and December of 1970 will be recognized as title bouts, title defenses.  At that point Ali’s official ring record will read that he defended his title successfully 23 times instead of 21.

If you support our efforts for justice for Ali then please add your signature below.