3 chapters across the catalog
Moe highlights the dangerous "trifecta" of Sam Cooke, Malcolm X, and Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) appearing together in 1964. This alliance between the "number one rock star," the heavyweight champion, and a civil rights leader made the establishment and RCA extremely nervous.
In 1966, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army, citing his religious beliefs as a member of the Nation of Islam. He famously stated he had "no quarrel with them Viet Cong." As a result, he was stripped of his boxing license and title during his physical prime. The hosts discuss Ali's integrity in choosing his principles over his career and money.
Muhammad Ali, formerly Cassius Clay, admitted to modeling his "Greatest" persona after the professional wrestler Gorgeous George. Ali realized that by playing a "heel" and providing the media with "copy" (content), he could control the narrative and fill arenas. The hosts compare Ali's self-invention and use of tension to Donald Trump's modern media strategy.
