Michael Ezra is Chair of the American Multicultural Studies Department at Sonoma State University.

“Muhammad Ali is a terrific book. Disciplined, convincing, equipped to deliver on his bold and original thesis, Michael Ezra makes fresh sense not only of Ali as cultural icon and historical figure but of the vast Ali literature and mythos that surrounds him.”-Carlo Rotella, Boston College, author of Cut Time: An Education at the Fights

• Acknowledgements Introduction: Why Another Book about Muhammad Ali?Part I: Louisville Sponsoring Group Louisville's Favorite Son: The Professional Debut Choosing Management: The Courtship of Cassius Clay The Early Bouts, 1961-1962 Clay vs. Moore: The Seminal Text The Most Hated Man in Boxing? The Early Bouts, 1963 Damage Control through Moral Authority: The Louisville Sponsoring Group's Specialty The Relationship between Cassius Clay and the Louisville Sponsoring Group: A Summary The Commercial Elements of Clay-Liston IPartII: Nation of Islam Main Bout Inc.: How Commerce Affects Culture Carving Out Moral Authority: Ali's Race Man PhasePart III: Good People Forty Years of Ali: The Making of an Icon The Legacy of Ali's Exile and the Nation of Islam The Prodigal Son Returns King of the World: The Consequences of Monarchy Death of a Salesman Lonnie Ali: The Savior Thomas Hauser: The Literary Rehabilitation of Ali's Legend Olympic Torch: From Literature to Television Beyond Moral Authority: The Apotheosis of Muhammad Ali Culture Meets Commerce: The Muhammad Ali Center, Naming Rights, and the Price of Moral Authority The Backlash: Exploring Contradictory Meaning of AliNotes Index

Michael Ezra is Chair of the American Multicultural Studies Department at Sonoma State University.

“Muhammad Ali is a terrific book. Disciplined, convincing, equipped to deliver on his bold and original thesis, Michael Ezra makes fresh sense not only of Ali as cultural icon and historical figure but of the vast Ali literature and mythos that surrounds him.”-Carlo Rotella, Boston College, author of Cut Time: An Education at the Fights

• Acknowledgements Introduction: Why Another Book about Muhammad Ali?Part I: Louisville Sponsoring Group Louisville's Favorite Son: The Professional Debut Choosing Management: The Courtship of Cassius Clay The Early Bouts, 1961-1962 Clay vs. Moore: The Seminal Text The Most Hated Man in Boxing? The Early Bouts, 1963 Damage Control through Moral Authority: The Louisville Sponsoring Group's Specialty The Relationship between Cassius Clay and the Louisville Sponsoring Group: A Summary The Commercial Elements of Clay-Liston IPartII: Nation of Islam Main Bout Inc.: How Commerce Affects Culture Carving Out Moral Authority: Ali's Race Man PhasePart III: Good People Forty Years of Ali: The Making of an Icon The Legacy of Ali's Exile and the Nation of Islam The Prodigal Son Returns King of the World: The Consequences of Monarchy Death of a Salesman Lonnie Ali: The Savior Thomas Hauser: The Literary Rehabilitation of Ali's Legend Olympic Torch: From Literature to Television Beyond Moral Authority: The Apotheosis of Muhammad Ali Culture Meets Commerce: The Muhammad Ali Center, Naming Rights, and the Price of Moral Authority The Backlash: Exploring Contradictory Meaning of AliNotes Index

Michael Ezra is Chair of the American Multicultural Studies Department at Sonoma State University.

“Muhammad Ali is a terrific book. Disciplined, convincing, equipped to deliver on his bold and original thesis, Michael Ezra makes fresh sense not only of Ali as cultural icon and historical figure but of the vast Ali literature and mythos that surrounds him.”-Carlo Rotella, Boston College, author of Cut Time: An Education at the Fights

• Acknowledgements Introduction: Why Another Book about Muhammad Ali?Part I: Louisville Sponsoring Group Louisville's Favorite Son: The Professional Debut Choosing Management: The Courtship of Cassius Clay The Early Bouts, 1961-1962 Clay vs. Moore: The Seminal Text The Most Hated Man in Boxing? The Early Bouts, 1963 Damage Control through Moral Authority: The Louisville Sponsoring Group's Specialty The Relationship between Cassius Clay and the Louisville Sponsoring Group: A Summary The Commercial Elements of Clay-Liston IPartII: Nation of Islam Main Bout Inc.: How Commerce Affects Culture Carving Out Moral Authority: Ali's Race Man PhasePart III: Good People Forty Years of Ali: The Making of an Icon The Legacy of Ali's Exile and the Nation of Islam The Prodigal Son Returns King of the World: The Consequences of Monarchy Death of a Salesman Lonnie Ali: The Savior Thomas Hauser: The Literary Rehabilitation of Ali's Legend Olympic Torch: From Literature to Television Beyond Moral Authority: The Apotheosis of Muhammad Ali Culture Meets Commerce: The Muhammad Ali Center, Naming Rights, and the Price of Moral Authority The Backlash: Exploring Contradictory Meaning of AliNotes Index