Mar. 20, 1964 - Heavyweight champion Cassius Clay, rejected today by the U.S. Army, said he hopes to fight again within three months and then make a world tour. He added that he is agreeable to a return bout with Sonny Liston if the latter is ready, and he is also willing to face any qualified challenger. He listed three — Ernie Terrell, Doug Jones, and Eddie Machen.
“I want to fight again this summer, and we’re working on it,” the 22-year-old titleholder said after receiving word from Washington that he is unfit for military service. “If we can’t arrange it, then I want to take a trip overseas, especially to the African and Asian nations.”
The Army reported that Clay failed his second pre-induction examination and was “not qualified for induction into the Army under applicable standards.” No mention was made of the specific test Clay flunked, but it was presumed to be that involving mental aptitude. There have been unofficial reports that he missed out on the mathematics portion.
“I just said I’m the greatest, I never said I was the smartest,” the champion said.
The Army’s formal announcement said: “Tests given Clay included measurements of aptitudes for various skills needed in military service. Interviews conducted by experts in the field of testing and analyses of results of the two tests indicate that Clay put forth his best efforts on both occasions.”
Members of Congress proved wary of the Army’s decision.
Rep. Samuel Stratton (D-N.Y.), who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said he believed the boxer’s rejection was “unfortunate, since Mr. Clay seems to have exercised a good deal of mental agility in other quarters.”
Rep. William Ayers (R-Ohio), who recalled he was inducted into the Army as a private in World War II, observed: “Had I flunked math, I still could have peeled potatoes for the first two months of my Army service — which I did. Anybody that can throw a punch like Cassius ought to be able to throw a knife around a potato.”
Rep. Cornelius Gallagher (D-N.J.), who was an infantry company commander in World War II and in the Korean War, said: “If I were Cassius Clay, I would feel insulted and ask for a waiver. Despite his lack of formal education, Clay is an outstanding physical example and possesses a quick mind. He is a hero symbol to the American youth, and I am sure he would like to serve his country.”
The heavyweight king accepted the news calmly at his new New York headquarters in a Harlem hotel.
“It’s the Army’s decision,” he said. “The Army’s the boss. I don’t want to say anything about it.”
“Don’t call me Cassius Clay,” he admonished interviewers. “I am Muhammad Ali, heavyweight champion of the whole world. That is a beautiful Arabic name. That’s my name now.”
It is the name given to Clay by Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the separatist Black Muslim sect that follows the religion of Islam. Clay announced after the Liston fight that he was a disciple. Clay also has called himself Cassius X, but that was before Malcolm X split with the national leadership of the sect.
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