Among America’s top favorite sports are baseball and boxing. And when referring to big names from each sport, it would be remiss to not mention Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali. Both of them are considered iconic players in their respective fields. And going by the titles they have under their belt, it is rightly so.

It’s always exciting to see legends from different fields come together. Recently, an old photo of Ali and Robinson resurfaced on social media. The two sportsmen are standing around a punching bag. While Ali cradles the bag by its lower end, the LA Dodgers legend has his hand curled into a fist by the bag as if trying out a punch.

What is the connection between Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson?

The history books have loved to compare and contrast the two Black players, for exactly the reasons one might imagine. Both of them were among some of the first African-American sportspeople to break the racial barrier in the world.

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Robinson debuted in Major League Baseball in 1947, with who were back then called the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was known for being one of the first players whose career was a symbol of fighting against racial segregation in the US.

On the other hand, Muhammad Ali, AKA The Greatest, won a gold medal at the Rome Summer Olympics in 1960, when he was only 18 years old. One of his greatest achievements is perhaps when he won the heavyweight championship against Sonny Liston in 1964, against all odds.

Were Robinson and Ali friends?

Although connected by the fame they shared for their expertise in their respective sports, the two athletes had more in common. They were both committed to fighting against racism and had immense respect for each other. And while some might go as far as calling the two friends, Ali and Robinson certainly butted heads at times.

One of the biggest examples is the Vietnam war and Ali’s refusal to fight in it. Like a lot of other young Americans, the government asked The People’s Champ to join the military in 1966. However, citing his religious and social beliefs, Ali refused. “My conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America,” said Ali back then. 

Maybe it’s because he was a boxer, but Ali was more rash and outspoken about his beliefs than Robinson. The shortstop criticized Ali, saying, “He’s hurting, I think, the morale of a lot of young Negro soldiers over in Vietnam.”

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Ali and Robinson will be forever connected for championing their common cause and perhaps enjoying each other’s sports too!