When Muslim legendary boxer refuses to serve in US army

New movie project themed on Muslim legendary boxer Muhammad Ali’s refusal to be inducted into the US army is in development.

The project is based on Leigh Montville’s 'Sting Like a Bee: Muhammad Ali vs. The United States of America' which narrates how the Muslim boxer's refusal of service in the US army is down to his Islamic beliefs.

The boxer who won the heavyweight world championship in 1964 at the age of 22  also risked losing everything as he took a stand for equality. In 1967, he was convicted of "draft evasion" and sentenced to five years in prison at the time the US was engaged in war with Vietnam.

Shola Amoo has been signed to direct the film from a script by Phillip Howze.

The new film comes as the 2019 documentary ‘What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali’ by Antoine Fuqua was also themed on the legendary boxer.

Nicknamed "the Greatest", the boxer is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time. He died on June 3, 2016. 

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