AllMovie

Original footage and interviews combine to showcase the crucial role that the city of Miami played in the success of a boxer who would achieve legendary status in not just his chosen sport, but the entire world of athletics. The year was 1960. A young pugilist named Cassius Clay had just arrived in Miami, determined to rise through the ranks and become world heavyweight champion. But few could have foreseen that was only the beginning, and that the man who came to be known as Muhammad Ali was destined for true greatness. Over the course of the next few years, the emerging boxer would begin to establish his longtime affiliation with the famed Fifth Street Gym on Miami Beach, and make headlines across the country by adopting the name Muhammad Ali and adhering to the black separatist beliefs of the Nation of Islam. Additional insight into Ali's relationship with controversial black activist Malcolm X, his historic victory over Sonny Liston, his legendary encounter with The Beatles, and his refusal to fight in Vietnam - all of which unfolded against the backdrop of Miami - highlight the unique role that this Florida hot-spot played in the success of a fighter who never backed down from what he believed in.