Sucker Punch by Jack Cashill is not your normal Muhammad Ali story. It is less of a boxing story than a cultural analysis of Ali's impact upon America. There is Ali the legend and there is the real Ali. Writer Joyce Carol Oates began her boxing essay, The Cruelest Sport, "Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942 grandson of slave, began boxing at the age of twelve, and by eighteen had fought 108 amateur bouts." Nice beginning but not true. Ali's grandparents were not slaves but born after the Civil War. Here is another irony: Clay was named after a white abolitionist firebrand named Cassius Marcellus. This is just one of many gems Cashill produces.

Cashill's book follows up on Mark Kram's book, Ghost of Manila which began the process of deconstructing Ali's image. Kram's book challenged some of the myths of Ali while portraying a more accurate picture of Ali the man and the fighter. Cashill major objection to Ali is that at a time when America needed a unifier, Ali introduced the politics of black separatism unto the political scene. The Nation of Islam was a black separatist movement and openly racist. While some reporters like Cosell considered themselves courageous for accepting Ali's conversion to Islam, Cashill counters by noting that Ali joined the Nation of Islam, a sect not part of the mainstream Islamic movement. Unlike many, Cashill understands the difference. In reviewing the history of the Nation of Islam, Cashill finds that Elijah Muhammad spent World War II in prison for draft resistance and during the 1930s, he openly supported the Japanese cause. The Nation of Islam appeared comfortable with supporting the Axis powers and their goals. This was the religion that Ali joined.

Cashill observes Ali's similarity to another American icon - Elvis Presley. Cashill write, "Both Elvis and Ali were inherently sweet, Southern momma's boys, each with something of a chip on his shoulder - Ali because of race, Elvis because of class. Both achieved too much fame too soon and sought protection in their respective entourages." Cashill continues by noting that both men were in the need of powerful mentors. For Ali, his mentor turned out to be Elijah Muhammad.

To understand Ali's impact, one has to understand the heavyweight champion's hold on the American public. The heavyweight champion was one of the most noted figures in all of sports. Joe Louis became the first black man who transcended the color barrier in popularity and had a large following even among the white population. Many whites rooted for Louis even against other white opponents and Louis' popularity allowed the great champion to essentially pick his own successor when he retired. Ezzard Charles inherited Louis' title after he defeated Jersey Joe Walcott. (Louis declared the winner of this bout as his heir). For the first time, a black fighter followed another black fighter as heavyweight champion and African-American domination of the heavyweight division took hold. With few exceptions, an African-American held the heavyweight champion over the next fifty years.