Cast Muhammad Ali as Himself Ernest Borgnine as Angelo Dundee John Marley as Dr. Ferdie Pacheco Lloyd Haynes as Jabir Herbert Muhammad Robert Duvall as Bill McDonald David Huddleston as Cruikshank Ben Johnson as Hollis James Earl Jones as Malcolm X Dina Merrill as Velvet Green Roger E. Mosley as Sonny Liston Paul Winfield as Mr. Eskridge Annazette Chase as Belinda Boyd Ali Mira Waters as Ruby Sanderson Drew Bundini Brown as Himself Malachi Throne as Payton Jory Richard Venture as Colonel Cedrich Arthur Adams as Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. Stack Pierce as Rahaman Paul Mantee as Carrara Skip Homeier as Major Canlan David Clennon as the Captain Nai Bonet as Suzie Gomez Chip McAllister as young Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali Rahman Ali, Howard Bingham, Harold Conrad, Don Dunphy, Lloyd Wells, Pat Patterson, and Gene Kilroy appear as themselves. There are many uncredited roles in the film including some major characters, such as Ruby Sanderson and his girlfriend, Belinda Board, who became his wife, and Herbert Mohammed, son of Elijah Muhammad, who was Ali's manager at one point. Lonette McKee was originally going to portray the role played by Annazette Chase Directed by Tom Gries Written by Muhammad Ali (short) Herbert Muhammad & Richard Durham (book) Ring Lardner Jr. Produced by John Marshall Cinematography Harry Stradling Jr. Edited by Byron Brandt Music by Michael Masser Muhammad Ali plays himself in a reconstruction of the events that brought him to fame.