Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr was involved in an incident when his bike was stolen when he was 12, he was advised by a a police officer to see a trainer named Fred Stoner to take up boxing. Six years later from 1954, Clay won six Kentucky Golden Gloves championships, two national Golden Glove titles and two Amateur Athletic Union.
By 1960 Clay wins his first amateur light heavy weight gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Rome by winning a 5-0 victory over Zbigniew Pietrzkowski. Returning to Louisville, wearing his gold medal proudly round his neck, his pride faded when he was refused services at a "whites-only" restaurant, and he gets into a fight with a white gang, being so angry threw his gold medals in the Ohio River. Around 1967 Clay refuses to join the U.S army to fight against the Vietnam War because it was against the Qur’an. He said "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong". It spoke with power but the media vilified him. The government stripped him from his heavy weight title and the boxing commission took away his license.
Clay turned professional in October 29th 1960 winning his first bout against Tunney Hunsaker.
His first heavy weight bought was against Sonny Liston the heavy weight champ.Clay was 22, when he wanted to fight Sonny Liston. Clay had predicted victory over the fighter he had called "the big ugly bear" to anyone who listened. He beat Liston in the 8th round by knockdown to become the heavy weight champion. Becoming the champ, he had said he has shaken up the world then shortly after the fight he announced his membership with the Nation of Islam. Couple weeks later, the Nation of Islam leader, Elijah Muhammad gave Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr the new name Muhammad Ali, which the champ had embraced the name change.
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