Cassius Marcellus Clay was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville. Kentucky. He began boxing at age 12 when a kid stole his bicycle, and a local policeman named Joe Martin told him that he should learn how to fight before he went to beat anyone up. It was the birth of a spectacular amateur career that saw him amass a total of 134 wins with only 7 losses. It culminated with a trip to the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy and a gold medal performance in the light heavyweight division. His return in the south was met with mixed emotions depending on the color of the person’s skin that greeted him, but left professional trainers salivating at his potential. His charisma, speed and good looks certainly made his prospects exciting to say the least.
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