On September 5, 1960, Cassius Clay, who later earned even more fame as Muhammad Ali, won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the Olympics in Rome. Clay didn’t lose a single round in his way to the gold medal, winning either by stoppage or by 5-0 decision in every match. Soon after, Clay went professional and changed his name to Ali, and went on to have one of the greatest boxing careers of all time. He first won the WBC, Ring magazine, and lineal heavyweight titles at 22 years old in what was considered a massive upset against Sonny Liston. Over his boxing career he compiled a 56-5 record, with 37 knockouts. He was and is considered by many, including himself, to be the greatest boxer of all time.
Today in Sports History: September 5
