The Hourly Boxer That Muhammad Ali Couldn't Knock Out

Muhammad Ali is perhaps the most recognizable name in world boxing. Although far from the limelight for the past 30 years or so, Cassius Clay (the boxer's birth name) is considered one of the greatest boxers not only of his time, but of history as well. But few are familiar with the first steps of the American fighter in professional boxing.

Like most professionals, Muhammad Ali started out in amateur sports, and even there it is clear that he is one of the greatest talents to ever step into the ring. In his career, he won 6 Kentucky Golden Gloves, two national titles and a bunch of other triumphs, but the most important is undoubtedly the gold medal from the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960.

Ali's first fight arouses the most serious attention among specialists, who, however, do not remain fascinated by what they saw. Just a few months after the gold in Italy, Ali stepped into the ring for his first professional match against Tunney Hunsaker. An interesting fact is that he is a part-time professional boxer as his main job is as a police officer in Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Muhammad Ali won the fight, but in a very difficult way - after a referee's decision. In six rounds, he performed excellently, but never managed to knock out his opponent. The general consensus was for a decent debut, with him clearly outplaying his opponent but not landing the heavy punches he would later become known for.

"Clay was lightning quick - I tried every trick I knew to throw him off balance, but he was just too good," said his opponent after the fight. Cassius Clay himself admits that amateur boxing has nothing to do with professional boxing and has a long way to go.

However, he quickly got used to the heavyweight division - recording 19 consecutive victories, as many as 15 of them by knockout, to get to his first chance at a world title. This happened in 1964, when in an epic duel he managed to dethrone Sonny Liston.