5 famous Olympic boxing medallists who went on to become World Champions (Video)
Muhammad Ali (right)Few sports are as physically, mentally or emotionally wearying as boxing. Those who dare to enter its domain must first endure the severity of the training regime, and then combat somebody who has been honing themselves to vanquish them in the basest form of competition. Most boxers start as amateurs, representing themselves, their city, district or state in three or four round matches. This variant of the sport, challenging as it is, is a world apart from professional boxing. The stakes are higher, the fights are longer and more punishing.But there are those who reached the pinnacle of amateur boxing, and despite the rigours, etched their names in the annals of professional boxing. Here is a list of the most famous boxers who won Olympic medals and went on to become world champions:
#1 Muhammad Ali
The man who would become known to the world as Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., in Louisville, Kentucky, USA on January 17th, 1942. He was introduced to boxing by a policeman who found a 12-year-old Ali seething over his stolen bicycle.
Ali’s amateur success would culminate in a light heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics. Aged 22, he would become the youngest man to defeat a reigning champion when he beat Sonny Liston via seventh round TKO. He would win the rematch by knockout, later that year.