Clay"s paper was controversial because his teacher was a conforming Christian and his ideas about separatism and blacks being super-assertive scared her. The teacher wasn"t going to pass Clay, but the principal said "the boy will not fail, because he"s going to be an outstanding boxer." Clay was becoming a boxing phenomenon; the first newspaper article about him was published on October 27, 1957. By then Clay had been boxing for 3 years and was clearly the number one contender for the light-heavyweight championship in the Golden Gloves amateur ranks. He was arguably ready for the challenge after he knocked out Donnie Hall in the fourth round. Cassius Clay was a small opponent for Hall, and even outweighed Clay by eleven and a half pounds. Clay would continue to practice at the Columbia Gym until late at night. He could never stop moving his arms. He was always anxious and ready to fight. Clay became the Golden Gloves light-heavyweight champion and moved on to the heavyweight division. Clay had fought and won thirty-six consecutive fights by May 1, 1959 and said "I"m a baaaaad man!" But his winning steak was broken when Amos Johnson beat him at the Pan-American Games trials. After that loss Clay never lost an amateur fight again! Clay proceeded to the Rome Olympics and won the light-heavyweight gold medal. Immediately after winning the gold medal, Clay was subjected to horrible comments about his race and his religion, which forced him to throw his gold medal away because he felt that people did not accept him. .

             Cassius Clay was a great amateur boxer, and won 100 out of 108 fights. He won consecutive titles in the AAU and the Golden Gloves amateur divisions. Clay started his professional career at age eighteen, and was paid $10,000 up front and then signed a two year contract for $4,000 a year. He went through nineteen opponents, the likes of Archie Moore, Billy Daniels, Doug Jones, Henry Cooper, Dennis Fleeman, and Jim Robinson.