A red-and-white Schwinn bicycle launched his boxing career.

One specific occurrence that occurred long before Ali changed his name from Cassius Clay ignited his enthusiasm for fighting. At the age of 12, in 1954, he was living in Louisville, Kentucky. After riding his brand-new red and white Schwinn model bicycle to the Columbia Auditorium, Clay had a moment that would forever alter his life. Later, he learned that it had been stolen, which prompted him to report it to police officer Joe Martin, who was stationed at the Auditorium on the lower level. Clay had informed Martin, who was a boxing trainer with his own gym, that he wanted to beat up who stole his bicycle, which led the latter to invite him to come back around his gym and learn about boxing.

Ali later recalled the moment that changed his life in his autobiography entitled. The Greatest: "My Own Story,” written by Richard Durham. "I ran downstairs, crying, but the sights and sounds and the smell of the boxing gym excited me so much that I almost forgot about the bike,” Ali wrote. ” There were about 10 boxers in the gym, some hitting the speed bag, some in the ring, sparring, some jumping rope. I stood there, smelling the sweat and rubbing alcohol, and a feeling of awe came over me. One slim boy shadowboxing in the ring was throwing punches almost too fast for my eyes to follow.” That experience helped get started Clay’s legendary all from the initial guidance of a police officer, who wound up becoming his first boxing trainer.