This story originally ran on March 10, 2016, but we are re-publishing it after Muhammad Ali passed away on Friday night.
Long before Muhammad Ali became the most recognizable sports figure in the world, his path to boxing greatness took him through Northern Kentucky.
In October 1954, when Ali was twelve years old, his Christmas present – a red Schwinn bicycle with chrome trim – was stolen. To report its theft, Ali had to go see a Louisville policeman who ran the Columbia Gym. Enthralled by the sights and sounds, Ali began training. Six weeks later, on a televised match, an 89-pound Ali won his first bout in a split decision.
A switch to the training facility at Grace Community Center in Louisville’s east side, where fighters traveled for bouts, raised Ali’s stature around the Commonwealth. Soon, people began talking about Ali as a boxer with a future.
Bromley native Jim Wear remembers how much his dad Huey enjoyed listening to boxing matches on the radio. Huey was especially impressed by the young amateur fighter from Louisville, then named Cassius Clay. So when the reigning Kentucky Golden Gloves champion was scheduled to fight locally, Wear loaded his two sons into his Chevy Bel Air and headed to Covington Catholic’s gym where a ring had been assembled.
[Publisher’s Note: Yes – you read that correctly – The Greatest once fought a boxing match in Covington Catholic’s gymnasium]
Huey Wear’s other son, David – known to local sports bloggers as “The Old Guy” – remembers the fight vividly. “He (Ali) was tall and skinny,” Wear recalls. “When Dad mentioned that he would be a heavy weight champion someday, I was a bit puzzled at how this tall skinny young kid could be a heavy weight.”
“It wasn’t much of a fight,” Wear added. “Ali won big time.”
Record keeping for boxers at the time was not an exact science. For Golden Gloves competitors, there were tournaments, exhibitions, and inter-city club competitions. Clubs from Louisville and Cincinnati fought regularly. Records on the number of wins Muhammad Ali racked up as an amateur support a range from 99 to 137. His losses could be as many as eight. In his autobiography, The Greatest: My Own Story, Ali lists his amateur record at 161 – 6. Considering Ali’s amateur career spanned only six years, he fought in an impressive number of bouts.
News clips from the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Cincinnati Post and Times Star indicated Ali fought in the region on several occasions in “Louisville versus Cincinnati” team competitions. As most team matches took place at the Cincinnati Gardens, the fight at Covington Catholic was likely an exhibition or lower round contest in Kentucky’s Golden Gloves tournament.
As an amateur, Ali won six Kentucky and two national Golden Glove titles, as well as the AAU national championship.
It is unclear who Ali faced in his Northern Kentucky appearance. One possibility was St. Henry graduate and former Ludlow resident, Dan Geise.
His sons, Charley and Phil, recall their late-father talking about facing Ali in state Golden Glove competition. At the time of the bout, Ali was several years Geise’s junior. Ali put Dan Geise on the mat. “Apparently, he was pretty much out of it for two days,” Phil said. “Dad got beat so bad, he never fought again.”
A Gold Medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome completed Ali’s amateur career. As a professional, he was 56 – 5. As 37 of Ali’s professional wins came by knockout, Dan Geise ended up being in some pretty good company.
Written by Rick Robinson (with thanks to the Kenton Co. Public Library’s David Schroeder for research assistance)
Discover more about Rick Robinson at www.authorRickRobinson.com
Photo: Ali and Louisville policeman/trainer, Joe Martin (provided)