Why didn’t Ali box at heavyweight in the Olympics?

Ali was 18 years old

The amateur LHW limit was just over 178.5lbs.

He was 192lbs on his pro debut.

A year after his pro debut, aged almost 20 vs Alex Miteff, he was still only 188lbs.

I think he fought at LHW in the Rome Olympics because he could make the weight. Not having to make the weight, and indeed a little extra weight benefitting him, a growing Ali typically weighed 10 to 16lbs heavier over the 1st year of his pro career.

 

Ali wasn't a Mike Tyson at 18, look at pics of Ali in 1960 and he still looks like a young teen. Even a few months can make a big difference in body development at that young age.

 

Cassius Clay did fight Percy Price in the Olympic trials, Price went on to be the Heavyweight on the 1960 USA team, Price beat Clay.

 

You don't just rock up on the day and enter the Olympics- he started in the trials in April at L-heavy.

 

I can't say, I'm just guessing.

Because of the competition. The USA had a representative in the heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. I have no doubt that young Cassius Clay could have won the gold medal in the heavyweight division.

 

Well his L/h fight looked close to me and the HW winner was good.

 

I think that Muhammad Ali in 1960 had not quit growing.

 

Ali's development into full physical maturity after turning pro at age 18, while not extreme or necessarily unusual, was still notable.

 

Only 18 at the time still growing and had to fill out.

 

It was pretty unusual imo. He seemed noticeably taller against Liston in the rematch than he did in the first bout imho.

 

Yeah, that was a weird angle in the rematch and the images from the old television broadcasts could distort things a bit at any rate. I noticed that in the Liston-Williams fight 1. Depending on who was closer to camera, they looked huge compared to the opponent in the background. Interesting that we've firmed up on Ali being 6'2 1/2" with 6'3" appearing as a round up.

But then I wonder when Ali was actually measured at 6' 2 1/2" and if there was any possibility that he grew a bit more since that measurement was made. Ali quoted 6'2 1/2" on several of his passports, even in the 70s but I doubt he was measured as and when, rather, he merely gave a known height he was measured at one time or another.

The more I watch him the more I question Terrell's 6'6" listing. Even affording Williams 6'3" to 6'3 1/2" at a stretch (I know his listing was generally 6'2" but I think that short-falled Cleve a bit), Terrell didn't appear so much taller than the Big Cat. I actually read a contemporary article re early career Terrell, and it listed him as 6'4" - but I do think that was too low for him.

 

He probably did grow a bit more tbh. He started very young, and probably only really checked his height at the beginning of his career when he was 18. I certainly grew taller after that. Hell my doctor informed me at 22 years old, my growth plates are not fused so I'm very likely going to grow taller (though likely not by much).

I've always thought Williams was closer to 6'3" or maybe even 6'4" if Terrell's billed height was accurate. No way he had 4 inches on Williams. Though I also think it's very likely Williams lost a bit of height following his shooting. I would be very surprised if that weren't the case considering everything his body went through.

 

The more you dig into this the murkier it gets. I researched it a little and at one point it looked great that Percy beat Clay a little before the trials hence Clay chasing a light heavyweight spot. It also looked solid that Clay was decided upon for the heavyweight spot but then the decided light heavyweight got injured and they rejigged. The biggest certainty however is the uncertainty. Spars were probably reported as trials, non trials as trials and god knows what else. I am at this point virtually certain Percy didn't fight Clay in an official trial match.

Bloody messy.

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/percy-price-1960-olympic-heavyweight.413379/

 

Thanks for that, ah well which ever version is fact, I do believe that if the reports are correct Mr Cassius Clay did ok in our sport, despite being a very self effacing guy, meek and mild one could say, who would rarely express his opinions.