n. He reported the theft to policeman Joe Elsby Martin, who invited Ali to train in boxing. Martin supervised the training of young boxers and had a television show called Tomorrow's Champions. He arranged for Ali to train with Fred Stoner, who taught him to move with the speed and grace of a dancer. Ali would be indebted to this man for teaching him the fine skills to become a powerful and great boxer. In high school, Ali became a very successful amateur boxer, winning 100 out of 108 matches and earning six Kentucky and two national Golden Glove championships, as well as two Amateur Athletic Union Championships. He went on to compete at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where, Ali would admit later, he mastered his renowned skill at ring chatter geared to distract and frustrate his opponent. At age 18, Ali won the Olympic gold medal in boxing in the light heavyweight category. Upon returning to Louisville, he signed a lucrative fifty-fifty split contract turning him into a professional boxer. Early on as a professional, Ali attracted media attention by boasting about his abilities to secure the heavyweight title for himself, although he was only ranked nine on the list of heavyweight contenders. He immediately captured public and professional interest with his strength of character and wit, exemplified through the catchy and arrogant rhymes he would spout off to sports journalists and potential competitors. Not only was Ali a young master at the sport, he was a master of the public relations that was integral to attracting audiences and media recognition. In 1964, Ali told Sports Illustrated, "If you wonder what the difference between [other heavyweight boxers] and me is, I'll break the news: you never heard of them. I'm not saying they're not good boxers. Most of them...can fight almost as good as I can. I'm just saying you never hear of them. And the reason for that is because they cannot throw the jive. Cassius Clay is a boxer who can thro...
