Cassius Clay vs. Tunney Hunsaker
{{short description|1960 boxing match}}
{{Infobox boxing match
| Fight Name = Cassius Clay vs. Tunney Hunsaker
| image =
| caption =
| fight date = October 29, 1960
| location = Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
| titles =
| fighter1 = {{flagicon|USA}} Cassius Clay
| nickname1 = "The Louisville Lip"
| hometown1 = Louisville, Kentucky
| purse1 =
| record1 = 0–0 (0 KO)
| age1 = {{age in years and months |January 17, 1942 |October 29, 1960}}
| height1 = 6 ft 3 in
| weight1 = 192 lb
| style1 = Orthodox
| recognition1 = 1960 Olympic light heavyweight Gold Medallist
| fighter2 = {{flagicon|USA}} Tunney Hunsaker
| nickname2 =
| hometown2 = Fayetteville, West Virginia
| purse2 =
| record2 = 15–9–1 (8 KO)
| age2 = {{age in years and months |September 1, 1930 |October 29, 1960}}
| height2 =
| weight2 = 186 lb
| style2 = Orthodox
| recognition2 =
| result = Clay won in 6 rounds by unanimous decision
}}
Cassius Clay vs. Tunney Hunsaker was a professional boxing match contested on October 29, 1960. It was the first professional bought contested by Muhammad Ali(who was then known as Cassius Clay).{{cite web |title=Muhammad Ali vs. Tunney Hunsaker |url=https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Tunney_Hunsaker |website=boxrec.com |publisher=BoxRec |access-date=22 August 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/s/Ali_record.html |title=Muhammad Ali's ring record |work=ESPN |date=19 November 2003|access-date=5 October 2016}}
Background
In his professional debut, 1960 Olympic light heavyweight boxing champion Cassius Clay fought Tunney Hunsaker in a six-round match.
The fight
Clay won the bout through a unanimous decision on points.{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/13999218/muhammad-ali-vs-tunney-hunsaker-first-fight-greatest |title=Muhammad Ali vs. Tunney Hunsaker: The first fight of the Greatest |work=ESPN |date=29 October 2015|accessdate=5 October 2016}}
Aftermath
Hunsaker was a part-time boxer who was for many years a respected police officer in Fayetteville, West Virginia. He also helped to train young fighters, and he and Ali were friends for many years afterwards. In a 1980 Sports Illustrated article, Hunsaker said he didn't agree with Ali's refusal to be drafted during the Vietnam War, but that he still respected him greatly as a fighter and as a man.{{cite book|title=Facing Ali|author= Stephen Brunt|publisher=The Lyons Press|pages = 15–6;18–22|year=2002}}{{cite book|title=Muhammad Ali:His Life and Times|url=https://archive.org/details/muhammadalihisli00haus|url-access=registration|author= Thomas Hauser|publisher=Simon & Schuster|pages = [https://archive.org/details/muhammadalihisli00haus/page/31 31]|year=1991}}{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12450276.The_archive__Cassius_Clay%7C/ |title=The archive: Cassius Clay |work=Herald Scotland |date=28 October 2007|accessdate=5 October 2016}}
Undercard
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-non | reason=Debut}}
{{s-ttl | title=Cassius Clay's bouts |years=29 October 1960}}
{{s-aft | after=vs. Herb Siler}}
{{s-bef | before=vs. Tom McNeeley}}
{{s-ttl | title=Tunney Hunsaker's bouts |years=29 October 1960}}
{{s-aft | after=vs. Alejandro Lavorante}}
{{s-end}}
{{Muhammad Ali}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clay, Hunsaker}}
Category:1960 in sports in Kentucky
Category:October 1960 sports events in the United States
Category:Boxing matches in Louisville, Kentucky
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