On this day in 1964 the Heavyweight Champion of the World Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Nowadays no one would probably bat and eye over something like this but in 1964 it was highly controversial. A number of people would continue to call his Cassius Clay-including fellow boxer Floyd Patterson. Ali would take it out on Patterson in the boxing ring by punishing him. It would be a few years before everyone came around and called him by his chosen name. I can’t recall the last time I heard anyone call Muhammad Ali -Cassius Clay. Muhammad Ali was easily the most controversial athlete ever. Today people tend to forget that. He is my all time favourite athlete.