Sixty-one years ago, Cassius Clay who would soon be known as Muhammad Ali, fought the seemingly unbeatable Charles “Sonny” Liston at the Convention Center, in Miami Beach, Florida.
The buildup to the fight was intense. Clay insulted Liston regularly.
“He’s too ugly to be the world’s champ,” said the cocky challenger.” The world’s champ should be pretty like me.” Liston countered Clay by giving him a backhanded slap in Las Vegas.
Clay was incredulous,, What you do that for? he asked.
Liston glared, “Because you’re too fu#### fresh,” he replied.
He told a friend later, “I got the punk’s heart now.”
No, he didn’t.
Liston captured the world’s heavyweight championship in 1962 by brutalizing Floyd Patterson in the first round. Paterson asked for a rematch. It took Liston four seconds longer to repeat the deed. Many experts at the time considered Liston to be invincible.
Clay, 22, had only one speed. Fast. He talked fast and moved faster. Clay had extraordinary hand and foot speed. He was the perpetual “man in a hurry.”
In 1960, Clay captured the gold medal at the Rome Olympics in the light-heavyweight division. Two years later, he turned professional. His record stood at 19-0 with 15 knockouts. He talked the talk, but could he walk the walk? His previous two fights had been anything but stellar. He edged tough Doug Jones and was floored heavily by British fighter Henry Cooper.
Hours before the fight, Liston was a seven-to-one favorite.
43 of 46 experts had picked Liston to win.
Clay’s style was not greatly admired at the time. Oh, he was fast, they said, but he didn’t hit very hard or take a punch. Legendary columnist Jimmy Cannon said this about Clay a few days before the match.
“In a way, Clay is a freak. He is a bantamweight who weighs more than 200 pounds.”
It was the oldest argument in the book. What we don’t understand – we criticize. Several years later these same tendencies, the ability to anticipate and lean away from blows, the movement, would all be applauded, but in 1964 they were considered major flaws.
Liston (35-1, 24 KOs) also brought some baggage into the fight. His age was a mystery. Liston stated that he was 31 years old, but he was probably closer to 35. He also suffered from bursitis in both shoulders. Still, he expected to knock out the blabbermouth from Louisville in two rounds.
Clay ignored the critics and quipped,” Liston even smells like a bear. After I beat him, I’m going to donate him to the zoo.”
Liston was a master of intimidation. His baneful stare had caused many opponents to shrink away like a feather. Clay felt the menace.
He admitted after the fight that his bravado was an act.
“I won’t lie, I was scared. It frightened me, just knowing how hard he hit.”
Liston came out fast in the opening round. He stuck out his powerful jab, but all it did was graze the fleet-footed challenger. Clay, with his hands at his sides, moved side to side. He ducked, feinted, and stayed on his toes. Liston glared at him impassively. He landed the first punch of the bout, a thudding right to the body.
At the two-minute mark, Clay tattooed Liston with a double jab. He leaned back and watched two powerful hooks whisk by his chin. His jab became more prominent as the round went by. With twenty ticks left on the clock, Clay opened up, strafing Liston with a combination.
Clay kept sticking out his jab in round two. Liston stalked but was still finding it difficult to touch the slippery challenger. His heavy shots were directed at the body – hoping that Clay would lower his guard.
Liston pushed Clay into the ropes and forced his way inside. He had predicated before the bout, that he’d stop Clay in two. This was his chance to do some damage, but Clay tied him up and skipped away.
Clay came out firing in round three. As Liston pressed forward, he let go with a combination. A sharp right landed. A few seconds later, another right followed by a left hook staggered the unbeatable bear. The crowd roared as Clay was now the aggressor. His slashing combination had cut Liston’s left eye and bruised his right.
Liston rallied in the last minute of the round. A right uppercut snapped Clay’s head back.
Clay was back moving laterally and jabbing in round four. Liston jabbed as well, but his pattern of missing more punches than landing continued. The bruising under his right eye was growing. Clay had his own eye problems before round five commenced. He blinked manically and screamed at his trainer Angelo Dundee to, “Cut off my gloves.”
Dundee calmly took his trusty sponge and washed out Clay’s burning eyes and said, “This is the big one, Daddy. Get out there and run.”
Some accused Liston’s corner of hanky pannky, but the most likely explanation was a substance used to close Liston’s cut got on Clay’s gloves and blinded him. Clay did as he was told in round five. He held and ran. Liston pummeled his midsection with shots. A left hook stood Clay up, but his greatest assets, his legs, served him well.
Clay was back in charge in round six. A sharp right landed. A double hook made Liston grimace. Clay’s jab bounced off Liston’s face. Liston landed a lunging hook that had no effect.
Liston hesitated before sitting on his stool after the sixth round ended. One of his cornermen rubbed his left shoulder – the same shoulder he had re-injured in training camp. Liston muttered, “That’s it,” and spit out his mouthpiece.
Clay quickly comprehended what was happening in Liston’s corner. He moved to the center of the ring with his arms raised and sprinted to the ropes.
Liston later said of Clay, “That’s not the guy I was supposed to fight. That guy could hit.”
