How many rounds did Cassius Clay fight with Liston?
Liston has competed in the ring for less than six rounds since 1961, and less than two rounds since 1962. He was also certain that he could easily defeat Clay, therefore he did not put forth any effort to prepare for the battle. Cassius Clay, on the other hand, was in great form and had been quite active. He had just fought five straight wins before meeting Liston, and was looking to continue his streak. Cassius Clay fought George Listion on February 25th, 1964, at Las Vegas's Olympic Stadium. The match was scheduled as a non-title bout, which means that neither boxer was particularly interested in winning or losing. They were paid a fixed amount for each round they lasted (up to 12), with the winner being determined by a majority vote of the judges. If no winner could be decided, the fight would go on until one fighter showed mercy towards the other. Clay started out strong in this fight, using his jab to keep Liston off balance while delivering several hard right hands of his own. In the second round, however, Liston caught Clay with a left hook that sent him down face first. As Cassius got back up, he was met with another punch that forced him to cover up. Referee Roy Martin saw how badly injured Clay was and stopped the fight.