Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston - Feb 25, 1964 - HISTORY.com Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston Share this: Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston Author Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston URL Publisher A+E Networks On February 25, 1964, underdog Cassius Clay, age 22, defeats champion Sonny Liston in a technical knockout to win the world heavyweight boxing crown. The highly anticipated match took place in Miami Beach, Florida. Clay, who later became known to the world as Muhammad Ali, went on to become the first fighter to capture the heavyweight title three times. Liston was a reserved, feared fighter, a decade older than Cassius Clay, and had been world heavyweight champ since defeating Floyd Patterson in 1962. By contrast, Clay was a mouthy underdog who had won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. While training for their fight, Clay, a natural self-promoter, taunted Liston and boasted to reporters that he would win by knockout. Clay came out strong during the fight, using speed and footwork to his advantage against the slower Liston.

After the sixth round, Liston, who was suffering from cuts and bruises under his eyes and an apparent injured shoulder, announced he couldn’t continue. Clay won the match by technical knockout and then announced to the world, “I am the greatest!” On May 25, 1965, the two fighters met in Lewiston, Maine, for a rematch. The bout ended with a highly controversial first-round knockout for Clay, who by then had become a member of the Nation of Islam and taken a Muslim name, Muhammad Ali. Some people claimed Liston threw the fight, possibly because he was controlled by the Mafia or because he feared retaliation from Black Muslim extremists. In 1967, while America was at war in Vietnam, Ali refused for religious reasons to join the Army. As a result, he was convicted of draft dodging, stripped of his title and banned from boxing for three years. In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed his conviction and Ali reclaimed the heavyweight crown on January 28, 1974, at the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire against champion George Foreman.

In February 1978, Ali lost the title to Olympic gold medalist Leon Spinks. In a rematch seven months later, Ali defeated Spinks in 15 rounds and to reclaim the heavyweight crown. He then retired. Two years later, he made a brief, unsuccessful comeback before retiring permanently in 1981. Ali’s career record includes 56 wins, 5 losses and 37 knockouts. Sonny Liston was found dead in his Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971. It’s believed he could have been dead for a week by that time and the cause of his death remains a mystery. During his career, he recorded 50 wins, 39 knockouts and 4 losses. Related Videos BBC ON THIS DAY | 25 | 1964: Cassius Clay crowned world champion About This Site | Text Only 1964: Cassius Clay crowned world champion Cassius Clay, 22, has been crowned heavyweight champion of the world after beating Sonny Liston in one of the biggest upsets in boxing's history.

Clay, from Kentucky, was announced the winner after the hot favourite retired at the end of the sixth round in Miami. When the bell rang for the start of the seventh round, Liston stayed on his stool in the corner of the ring - saying he did not want to continue. Florida state attorney Richard Gerstein is to launch an inquiry into the fight. Clay was earlier fined around �900 for disgraceful conduct after he ranted at his 32-year-old opponent during the weigh-in. He had chanted "I wanna rumble...I wanna rumble!" before saying "You're a tramp. I am going to eat you up. Somebody's going to die at the ringside tonight. Are you scared?" I was born to be great. I am great and I will be greater - the greatest Cassius Clay Liston had built his reputation on two first round knock-outs of Floyd Patterson and in the boxing world he was thought to be invincible. Clay had come into the fight after suffering his greatest humiliation to date - being knocked down by Henry Cooper's left hook. Liston reigned supreme when he was challenged by former Olympic gold medallist Clay, who ring experts said was "all talk".

The majority of sports journalists covering the bout thought that Clay, who was 7-1 underdog, would be no match for Liston. Only half of the seats had been sold and around 8,000 people attended the fight. The fight started at 0310 GMT at the Convention Hall in Miami Beach and Liston had been widely expected to retain his title in the third round. I can't lose Sonny Liston Liston, known as the "dark destroyer", had managed to pin Clay to the ropes during round two but in round three the champion was forced to retreat, with his left eye pouring with blood. Clay: "I am the greatest" In Context The World Boxing Association let Cassius Clay keep his heavyweight championship following the controversy over his fight with Sonny Liston at Miami Beach. Ed Lassman, president of the WBA, had earlier demanded that Clay be stripped of his title and recommended giving the title back to him if his conduct improved over the next five months. Miami State attorney Richard Gerstein said a month-long inquiry revealed no evidence of match-fixing. He added that there was little doubt that Liston was suffering from a sore shoulder during the fight.

Both the original fight and the rematch a year later in Maine, which Clay won with a first-round knockout, have been dogged by allegations of rigging. Muhammad Ali, as he was later known to his adoring fans, said the victory in Miami over Liston was the most important of his career - because he had proved he was qualified to be champion of the world. Shortly after the fight, Clay surprised the sports world by announcing that he had joined the Nation of Islam and had changed his name to Muhammad Ali. His boxing career lasted 20 years, during which he won 56 fights and scored 37 knock-outs. As an admirer once said, Ali would, "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee". In December 1981, Ali decided to retire from the ring and Parkinson's disease was later diagnosed.

Stories From 25 Feb Flashback: Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston to become world heavyweight champion of the world 50 years ago - Telegraph Chisora and Fury both triumph 15 Feb 2014 "The crowd did not dream when they put up the money," roared Clay, "that they would see a total eclipse of the Sonny." Four years after becoming Olympic light-heavyweight gold medallist in Rome, Clay was seen as something of a chancer, a young boxer whose mouth seemed to be his greatest weapon. Yet 'The Louisville Lip', soon to become Cassius X and later Muhammad Ali, was about to shake up the world. February 1964 was a time of change. America was in mourning over the assassination of President John F. Kennedy just three months earlier, the country was soon to be rocked by race riots. Civil rights activism was growing among the student population, and the conflict in Vietnam was drawing more attention. The contracts for Liston-Clay had been signed in Denver, where the champion resided.

Clay travelled there in a second-hand airport bus he had decorated with signs like "Sonny Liston Will Go in Eight" and "World's Most Colorful Fighter". Clay was to get 22 per cent of the gross and Liston 40 per cent. Clay showed up to the weigh-in on the day of the fight wearing a jacket embroidered with the words 'Bear Huntin', rapping with those famous lines "Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee". The fight itself was a revelation. As was Clay. He bobbed and weaved and ducked and moved in the ring. As The Daily Telegraph's boxing correspondent Donald Saunders reported: "He boxed beautifully in the first round, and may well have established control there and then. He flashed his jab and left hooks into Liston's scowling face, with amazing ease, slipped the champion's counters gracefully, and moved neatly out of distance when serious danger threatened." Liston had more success in the second round, and then Clay opened up a cut under Liston's left eye in the third from a short right hand. The champion lashed out crudely in response, but the challenger grew faster as Liston slowed.

Clay came out in the fifth round, blinking and rubbing his eyes. Cornerman Angelo Dundee was later to suggest carbonated petroleum jelly had rubbed off Liston's gloves, causing Clay's eyes to sting. It was reported afterwards that Clay had asked Dundee to cut his gloves off and let him quit, as he could not see. But his corner sent him back out. Clay avoided exchanges, but took some thudding punches to the body, which the challenger absorbed. Clay began to dance around and dominate Liston in the sixth, the champion becoming slower and looking older. Liston went back to his corner, sat on his stool, and quit. Saunders again: "Few would have believed that Liston, the iron man of boxing, would abdicate from his stool." One judge had it for Clay, the other Liston, the referee had them even. "I'm still the prettiest, and he is in hospital," said Clay, still referring to himself 'the greatest'. Clay, on his way from the ring, shouted to reporters: "I came, I saw, I conquered.

I borrowed that line from Caesar." The Florida State Commission had taken the unprecedented step of withholding the former champion's purse pending further medical opinion on his injured shoulder. Hours later x-rays showed a torn shoulder muscle. Liston came to speak to the media the next morning in dark glasses with his left arm in a sling. So, too, Clay, who came to speak with reporters. He seemed changed. "Incredibly this once rude, brash and conceited young man behaved with the dignity, modesty and courtesy of a true champion," reported The Daily Telegraph. "I am through with talking. I just want to be a good, clean boy. I don't want to hurt anyone. I feel sorry for Liston. He is beaten, cut, feels bad and is old." Then, his indomitable spirit returning, Clay pledged that if the money was good enough he would take on two men in one night. Clay said he knew his speed could keep him away from Liston but admitted: "My mouth overshadowed my ability." No one was in a position to dispute that statement. Clay had added that he was prepared to fight Henry Cooper again, although at that time, the return clause from their 1963 fight had run out.

Clay also said he was a much better fighter than the one Cooper had put on the canvas at Wembley the previous June. In London, meanwhile, also reported in The Daily Telegraph, Jim Wicks, Cooper's manager, had said that the Briton, then the European and Empire champion, was prepared to go to the United States to fight Clay for the world title. Wicks had previously turned down offers of more than £70,000 to meet both Patterson and Liston. Two days after the fight, Clay announced he was a member of the Nation of Islam and that he was changing his name to Cassius X. He would later become Muhammad Ali as he broke away from Malcolm X and aligned himself with the sect's leader, Elijiah Muhammad. Bob Arum, who later promoted Muhammad Ali, told Telegraph Sport on Monday: "People thought Cassius Clay was a joke, a loud-mouth kid who needed a come-uppance. Then he became, right after that fight, a sinister guy when he announced that he was a Muslim and had joined the Nation of Islam. What was distain for him then turned to hate. "But Muhammad Ali changed the world, changed how people thought.

He made fun of racism, changed perception and for me that was one of his greatest accomplishments. There's nobody that even remotely compares. I really sensed that from the beginning. He was beautiful as a person, he was one of the most handsome people you could ever see there was an aura about him that transcended any type of normal humanity." Ali would go on to be the first man to win the heavyweight championship three times, engaging in epic fights in faraway places that transcended boxing, the Rumble in the Jungle and the Thrilla in Manila. The gloves Ali wore when he beat Liston to win his first heavyweight world title were purchased by an anonymous buyer for $836,500 last Saturday at Heritage Auctions' Sports Platinum Night Auction. Today, his body ravaged by Parkinson's Syndrome and his voice quietened, the world reveres, rather than reviles the icon known as Muhammad Ali. What they said: - Ebony Magazine, March 1963: Headlined A look at Cassius Clay: Biggest Mouth In Boxing. Calling him a poet, prophet, and propagandist, they said he was "a compulsive phrase-maker fascinated by his own verbage".

- Dr Alexander Robbins, the doctor conducting the pre-fight examination, reported Clay's pulse went from a normal 54 to 120. "This is a man who is scared to death. He is living in mortal fear." - Muhammad Ali, years later, to biographer Thomas Hauser about the Liston fight: "I won't lie. I was scared. It frightened me, just knowing how hard he hit. But I didn't have no choice but to go out and fight." - Robert Lipsyte, who covered the fight as a young reporter for The New York Times: "The only thing that could scare Sonny was a crazy person who defied any kind of logic. I think Clay understood you could psyche out Sonny Liston by some show of insanity. And I think that's exactly what he did." - Bob Arum, promoter of Muhammad Ali: "In those days professional basketball players were getting absolutely no money, the leagues were struggling to start, and the lineman in American Football was making maybe five- or six-thousand dollars a season. And the only reason he did that was so people would know his name so he could get a job on Wall St. or in business.

The very top heavyweight could make $30-to-60,000 a fight. Heavyweight boxers at the top level were the highest compensated athletes in the world." Muhammad Ali Becomes World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali Becomes World Heavyweight Champion 1960 - 1969 Muhammad Ali Becomes World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston (left) and Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) in action during their heavyweight title fight at Miami Beach, Florida. Clay won the contest, becoming world champion, when Liston failed to come out at the start of the seventh round. (February 25, 1964). (Photo by Alan Band/Keystone/Getty Images) 20th Century History Expert By Jennifer Rosenberg On February 25, 1964, underdog Cassius Clay, better known as Muhammad Ali , fought defending champion Charles "Sonny" Liston for the world heavyweight title in Miami Beach, Florida. Although it was nearly unanimously believed that Clay would be knocked out by round two, if not earlier, it was Liston who lost the fight after refusing at the beginning of round seven to continue fighting.

This fight was one of the largest upsets in sports history, setting Cassius Clay on a long path of fame and controversy. Who Was Cassius Clay? Cassius Clay, renamed Muhammad Ali right after this historic fight, had started boxing at the age of 12 and by 18 had won the light-heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games . Clay trained long and hard to be the best at boxing, but many at the time thought his fast feet and hands didn't have enough power in them to beat a true heavyweight champion like Liston. Plus, the 22-year-old Clay, a decade younger than Liston, seemed a bit crazy. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Clay, known as the "Louisville Lip," was constantly boasting that he would knock out Liston and calling him "the big, ugly bear," riling up both Liston and the press into a frenzy over his wild taunts. While Clay used these tactics to unsteady his opponents and to garner publicity for himself, others thought it was a sign that he was afraid or just plain crazy. Who Was Sonny Liston?

Sonny Liston , known as "the Bear" for his giant size, had been the world heavyweight champion since 1962. He was rough, tough, and hit really, really hard. Having been arrested more than 20 times, Liston learned to box while in prison, becoming a professional boxer in 1953. Liston's criminal background played a big role in his unlikable public personae, but his hard-hitting style earned him enough wins via knockout that he was not to be ignored. For most folks in 1964, it seemed a no brainer that Liston, who had just knocked out the last serious contender for the title in the first round, would pummel this young, loud-mouthed challenger. People were betting 1 to 8 on the match, favoring Liston. The World Heavyweight Fight At the start of the fight on February 25, 1964 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Liston was overconfident. Although nursing an injured shoulder, he expected an early knockout like his last three big fights and so had not spent much time training. Cassius Clay, on the other hand, had trained hard and was thoroughly ready.

Clay was faster than most other boxers and his plan was to dance around the powerful Liston until Liston tired out. Ali's plan worked. Liston, weighing in at the slightly heavy 218 pounds, was surprisingly dwarfed by the 210 1/2-pound Clay. When the bout began, Clay bounced, danced, and bobbed frequently, confusing Liston and making a very difficult target. Liston tried to get a solid punch in, but round one ended without much actual hitting. Round two ended with a cut under Liston's eye and Clay not only still standing, but holding his own. Round three and four saw both men looking tired but determined. At the end of the fourth round, Clay complained that his eyes were hurting. Wiping them with a wet rag helped a little, but Clay basically spent the entire fifth round trying to evade the blurry Liston. Liston tried to use this to his advantage and went on the attack, but the lithe Clay surprisingly managed to stay up the whole round. By the sixth round, Liston was exhausted and Clay's eyesight was returning. Clay was a dominant force in the sixth round, getting in several good combinations.

When the bell rang for the start of the seventh round, Liston stayed seated. He had hurt his shoulder and was worried about the cut under his eye. He just didn't want to continue the fight. It was a real shock that Liston ended the fight while still seated in the corner. Excited, Clay did a little dance, now called the "Ali shuffle," in the middle of the ring. Cassius Clay was declared the winner and became the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) defeats Sonny Liston for Heavyweight Title | World History Project Feb 25 1964 Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) defeats Sonny Liston for Heavyweight Title From 1960 to 1963, the young fighter amassed a record of 19–0, with 15 knockouts. He defeated boxers such as Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark (who had won his previous 40 bouts by knockout), Doug Jones and Henry Cooper.

Clay built a reputation by correctly predicting the round in which he would "finish" several opponents, and by boasting before his triumphs. Clay admitted he adopted the latter practice from "Gorgeous" George Wagner, a popular professional wrestling champion in the Los Angeles area who drew thousands of fans. Often referred to as "the man you loved to hate," George could incite the crowd with a few heated remarks, and Ali followed suit. Among Clay's victims were Sonny Banks (who knocked him down during the bout), Alejandro Lavorante, and the aged Archie Moore (a boxing legend who had fought over 200 previous fights, and who had been Clay's trainer prior to Angelo Dundee). Clay had considered continuing using Moore as a trainer following the bout, but Moore had insisted that the cocky "Louisville Lip" perform training camp chores such as sweeping and dishwashing. He also considered having his idol, Sugar Ray Robinson, as a manager, but instead hired Dundee. Clay first met Dundee when the latter was in Louisville with light heavyweight champ Willie Pastrano. The teenaged Golden Gloves winner traveled downtown to the fighter's hotel, called Dundee from the house phone, and was asked up to their room.

He took advantage of the opportunity to query Dundee (who was working with, or had, champions Sugar Ramos and Carmen Basilio) about what his fighters ate, how long they slept, how much roadwork (jogging) they did, and how long they sparred. Following his bout with Moore, Clay won a disputed 10-round decision over Doug Jones in a matchup that was named "Fight of the Year" for 1963. Clay's next fight was against Henry Cooper, who knocked Clay down with a left hook near the end of the fourth round. The fight was stopped in the fifth due to deep cuts over Cooper's eyes. Despite these close calls, Clay became the top contender for Sonny Liston's title. Despite his impressive record, however, he was not widely expected to defeat the champ. The fight was scheduled for February 25, 1964 in Miami, Florida, but was nearly canceled when the promoter, Bill Faversham, heard that Clay had been seen around Miami and in other cities with the controversial Malcolm X. At the time, The Nation of Islam—of which Malcolm X was a member—was labeled as a hate group by most of the media.

Because of this, news of this association was perceived as a potential gate-killer to a bout where, given Liston's overwhelming status as the favorite to win (7–1 odds[13]), had Clay's colorful persona and nonstop braggadocio as its sole appeal. Faversham confronted Clay about his association with Malcolm X (who, at the time, was actually under suspension by the Nation as a result of controversial comments made in the wake of President Kennedy's assassination). While stopping short of admitting he was a member of the Nation, Clay protested the suggested cancellation of the fight. As a compromise, Faversham asked the fighter to delay his announcement about his conversion to Islam until after the fight. The incident is described in the 1975 book The Greatest: My Own Story by Ali (with Richard Durham).

During the weigh-in on the day before the bout, the ever-boastful Clay, who frequently taunted Liston during the buildup by dubbing him "the big ugly bear" (among other things), declared that he would "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee," and, summarizing his strategy for avoiding Liston's assaults, said, "Your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see." First title fight and aftermath Main article: Muhammad Ali versus Sonny Liston At the pre-fight weigh-in, Clay's pulse rate was around 120, more than double his norm of 54. Liston, among others, misread this as nervousness. In the opening rounds, Clay's speed kept him away from Liston's powerful head and body shots, as he used his height advantage to beat Liston to the punch with his own lightning-quick jab. By the third round, Clay was ahead on points and had opened a cut under Liston's eye.[14] Liston regained some ground in the fourth, as Clay was blinded by a substance in his eyes.

It is unconfirmed whether this was something used to close Liston's cuts, or deliberately applied to Liston's gloves; however, Bert Sugar (author, boxing historian and insider) has recalled at least two other Liston fights in which a similar situation occurred, suggesting the possibility that the Liston corner deliberately attempted to cheat. Liston began the fourth round looking to put away the challenger. As Clay struggled to recover his vision, he sought to escape Liston's offensive. He was able to keep out of range until his sweat and tears rinsed the substance from his eyes, responding with a flurry of combinations near the end of the fifth round. By the sixth, he was looking for a finish and dominated Liston. Then, Liston shocked the boxing world when he failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, later claiming a shoulder injury as the reason. At the end of the fight, Clay boasted to the press that doubted him before the match, proclaiming, "I shook up the world!" When Clay beat Liston, he was the youngest boxer (age 22) ever to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion, a mark that stood until the mid 1980s.

At the time, Floyd Patterson (dethroned by Liston) had been the youngest heavyweight champ ever (age 21), but he won the title during an elimination tournament following Rocky Marciano's retirement by defeating Archie Moore, the light-heavyweight champion at the time. Clay knocks out Liston - Feb 25, 1964 - HISTORY.com Clay knocks out Liston Publisher A+E Networks On February 25, 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay shocks the odds-makers by dethroning world heavyweight boxing champ Sonny Liston in a seventh-round technical knockout. The dreaded Liston, who had twice demolished former champ Floyd Patterson in one round, was an 8-to-1 favorite. However, Clay predicted victory, boasting that he would “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and knock out Liston in the eighth round. The fleet-footed and loquacious youngster needed less time to make good on his claim–Liston, complaining of an injured shoulder, failed to answer the seventh-round bell. A few moments later, a new heavyweight champion was proclaimed. Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.

was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1942. He started boxing when he was 12 and by age 18 had amassed a record of over 100 wins in amateur competition. In 1959, he won the International Golden Gloves heavyweight title and in 1960 a gold medal in the light heavyweight category at the Summer Olympic Games in Rome. Clay turned professional after the Olympics and went undefeated in his first 19 bouts, earning him the right to challenge Sonny Liston, who had defeated Floyd Patterson in 1962 to win the heavyweight title. On February 25, 1964, a crowd of 8,300 spectators gathered at the Convention Hall arena in Miami Beach to see if Cassius Clay, who was nicknamed the “Louisville Lip,” could put his money where his mouth was. The underdog proved no bragging fraud, and he danced and backpedaled away from Liston’s powerful swings while delivering quick and punishing jabs to Liston’s head. Liston hurt his shoulder in the first round, injuring some muscles as he swung for and missed his elusive target.

By the time he decided to discontinue the bout between the sixth and seventh rounds, he and Clay were about equal in points. A few conjectured that Liston faked the injury and threw the fight, but there was no real evidence, such as a significant change in bidding odds just before the bout, to support this claim. To celebrate winning the world heavyweight title, Clay went to a private party at a Miami hotel that was attended by his friend Malcolm X, an outspoken leader of the African American Muslim group known as the Nation of Islam. Two days later, a markedly more restrained Clay announced he was joining the Nation of Islam and defended the organization’s concept of racial segregation while speaking of the importance of the Muslim religion in his life. Later that year, Clay, who was the descendant of a runaway Kentucky slave, rejected the name originally given to his family by a slave owner and took the Muslim name of Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali would go on to become one of the 20th century’s greatest sporting figures, as much for his social and political influence as his prowess in his chosen sport. After successfully defending his title nine times, it was stripped from him in 1967 after he refused induction into the U.S.

Army on the grounds that he was a Muslim minister and therefore a conscientious objector. That year, he was sentenced to five years in prison for violating the Selective Service Act but was allowed to remain free as he appealed the decision. His popularity plummeted, but many across the world applauded his bold stand against the Vietnam War. In 1970, he was allowed to return to the boxing ring, and the next year the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Ali’s draft evasion conviction. In 1974, he regained the heavyweight title in a match against George Foreman in Zaire and successfully defended it in a brutal 15-round contest against Joe Frazier in the Philippines in the following year. In 1978, he lost the title to Leon Spinks but later that year defeated Spinks in a rematch, making him the first boxer to win the heavyweight title three times. He retired in 1979 but returned to the ring twice in the early 1980s. In 1984, Ali was diagnosed with pugilistic Parkinson’s syndrome and has suffered a slow decline of his motor functions ever since.

He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1996, he lit the Olympic flame at the opening ceremonies of the Summer Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Ali’s daughter, Laila, made her boxing debut in 1999. At a White House ceremony in November 2005, Ali was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Related Videos Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay (1st meeting) - BoxRec Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay (1st meeting) From BoxRec Jump to: navigation , search CompuBox punchstats 1964-02-25 : Sonny Liston 218 lbs lost to Muhammad Ali 210½ lbs by RTD at 3:00 in round 6 of 15 Location: Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, USA The Build-Up Clay and Liston predict the knockout round. Sonny Liston became World Heavyweight Champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson at 2:06 of the first round.

His first title defense was a rematch with Patterson, who lasted four seconds longer than he did the first time. Many considered Liston to be invincible. With an impressive knockout record, Liston was a fighter whom many other heavyweights were reluctant to meet in the ring. For example, Henry Cooper said he would want a title shot if Clay won, but he was not going to get in the ring with Liston. Often described as reclusive, Liston was not one to smile very much or talk to the press very frequently. Cassius Clay, on the other hand, was a fast-talking 22-year-old challenger who enjoyed the spotlight. He had won the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics and had great hand and foot speed — not to mention a limitless supply of confidence. However, Clay did not have an impressive 1963: he won a disputed ten-round decision against Doug Jones and was knocked down by Henry Cooper before stopping the Brit on cuts. On November 5, 1963, Liston and Clay signed to fight.

The bout would be held in Miami Beach, Florida—where Clay was residing at the time and where his trainer, Angelo Dundee , operated The 5th Street Gym —on February 25, 1964. Few believed Clay could beat Liston, and he was made a seven to one betting underdog. In a poll of sportswriters before the fight, 43 of 46 pick Liston to win. Clay continuously taunted Liston leading up to the fight. He bought a bus and had "Sonny Liston Will Go In Eight" painted on the side. He and his entourage once drove it to Liston's home in the middle of the night, laid on the horn and shouted insults. He also took to calling Liston a "big, ugly bear". Liston grew increasingly irritated as Clay continued hurling insults and boasting that he would knock out Liston in eight rounds. A month before the fight, Clay spoke at a Nation of Islam rally in New York City. The result was a front-page newspaper story. Over the next few weeks, more papers—including the Miami Herald—published reports of Clay's association with the Nation Of Islam.

Clay was also spending a lot of time with Nation of Islam minister Malcolm X, who was staying at a motel in Miami. The fight's promoter, Bill McDonald, was furious. Fearing that Clay's association with the Nation of Islam—which referred to white people as "blue-eyed devils"—might hurt ticket sales, McDonald threatened to cancel the fight unless Clay renounced the group. Clay refused. McDonald decided to go ahead with the fight when Malcolm X was persuaded to leave town and Clay agreed not to make an announcement about his Muslim affiliation until after the fight. Clay worked himself into a frenzy during the official examination and weigh-in the day of the fight. His antics were so wild that the commission fined him $2,500. Clay's heart rate registered at 120 beats per minute and his blood pressure was 200/100. Dr. Alexander Robbins, The chief physician of the Miami Boxing Commission, determined that he was "emotionally unbalanced, scared to death, and liable to crack up before he enters the ring." He said if Clay's blood pressure didn't return to normal, the fight would be canceled.

A second examination conducted an hour later revealed Clay's blood pressure and pulse had returned to normal. It had all been an act. Clay later said, "Liston's not afraid of me, but he's afraid of a nut." The Fight The fight began with Clay showing a lot of movement, using his fast and effective jab and quick combinations, making it difficult for Liston to score with his slower jab and heavy punches. In the third round, Clay opened up his attack and hit Liston with several combinations that caused a bruise under Liston's right eye and a cut under his left. During the fourth round, Clay coasted, keeping his distance. However, when he returned to his corner, he started blinking wildly and complained that there was something burning in his eyes and that he could not see. Angelo Dundee rinsed Clay's eyes with a sponge and pushed him off his stool to begin the fifth round, telling him to stay away from Liston. "I didn't know what the heck was going on," Dundee recalled on an NBC special 25 years later. "He said, 'cut the gloves off.

I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' And I said, 'whoa, whoa, back up baby. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. What are you doing? Sit down!' So I get him down, I get the sponge and I pour the water into his eyes trying to cleanse whatever's there, but before I did that I put my pinkie in his eye and I put it into my eye. It burned like hell. There was something caustic in both eyes." The commotion wasn't lost on referee Barney Felix, who was walking toward Clay's corner. The challenger, his arms held high in surrender, was demanding that the fight be stopped and Dundee, fearing the fight might indeed be halted, gave his charge a one-word order: "Run!" Many theorized that a substance used on Liston's cuts by Joe Pollino, his cutman, may have inadvertently caused the irritation. "Joe Pollino had used Monsel's Solution on that cut," Dundee said.

"Now what had happened was that probably the kid put his forehead leaning in on the guy—because Liston was starting to wear in with those body shots—and my kid, sweating profusely, it went into both eyes." Heavyweight contender Eddie Machen said he believed that Liston's handlers made deliberate use of illegal medication to temporarily blind Clay. "The same thing happened to me when I fought Liston in 1960," Machen said. "I thought my eyes would burn out of my head, and Liston seemed to know it would happen." He theorized that Liston's handlers would rub medication on his shoulders, which would then be transferred to his opponent's forehead during clinches and drip into the eyes. "Clay did the worst thing when he started screaming and let Liston know it had worked," Machen said. "Clay panicked. I didn't do that. I'm more of a seasoned pro, and I hid it from Liston." Pollino later confessed to reporter Jack McKinney that Liston ordered him to rub an astringent compound on his gloves before the fourth round. Pollino complied, and Liston shoved his gloves into Clay's face in the fourth.

Clay managed to survive the fifth round and by the sixth, his eyes had cleared and he resumed control of the fight. During the sixth, Clay landed several effective combinations, seemingly at will. On his stool following the sixth round, Liston told his cornermen that he couldn't continue, complaining of a shoulder injury. He failed to answer the bell for the seventh round and Clay was declared the winner by technical knockout. Clay sprang to the center of the ring and did a victory dance with his hands held high. He then quickly ran to the ropes and began yelling at the ringside media, saying, "I am the greatest" and "I shook up the world!" The Ring named the Clay-Liston match "Fight of the Year" and would later name it "Fight of the Decade" and "Upset of the Decade." After The Fight Liston's injured shoulder: Liston was taken to St. Francis Hospital following the fight and emerged hours later with six stitches under his left eye and his left arm in a sling. Eight doctors consulted and came to the conclusion that he had torn a shoulder muscle and the injury was debilitating. Dr.

Alexander Robbins said, "There is no doubt in my mind that the fight should have been stopped." The Miami Beach Boxing Commission ordered Liston's purse withheld after the fight. When asked why, commission chairman Morris Klein said, "We just wanted to make sure everything was all right." After the doctors' report, the commission was satisfied that there was no wrong doing and allowed Liston to collect his purse. Jack Nilon, Liston's adviser, said Liston hurt his shoulder during training, but they decided against postponing the fight "because we thought we could get away with it." Years later, author David Remnick spoke to one of Liston's cornermen for his book, King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero , and was told that the shoulder injury "was all BS. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout. We cooked up that shoulder thing on the spot." Cassius Clay becomes Muhammad Ali: On February 27, 1964, Clay announced that he was a member of the Nation of Islam.

His membership in the group was first disclosed the previous night at the group's annual national convention in Chicago by Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. "I began worshiping this way five years ago when I heard a fellow named Elijah Muhammad on the radio talking about the virtues of the Islam religion," Clay said. "I also listened to his ministers. No one could prove him or them wrong, so I decided to join." Clay started going by the name Cassius X, as members of the organization adopt the last name X because they no longer want to bear names handed down by former slave-owning families. On March 6, 1964, Elijah Muhammad announced in a recorded statement played over the radio that Clay would be renamed Muhammad Ali. Muhammad means “worthy of all praises,” while Ali means “most high." Allegations of a fix: Because Liston was a prohibitive favorite and had ties to organized crime, many speculated that the fight was fixed. After a month-long investigation, Florida State Attorney Richard E. Gerstein said there was no evidence to support the claim of a fix. A United States Senate subcommittee conducted hearings three months later and also found no evidence of a fix.

Documents released to the Washington Times in 2014 under the Freedom of Information Act show the FBI suspected Ash Resnick, a Las Vegas gambler with organized crime connections, of fixing multiple boxing matches, including the first Clay-Liston fight. The documents show no evidence that Ali was in on the scheme or even knew about it. And nothing suggests the bureau ever fully corroborated the suspicions it investigated. Sportswriter Jerry Izenberg of the Newark Star-Ledger, who covered the fight from ringside, said, "Whoever tells you that this was a great gambling coup engineered by the Mafia either needs to change whatever it is they're smoking or needs to find out what they're talking about." Sportswriter Jack McKinney of the Philadelphia Daily News agreed, calling allegations of a fix "preposterous." Former sportswriter and HBO commentator Larry Merchant also doesn't buy the story of a fix. "Why would the mob, who controlled Liston, want to give up control to Muhammad Ali, to which it had no ties?" He asked. "Where is the evidence of betting coups?

I've never seen it." Fight Figures From the bout itself, TV and other rights, the Clay-Liston fight grossed some $4.5 million, one of the two highest takes in history at the time. Here is how the money was divided: Bill McDonald He put up $625,000 for the Miami promotion, spent $140,000 on expenses and took in $402,000. He lost $363,000. Sonny Liston Collected $1,360,500. Intercontinental Promotions, Inc. The promoting outfit made up of Jim and Bob Nilon, Liston and lawyer G.D. Cherry collected $813,000. The Nilons got 72%, Liston 22% (his share is included in total above) and Cherry 5%. Cassius Clay They got half of the TV take. Collected $1,750,000. Quotes "He should be locked up for impersonating a fighter." - Liston talking about Clay before the fight "He’s too ugly to be the world’s champ!

The world’s champ should be pretty like me!" - Clay talking about Liston in a pre-fight interview "Round eight to prove I’m great!" - Clay's prediction before the fight "If Sonny Liston whups me, I'll kiss his feet in the ring, crawl out of the ring on my knees, tell him he's the greatest and catch the next jet out of the country." - Clay at a pre-fight press conference "Eat your words!" - Clay shouting at reporters after the fight Articles BBC - iWonder - Muhammad Ali: The ultimate fighter Muhammad Ali: The ultimate fighter 17 January 1942 4 June 2016Muhammad Ali dies The Greatest Muhammad Ali was a fighter all his life, both in and out of the ring. He initially found fame as a champion boxer, celebrated for his unorthodox ring style and witty talk before, during, and after fights. But Ali’s charisma and commitment to social and political causes saw him transcend boxing to become one of the most famous people on the planet, at a time when black people lacked basic civil rights in America. Discover how Ali became a modern icon.

17 January 1942 Cassius Clay at the age of 12. Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Clay Jr in Louisville, Kentucky. His father was a sign painter and his mother a part-time cook and cleaner for wealthy families. Although they lived in a middle-class black neighbourhood, Kentucky law enforced a code of racial segregation that precluded black people from using many of the same public facilities as their white neighbours. The indignities forced on Clay and his family, as well as national outrages such as the racially-motivated murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955, deeply troubled Clay from an early age. When he was a child he never sat still. He walked and talked and did everything before his time. Odessa Grady Clay, Muhammad Ali's mother 17 January 1954 You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Clay talks about meeting Joe Martin, the man who introduced him to boxing. When Clay was 12 years old, his parents bought him a bike for his birthday. It was stolen while he was at a local fair. Furious, Clay went to report the theft to a local policeman named Joe Martin.

Martin was a boxing instructor as well as an officer. As Clay threatened to find and beat up the thief, Martin suggested he learn how to fight before dishing out threats. Martin became Clay’s first trainer. Clay soon won an array of titles on the amateur boxing circuit under Martin's guidance. Getty Clay on the podium after receiving his gold medal in Rome. At 18, Clay qualified for the Olympics in Rome. He charmed the world media and proved popular among his fellow athletes. He proved himself in the ring too, winning gold as a light-heavyweight. Clay was famously proud of his medal, wearing it constantly during his stay in Italy and on his return to the United States. He was honoured with a victory parade in his home town of Louisville but was later refused service in a whites-only diner and other public facilities. The segregation laws still applied to him – Olympic champion or not. Boxing is a lot of white men watching two black men beat each other up. Muhammad Ali Getty Henry Cooper in the ring with Cassius Clay. Eight weeks after his victory in Rome, Clay won his first professional bout. All the trademarks of his unorthodox style were on display.

Clay had immense confidence in his speed and agility, often leaving his guard down and leaning back to avoid punches. Clay's showmanship was also evident in early bouts, as he dazzled media and fans with his bravado and predicted the round in which his fights would end. He faced tough opponents, including popular Englishman Henry Cooper, who knocked him down with a powerful left hook. But Clay maintained an unblemished ring record. He would soon prove himself against his toughest opponent yet. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Ali on his famous style February 1964 You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Clay becomes world heavyweight champion. Up next was world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. Liston was the 7-to-1 betting favourite over Clay. Clay caused chaos at the weigh-in, lunging at Liston and yelling as the press looked on in disbelief. Many wrote him off as a madman and Liston was confident his power and experience would be enough to defeat the young upstart. But that night, Clay used deft footwork and impressive hand speed to outpace his opponent, inflicting cuts under Liston’s eyes.

After the sixth round, Liston retired claiming an injured shoulder. Clay had beaten the odds to become heavyweight champion of the world. I shook up the world! I shook up the world! Muhammad Ali on beating Sonny Liston 6 March 1964 You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Muhammad Ali announces his name to the press. Speculation about Clay's religious beliefs had been fuelled by his relationship with black civil rights leader and Nation of Islam member Malcolm X. After defeating Liston, Clay publicly acknowledged he was a member of the religious movement. In March, he was given the name Muhammad Ali by his spiritual mentor, Elijah Muhammad. Ali accepted the group's controversial doctrine, including a call for apartheid between the races. It made him a pariah in some circles but, for many, he was a symbol of black pride, refusing to play the role of the 'compliant negro' in order to gain acceptance from the white establishment. Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn't choose it and I don't want it. I am Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali Getty Images Muhammad Ali stands over Sonny Liston after the first-round knockout in 1965.

In 1964, Cassius Clay “shook up the world” by defeating Sonny Liston to become world heavyweight champion. Liston’s loss was put down to overconfidence, injury or a possible mafia fix. The 1965 rematch (with Clay now going by the name Muhammad Ali) was to prove equally controversial. The bout lasted a mere 100 seconds as Liston fell to an Ali punch delivered with such speed, many at ringside missed it. Accusations swirled that Liston 'took a dive' to satisfy mafia gambling debts, or in response to Nation of Islam threats. Neither was proven, and opinion remained divided over whether it was a fix. You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. News report on Muhammad Ali's convicted for draft evasion. As war unfolded in Vietnam, Ali received a notice drafting him into the US Army. His next fight would be in a courtroom, rather than a boxing ring. Ali objected to serving in the military because of his religious beliefs. He also referenced the mistreatment of black Americans, saying he refused to co-operate with the US government in oppressing another race of people.

He was stripped of his championship, indicted for draft evasion, fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in prison. But he did not serve time and his conviction was overturned on appeal. At this time, Ali toured colleges and spoke out on various social and political issues. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. Muhammad Ali's public statement on his opposition to the Vietnam war Around this time… 'The Fight of the Century' Getty Joe Frazier defeats Muhammad Ali in Madison Square Gardens, 1971. In 1970, Ali returned to boxing, knocking out Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena. Next up was Joe Frazier, who had become the heavyweight champion. Frazier and Ali clashed over more than just the title. To Frazier’s dismay, the two men became symbols and proxy warriors for opposing social, political, and religious beliefs. Ali, an outspoken advocate of black self-realisation, dismissed Fraizer in pre-fight interviews as an 'Uncle Tom'. Their fight at Madison Square Garden was watched by millions of people in America and around the world.

Frazier won a unanimous 15-round decision – it was Ali’s first professional loss. I’ve tussled with a whale, I done handcuffed lightning and throw thunder in jail! Muhammad Ali on his preparation before facing George Foreman for 'Rumble in the Jungle' Around this time… 'The Rumble in the Jungle' You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Ali's pre-match interview before his fight with George Foreman. Ali had a chance to reclaim his title in Zaire against a new world champion: the hard-hitting heavyweight George Foreman. Again, Ali entered the ring as a 3-to-1 underdog. But in front of 80,000 fans, he unveiled a new tactic – the ‘rope-a-dope’. Leaning back against the ropes, Ali avoided most punches to the head and absorbed punishing body blows before counter-attacking with straight right hands. In the middle rounds, Foreman tired. In round eight, Ali launched a powerful combination that knocked the champion to the canvas.

"Oh my God," said BBC commentator Harry Carpenter, "he's won the world title back at 32.” I don't call him the best boxer of all time, but he's the greatest human being I ever met. George Foreman, on Muhammad Ali 10 December 1974 The champion honoured Getty Ali receiving the Medal of Freedom in 2005, and advising President Bush not to take him on in a fight. Ali has been the recipient of a myriad of honours, in appreciation of his lifelong fight for civil rights and religious freedoms. In 2005, Ali was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honour that can be bestowed on a civilian in America. Although he did not speak, Ali's sense of humour was still on full display. When President Bush threw a mock punch at the former champion, Ali twirled a finger round his head to indicate he would be crazy to take him on in a fight. That same year saw the opening of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, a non-profit museum celebrating Ali's life and achievements. A legend in his lifetime Getty Muhammad Ali at the Olympic Games in London, 2012.

Over 50 years after his first attendance at the Olympic Games in Rome, Ali made a poignant return to the world stage. At the 2012 Olympics in London, Ali was designated as an honorary flag bearer. Although his frail physical condition prevented him from carrying the flag, he stood for part of the ceremony with the support of his wife, Lonnie. Ali's appearance was rapturously received by fans in the packed stadium and around the world. It was a fitting tribute to one of the greats of sporting history whose remarkable life transcended the ropes of the boxing ring. Muhammad Ali dies Muhammad Ali was regarded as the greater boxer of all time. Muhammad Ali was a legendary boxer and one of the greats of sporting history. His impact was felt far beyond the confines of the boxing ring. He lost some of the best years of his sporting career after refusing, on principle, to fight for America in the Vietnam War. Beyond the ring, he will be remembered for his belief in social justice and support for Black civil rights. Truly a cultural icon, Ali’s passion, skill, intelligence and wit gave him a global appeal unmatched by few, if any, other sporting figures and inspired millions.

On This Day: Muhammad Ali Wins Heavyweight Title more » Associated Press Muhammad Ali, known then as Cassius Clay, celebrates after defeating heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach, Fla., Feb. 25, 1964. On This Day: Muhammad Ali Wins Heavyweight Title February 25, 2011 06:00 AM by findingDulcinea Staff On Feb. 25, 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay became the world heavyweight boxing champion, defeating Sonny Liston in an upset. “I Shook Up the World” Muhammad Ali, who was then known as Cassius Clay, was an Olympic champion who had won his first 19 professional fights. At 22 years old, Clay was a promising young boxer, but few gave him a chance against heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, who had famously knocked out Floyd Patterson in the opening rounds of two fights. Clay was a 7 or 8-1 underdog and people expected so little from the bout that only half the tickets at the Miami Beach Auditorium were sold .

But Clay was confident, declaring in the weeks leading up to the fight that he would “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” Clay used his superior quickness to frustrate Liston and avoid his famed left hook. He controlled the first four rounds, but he was forced to fight the fifth round nearly blind after a substance on Liston’s glove had gotten in his eyes. He spent the round dancing around the ring and managed to escape unscathed. Clay, with his eyes cleared, dominated the sixth round. Liston, having injured his left arm, decided not to answer the bell for the seventh round. Clay danced about the ring in celebration, pointing at sportswriters in the crowd and repeatedly shouting, “I’m the greatest” and “I shook up the world.” Biography: Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Clay, Jr. , on Jan. 17, 1942. Ali's boxing career began in 1954 after his bicycle was stolen and he wanted to “whup” the thief. His pugilistic talents took him to the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he won gold.

Ali lost his heavyweight title in 1967 after he refused to join the Army and was convicted of draft evasion. He was banned from boxing for the next three years, spending time speaking out against the Vietnam War and slowly gaining public support. He lost his first professional fight in 1971 to heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, the first of three memorable fights with Frazier. He regained his heavyweight championship in 1974, seven years after it had been stripped away, when he defeated George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Ali retired from boxing in 1981; just three years later, he was was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which causes tremors, impaired speech and movement, and muscle rigidity. Ali has dedicated his life to charity work and has become one of America’s most beloved figures. He is widely regarded as the greatest boxer of all-time. Sonny Liston Charles “Sonny” Liston grew up in a shack in Arkansas, the 24th of 25 children by an abusive father. Illiterate, he turned to a life of crime and spent two years in prison, where he learned to box.

Even as his boxing career was taking off, he frequently had run-ins with the law and was seen as an unlikable thug by boxing fans. He became heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out respected champion Floyd Patterson in the first round. He defeated Patterson in the rematch and became the most feared man in boxing before losing to Ali. Liston was accused of taking a dive in the rematch with Ali, perhaps at the order of the Mafia or out of fear of the Nation of Islam. After taking a year off from boxing, he failed to regain a chance for the heavyweight title and retired in 1969. Two years later, his wife discovered him dead after returning from a trip. The cause and exact date of his death are unknown. Reference: Muhammad Ali In 1966, Sports Illustrated’s Jack Olsen profiled Ali in a five-part series. Part 1 examined his objection to joining the army, Part 2 recounted his childhood in Louisville, Part 3 described his differing personalities, Part 4 covered his views on race and Part 5 looked at his future.

Sonny Liston vs Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) Boxing Match - YouTube Sonny Liston vs Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) Boxing Match Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Oct 1, 2011 Boxing. Championship. Sonny Liston vs Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) (1st meeting). Feb. 25, 1964. Convention Hall, Miami Beach, Florida, United States. Go here for their second time meeting: Category

Question: Who did Cassius Clay defeat in February 1964 to become World Heavyweight Boxing Champion?
Answer: SONNY LISTON