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." 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. 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. Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston (2nd meeting) - BoxRec Muhammad Ali vs.

Sonny Liston (2nd meeting) From BoxRec Jump to: navigation , search 1965-05-25 : Sonny Liston 215¼ lbs lost to Muhammad Ali 206 lbs by KO at 2:12 in round 1 of 15 Location: Central Maine Civic Center, Lewiston, Maine, USA 4 Articles The Build-Up Shortly after Muhammad Ali—then Cassius Clay—upset Sonny Liston to win the World Heavyweight Championship on February 25, 1964, it was discovered that the two boxers had a contract which gave Inter-Continental Promotions, Inc., a firm organized to promote Liston's fights, the right to promote Ali's first fight as champion—if he should beat Liston—and pick his opponent (Liston, of course). This was in a second contract, kept secret and not part of the main fight contract. It was phrased as it was because the World Boxing Association did not allow fight contracts with rematch clauses. On August 21, 1963, the WBA voted to suspend any member state approving a contract with a return bout clause.

The regulation was inspired by the contract Liston was forced to sign to get a title shot against Floyd Patterson , whom Liston would twice knockout in one round. Delegates described it as the worst ever seen in the boxing business. Patterson was not only guaranteed a rematch, but retained the right to dictate the terms. Gordon B. Davidson, an attorney for the group sponsoring Ali, said, "We felt we would be better advised not to have a guaranteed rematch clause. We felt this was more in the spirit of the WBA rules than a direct rematch, which was clearly outlawed." He agreed that it was "subterfuge." When Ali and Liston signed to fight a rematch, the WBA voted unanimously to strip Ali of the title and drop Liston from its rankings. However, the World Boxing Council , the New York State Athletic Commission and The Ring magazine continued to recognize Ali as champion. Pressed by the WBA—which included every U.S. state except California, Nevada and New York—state boxing commissions throughout the nation were reluctant to license a rematch between the two controversial fighters, and it was difficult to find a venue.

Ultimately, Massachusetts agreed to host the bout, which resulted in the suspension of the Massachusetts Boxing Commission by the WBA. The fight was set for November 16, 1964, at the Boston Garden. Liston was immediately established as a 13-5 favorite. However, three days before the fight, Ali suffered an incarcerated inguinal hernia. He was rushed to Boston City Hospital and underwent immediate surgery. "It was such a marvelously developed stomach, I hated to slice it up," said one of the attending physicians. The fight was rescheduled for May 25, 1965. But as it approached, there were fears that the promoters were tied to organized crime, and Massachusetts officials, most notably Suffolk County District Attorney Garrett Byrne, began to have second thoughts. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston, claiming Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. Inter-Continental said local veteran Sam Silverman was the promoter. On May 7, backers of the rematch ended the court battle by pulling the fight out of Boston. The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed circuit television commitment around the country. Governor John H.

Reed of Maine stepped forward, and within a few hours, the promoters had a new site: Lewiston, Maine, a mill town with a population of about 41,000 located 140 miles north of Boston. Inter-Continental obtained a permit and made an arrangement to work with local promoter Sam Michael. The venue selected was St. Dominic's Hall, a junior hockey rink. Lewiston was the smallest city to host a heavyweight title bout since Jack Dempsey fought Tommy Gibbons in Shelby, Montana (population 3,000) in 1923. It remains the only heavyweight title fight held in the state of Maine. The atmosphere surrounding the fight was tense and sometimes ugly, largely due to the repercussions of Ali's public embrace of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X, who had a public and bitter falling out with Elijah Muhammad, had been assassinated several months before the fight, and the men arrested for the slaying were members of the Nation of Islam. Rumors circulated that Ali, who had publicly snubbed Malcolm after his break with Elijah Muhammad, might be killed by Malcolm's supporters in retaliation.

The FBI took the threats seriously enough to post a 12-man, 24-hour guard around Ali. Liston's camp, in turn, claimed he had received a death threat from the Nation of Islam. The Fruit of Islam—the omnipresent, bow-tied paramilitary wing of the Nation of Islam—surrounding Ali only added to the sense of foreboding and hostility. Security for the fight was, for that time, unprecedented. Due to the remote location and the fear of violence, only 2,434 fans were present in the 4,900-seat arena, setting the all-time record for the lowest attendance for a heavyweight championship fight. The Fight The ending of the second Ali-Liston fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. Midway through the first round, Liston threw a left jab and Ali went over it with a fast right, knocking the former champion down. Liston went down on his back. He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. Many in attendance did not see Ali deliver the punch. The fight quickly descended into chaos.

Referee Jersey Joe Walcott , a former World Heavyweight Champion himself, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" When Walcott got back to Liston and looked at the knockdown timekeeper, Francis McDonough, to pick up the count, Liston had fallen back on the canvas. Walcott never did pick up the count. He said he could not hear McDonough, who did not have a microphone. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. McDonough, however, claimed Walcott was looking at the crowd and never at him. After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. He then left the fighters to go over to the McDonough. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him out—the fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight.

" Nat Fleischer (editor of The Ring) was seating beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." Walcott then rushed back to the fighters, who had resumed boxing, and stopped the fight—awarding Ali a first-round knockout victory. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. McDonough and Fleischer were also wrong in their interpretation of how the rules applied. Under the rules, the timekeeper is supposed to start the count at the time of a knockdown. The referee's duty is to get the boxer scoring the knockdown to a neutral corner, pick up the count from the timekeeper and continue it aloud for the knocked down boxer. Under the rules of the Maine Commission, the referee was authorized to stop his count if a boxer refused to go to the proper corner. "It might have been better if Walcott had stopped the count (by the knockdown timekeeper) until Clay went to the neutral corner and then started again," said Duncan MacDonald, a commission member.

"I did my job," Walcott said. "He (Ali) looked like a man in a different world. I didn't know what he might do. I thought he might stomp him or pick him up and belt him again." "If that bum Clay had gone to a neutral corner instead of running around like a maniac, all the trouble would have been avoided," McDonough said. He acknowledged that Walcott could have asked him to start the count again "after he got that wild man—Clay—back to a neutral corner, but he didn't, so that was that." Post-Fight Reactions When the fight ended, numerous fans booed and started yelling, "Fix!" Skeptics called the knockout blow "the phantom punch." Ali called it "the anchor punch." He said it was taught to him by comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchit, who learned it from Jack Johnson .

In the ring after the fight, Ali told closed circuit commentator Steve Ellis: "Didn't I tell the world that I had a surprise and if I told you the surprise, you would not come to the fight." However, Ali was unsure immediately after the fight as to whether or not the punch connected, as footage from the event shows Ali in the ring asking his entourage, "Did I hit him?" Ali told Nation of Islam minister Abdul Rahman that Liston "laid down" and Rahman replied, "No, you hit him." Rahman later said, "Ali hit him so fast, Ali didn't really know he hit him....and It took a long time before even he saw the punch he hit Sonny with." Years later, Ali told biographer Thomas Hauser : "The punch jarred him. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard he couldn't get up." "It was a good right-hand punch," Liston said after the fight. "It made me groggy.

I got to my knees but fell the second time because I was off balance....I could have got up, but I didn't hear the count." After the fight, George Chuvalo climbed through the ropes and shoved Ali, yelling, "Fix!" He was restrained, but later he said that he had seen Liston's eyes while the challenger was on the floor, and he knew that he was not in bad shape. "His eyes were darting from side to side like this," he said, darting his eyes from side to side. "When a fighter is hurt his eyes roll up." However, Dr. Carroll L. Witten, former Kentucky State Boxing Commissioner, who had studied the reactions of knocked out fighters, said, "Chuvalo is wrong. The side-to-side movement of eyes is commonly associated with temporary unconsciousness and is one of the first things you look for. It is called nystagmus." There were some at ringside who believed the fight was legitimate.

World Light Heavyweight Champion Jose Torres said, "It was a perfect punch." Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." And Tex Maule of Sports Illustrated wrote, "The blow had so much force it lifted Liston's left foot, upon which most of his weight was resting, well off the canvas." Hall of Fame announcer Don Dunphy was one of many who didn't believe the fight was on the level. "If that was a punch, I'll eat it," he said. "Here was a guy who was in prison and the guards use to beat him over the head with clubs and couldn't knock him down." But others contend that he wasn't the same Liston. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. Liston's handlers secretly paid sparring partner Amos Lincoln an extra $100 to take it easy on him. Arthur Daley of the New York Times wrote that Liston's handlers knew he "didn't have it anymore." One ringside observer, former World Heavyweight Champion James J. Braddock , said the suspect Ali right hand merely finished up what an earlier punch had begun.

"I have a feeling that this guy (Ali) is a lot better than any of us gave him credit for," Braddock said. "It isn't the knockout punch that sticks in my mind as much as a punch he let go (earlier)....It was a right to Liston's jaw and it shook him to his shoetops. For all we know, it could have been the one that set up the knockout." Another former champion, Rocky Marciano , changed his view about the knockout punch after seeing videotape the next day. "I didn't think it was a powerful punch when I saw the fight from ringside," Marciano said. "Now (after seeing video) I think Clay, seeing the opening, snapped the punch the last six inches." Dave Anderson said he saw Liston in Las Vegas in 1967 and asked him what happened. "It wasn't that hard a punch, but it partially caught me off balance and when I got knocked down, I got mixed up because the referee never gave me a count," Liston said. "I was listening for a count.

That's the first thing you do, but I never heard a count because Clay never went to a neutral corner." Jerry Izenberg of the Newark Star-Ledger said Liston told him that he lost simply because "the timekeeper couldn't count." Mark Kram of Sports Illustrated said Liston told him: "That guy (Ali) was crazy. I didn't want anything to do with him. And the Muslims were coming up. Who needed that? So I went down. I wasn't hit." During a 1995 HBO documentary about Liston, trainer Johnny Tocco , who owned a boxing gym in Las Vegas, said he spoke with mobster John Vitale before the rematch and was told not to pay any attention to what he heard about the fight. He also told Tocco that he should be glad that he wasn't going to Lewiston. When Tocco asked why, Vitale told him that the fight was going to end in the first round. During the same documentary, former FBI agent William F. Roemer Jr.

said, "We learned that there very definitely had been a fix in that fight." He said Bernie Glickman, a boxing manager from Chicago with mob ties, claimed that while he was conversing with Liston and his wife before the fight, Liston's wife told the ex-champion that as long as he had to loss the fight, he should go down early to avoid any chance of getting hurt. In the wake of the controversial fight, there was an outcry by press and politicians for the abolition of boxing. Bills to ban the sport were planned in several state legislatures. A promoter in San Antonio apologized to his theater TV customers and, on the basis that they had been defrauded by a "shameful spectacle," donated his take to boys' clubs. The California legislature, in session, received a resolution calling for an investigation by the state attorney general to determine if its closed-circuit viewers had been fraudulently duped out of their money. For those who believe that Liston took a dive, there are a number of theories as to why, including: (1) The Mafia forced Liston to throw the fight as part of a betting coup.

(2) Liston bet against himself and took a dive because he owed money to the Mafia. (3) A couple of members of the Nation of Islam visited Liston's training camp and told Liston they would kill him if he won the rematch. (4) Author Paul Gallender claims that members of the Nation of Islam kidnapped Liston's wife, Geraldine, and his son, Bobby. Liston was told to lose the fight to Ali or he would never see his family again. (5) Liston was afraid that he would be accidentally shot by followers of Malcolm X as they tried to kill Ali in the ring. What really happened that day in Lewiston, Maine, is still debated to this day. Articles Muhammad Ali - Black History - HISTORY.com Google Muhammad Ali’s Early Years and Amateur Career Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., the elder son of Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. (1912-1990) and Odessa Grady Clay (1917-1994), was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky . It was a red-and-white Schwinn that steered the future heavyweight champion to the sport of boxing.

When his beloved bicycle was stolen, a tearful 12-year-old Clay reported the theft to Louisville police officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) and vowed to pummel the culprit. Martin, who was also a boxing trainer, suggested that the upset youngster first learn how to fight, and he took Clay under his wing. Six weeks later, Clay won his first bout in a split decision. Did You Know? Muhammad Ali has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated 38 times, second only to basketball great Michael Jordan. By age 18 Clay had captured two national Golden Gloves titles, two Amateur Athletic Union national titles and 100 victories against eight losses. After graduating high school, he traveled to Rome and won the light heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. Clay won his professional boxing debut on October 29, 1960, in a six-round decision.

From the start of his pro career, the 6-foot-3-inch heavyweight overwhelmed his opponents with a combination of quick, powerful jabs and foot speed, and his constant braggadocio and self-promotion earned him the nickname “Louisville Lip.” Muhammad Ali: Heavyweight Champion of the World After winning his first 19 fights, including 15 knockouts, Clay received his first title shot on February 25, 1964, against reigning heavyweight champion Sonny Liston (1932-1970). Although he arrived in Miami Beach, Florida , a 7-1 underdog, the 22-year-old Clay relentlessly taunted Liston before the fight, promising to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and predicting a knockout. When Liston failed to answer the bell at the start of the seventh round, Clay was indeed crowned heavyweight champion of the world. In the ring after the fight, the new champ roared, “I am the greatest!” At a press conference the next morning, Clay, who had been seen around Miami with controversial Nation of Islam member Malcolm X (1925-1965), confirmed the rumors of his conversion to Islam.

On March 6, 1964, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) bestowed on Clay the name of Muhammad Ali. Ali solidified his hold on the heavyweight championship by knocking out Liston in the first round of their rematch on May 25, 1965, and he defended his title eight more times. Then, with the Vietnam War raging, Ali showed up for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967. Citing his religious beliefs, he refused to serve. Ali was arrested, and the New York State Athletic Commission immediately suspended his boxing license and revoked his heavyweight belt. Convicted of draft evasion, Ali was sentenced to the maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, but he remained free while the conviction was appealed. Many saw Ali as a draft dodger, and his popularity plummeted. Banned from boxing for three years, Ali spoke out against the Vietnam War on college campuses. As public attitudes turned against the war, support for Ali grew.

In 1970 the New York State Supreme Court ordered his boxing license reinstated, and the following year the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in a unanimous decision. Muhammad Ali’s Return to the Ring After 43 months in exile, Ali returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, and knocked out Jerry Quarry (1945-1999) in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali got his chance to regain his heavyweight crown against reigning champ Joe Frazier (1944-2011) in what was billed as the “Fight of the Century.” The undefeated Frazier floored Ali with a hard left hook in the final round. Ali got up but lost in a unanimous decision, experiencing his first defeat as a pro. Ali won his next 10 bouts before being defeated by Ken Norton (1943-). He won the rematch six months later in a split decision and gained further revenge in a unanimous decision over Frazier in a non-title rematch. The victory gave the 32-year-old Ali a title shot against 25-year-old champion George Foreman (1949-).

The October 30, 1974, fight in Kinshasa, Zaire, was dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Ali, the decided underdog, employed his “rope-a-dope” strategy, leaning on the ring ropes and absorbing a barrage of blows from Foreman while waiting for his opponent to tire. The strategy worked, and Ali won in an eighth-round knockout to regain the title stripped from him seven years prior. Ali successfully defended his title in 10 fights, including the memorable “Thrilla in Manila” on October 1, 1975, in which his bitter rival Frazier, his eyes swollen shut, was unable to answer the bell for the final round. Ali also defeated Norton in their third meeting in a unanimous 15-round decision. On February 15, 1978, an aging Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks (1953-) in a 15-round split decision. Seven months later, Ali defeated Spinks in a unanimous 15-round decision to reclaim the heavyweight crown and become the first fighter to win the world heavyweight boxing title three times.

After announcing his retirement in 1979, Ali launched a brief, unsuccessful comeback. However, he was overwhelmed in a technical knockout loss to Larry Holmes (1949-) in 1980, and he dropped a unanimous 10-round decision to Trevor Berbick (1954-2006) on December 11, 1981. After the fight, the 39-year-old Ali retired for good with a career record of 56 wins, five losses and 37 knockouts. Muhammad Ali’s Later Years and Legacy In 1984 Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome, possibly connected to the severe head trauma suffered during his boxing career. The former champion’s motor skills slowly declined, and his movement and speech were limited. In spite of the Parkinson’s, Ali remained in the public spotlight, traveling the world to make humanitarian, goodwill and charitable appearances. He met with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) in 1990 to negotiate the release of American hostages, and in 2002 he traveled to Afghanistan as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Ali had the honor of lighting the cauldron during the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 1999 Ali was voted the BBC’s “Sporting Personality of the Century,” and Sports Illustrated named him “Sportsman of the Century.” Ali was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a 2005 White House ceremony, and in the same year the $60 million Muhammad Ali Center, a nonprofit museum and cultural center focusing on peace and social responsibility, opened in Louisville. Ring Magazine named Ali “Fighter of the Year” five times, more than any other boxer, and he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. He married his fourth wife, Yolanda, in 1986. Ali died at the age of 74 on June 3, 2016. Tags Muhammad Ali Timeline Muhammad Ali Timeline The ups and downs of the champ's career by Mike Morrison 1942 Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., on Jan. 17, in Louisville, Ky., to Odessa and Cassius, Sr.

(a sign and mural painter). 1954 After having his bike stolen, a 12-year-old Clay promises to "whup whoever stole it." In an attempt to channel his aggression, the policeman he reported the crime to takes him under his wing and eventually directs him to boxing trainer Fred Stoner. Over the next six years, Clay would win six Kentucky Golden Gloves championships, two national Golden Gloves titles, and two AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) crowns. 1960 Clay wins the light-heavyweight gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Rome with a 5–0 decision over Poland's Zbigniew Pietrzykowski. Upon returning to his native Louisville, Clay finds he's not immune to the racism that is so prevalent in the U.S. After being refused service by a waitress at a "whites-only" restaurant, and then fighting with a white gang, a disgusted Clay throws his gold medal into the Ohio River . He turns professional and wins the first two fights of his career. 1964 Despite an unblemished 19–0 record, Clay is a heavy underdog in his championship bout with Sonny Liston . But you wouldn't know it by listening to him.

He brashly and colorfully predicts victory, and teases the champ by calling him, among other things, an "ugly, old bear." True to his word, Clay has his way with Liston through six rounds. When Liston refuses to leave his corner for the start of the seventh, the fight ends and Clay becomes heavyweight champion of the world. After the fight, Clay announces he has become a Black Muslim and has changed his name to Muhammad Ali. 1967 In April, Ali refuses induction into the U.S. Army due to his religious convictions. He angers many Americans after claiming, " I ain't got no quarrel with those Vietcong. " He is subsequently stripped of his WBA title and his license to fight. In June, a court finds him guilty of draft evasion, fines him $10,000, and sentences him to five years in prison. He remains free, pending numerous appeals, but is still barred from fighting. 1970 Due to a loophole (there was no state boxing commission in Georgia), Ali returns to the ring in Atlanta and knocks out Jerry Quarry in three rounds. 1971 In March, he fights heavyweight champ Joe Frazier in Madison Square Garden.

A left hook by Frazier knocks Ali down in the 15th round. Frazier wins by unanimous decision. Three months later, the Supreme Court rules in his favor, reversing the 1967 draft-evasion conviction. 1974 In January, he gains a measure of revenge from Frazier, besting the former champ in 12 rounds. Regains the heavyweight title in the "Rumble in the Jungle" on Oct. 30 in Kinshasa, Zaire after knocking out champion George Foreman in the eighth round. He successfully uses his "rope-a-dope" strategy—Ali allowed Foreman to get him against the ropes and swing away until he tired himself out. Then Ali attacked. 1975 Ali fights Frazier for the third time at the "Thrilla in Manila" in the Philippines . The two heavyweights batter and bloody each other in a ferocious battle, but Ali retains his belt when Frazier can't come out for the 15th round. 1978 With a career record of 55–2, an overconfident Ali loses his belt to 1976 Olympic champ Leon Spinks in a 15-round split decision.

Spinks' reign as champ is brief, however, as Ali wins back the title in a unanimous decision seven months later. 1979 Announces his retirement on June 27. 1980 Comes out of retirement to fight new heavyweight champ Larry Holmes . Holmes punishes Ali, landing an estimated 125 punches in the ninth and tenth rounds alone, and then knocks him out in the 11th. 1981 Loses a unanimous decision to Trevor Berbick, and finally hangs up the gloves for good, retiring with an overall professional record of 56—5. 1984 Ali is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease , a neurological disorder whose symptoms include muscle tremors and slowness of speech. 1996 Ali carries the Olympic torch and ignites the cauldron to signal the beginning of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He is also given a second gold medal, to replace the one he tossed in the river 36 years earlier.

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. Ali Sonny Liston: Muhammad Ali Wins 1st World Heavyweight Championship On This Day In 1964 | News One Muhammad Ali Wins 1st World Heavyweight Championship On This Day In 1964 Leave a comment 120 reads Considered the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali (pictured left) possessed formidable ability coupled with a personality that gained him both fans and detractors. With his tall stature and unorthodox fighting style, Ali dazzled audiences and frustrated opponents with a seemingly limitless vault of skills.

On this day and at the age of 22, Ali would defeat reigning champion Sonny Liston (pictured) to capture his first world title. SEE ALSO: Lynch Mob Attacked Postmaster Frazier Baker And Family On This Day In 1898 Ali went by his birth name Cassius Clay during the time of the bout, and the Louisville native was not favored to win after Liston handily defeated former champion Floyd Patterson twice by this point. Leading up to the bout at the Convention Hall at Miami Beach, Ali uttered one of his many famous phrases and promised to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” during the clash. Liston was feared for his imposing build and punching power but, as Ali artfully stated, the leaner and younger opponent picked apart his lumbering foe with ease. While Liston finally did get going, Ali used his speed and athleticism to pepper his opponent’s head with jabs and big shots. While Ali predicted he would win by knockout in the eighth round, he ended up needing less time than he thought. After reportedly injuring his shoulder after missing several huge blows, Liston would not answer the bell for the start of the seventh round.

While in the ring, the animated Ali made another famous reference during an interview shortly after the bout. “I shook up the world,” shouted Ali at the top of his lungs. “I must be the greatest!” Watch the historic fight here: After the fight, Ali attended a private party in a Miami hotel to celebrate and encountered Nation Of Islam (NOI) leader Malcolm X. The outspoken Black Muslim leader had a deep impact on the fighter, and Ali would embrace the Muslim faith just two days later. Rising in the ranks as a member of the NOI, Ali’s bold stances on race matters and other issues plaguing the Black community became his rallying cry. After defending his belt nine times, Ali was stripped of his title in 1967 , after refusing to enter the U.S. Army draft on grounds of his Muslim faith. Ali would return to boxing in 1970 and went on to win the world title two more times in epic battles with George Foreman, Leon Spinks, and Joe Frazier. When Ali won the title, he became the youngest fighter to ever seize a championship from a reigning title-holder. Floyd Paterson held the record of youngest heavyweight champion at the time, winning the belt at age 21.

Mike Tyson would go on to eclipse both records after winning the WBC heavyweight title November 22, 1986, by knocking out the much-larger Trevor Berbick (who defeated Ali in his final bout in 1981) at age 20. Now contending with Parkinson’s syndrome, the great champion recently celebrated his 71st birthday. Although his health has not been optimal, he has maintained a lot of the same fighting spirit that made him a darling of fight fans and the world over. Muhammad Ali was a one-of-a-kind boxer; an anomaly in a sport that prides itself on the classic virtues of the “sweet science.” Ali broke the mold in his own unique way, and he’ll live on in history as the best to ever lace up the gloves.

Question: Who did the then Cassius Clay defeat to win the heavyweight boxing championship of the world in 1964?
Answer: Sonny Liston