Mr. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born into an Arkansas sharecropping family. The exact date of his birth remains unknown. His death is shrouded in just as much mystery, except we know it occurred December 30, 1970 in Lost Wages, Nevada. An armed robbery conviction sent Liston to the Missouri State Penitentiary, where he learnt the sweet science of pugilism. Up-on becoming a professional prize-fighter, and vastly through-out is career, his contract was owned by one Mr. Frankie Carbo. Carbo upwardly mobilized hisself from mafia hit man to senior member of the Lucchese crime family. Said Lucchese Family notoriously ran the Mafia's boxing rackets.
With these dark under-world connections and his own menacing power including a left arm larger than his right, which thudded jabs and thundered hooks; Liston was the single most intimidating pug of his day. A day in which he was considered one of the all-time greats. Mr. Jim Wicks, British Champion Mr. Henry Cooper's manager stated publicly: "We don't even want to meet Liston walking down the same street." Liston became Heavyweight Champion of the World via destroying Mr. Floyd Patterson via an opening stanza knock-out. Less than a year later, the feat saw its repeat.
Mr. Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942. Mr. Joe E. Martin, a Louisville police officer and boxing coach first introduced him to the idea of pugilistic endeavors. Threatening to thump the thief whom took his bicycle, Martin told the young Clay he'd best learn to box first. Clay, by 22 years of age was a brash and quite fast talker of trash. He'd already earned the nom de ring "The Louisville Lip" from ring writers and with each day earnt it more. In-ring, he was an Olympic Gold Medalist in 1960 Rome with quicker than the proverbial hiccup hands, feet, and reflexes.
Nevertheless, loud-mouthed Clay was disliked by reporters as much as Liston were. His pending challenge to Sonny's throne was roundly dismissed. There was 46 ring writers present ring-side, three gave Clay a snowflake's chance at a Vice President Pence commencement speech. New York Newsman Mr. Lester Bromberg quipped: "It will last longer than the Patterson fight -- almost the entire first round." Not to be out-done, Mr. Jim Murray a scribe from the City of Angels offered: "The only thing at which Clay can beat Liston is reading the dictionary." As the opening bell rung, Clay was a seven to one under-dog.
Then this, their first fight, went down as everyone doth know it doth done did and we are not here to discuss that. Gentlepersons, though perchance I'd be remiss in entirely ignoring it. The fisticuffs were hosted in 1964 Miami Beach, Florida. February 25th, to be precise. My birthday to be personal. Natch, the beauty Clay won whenst the beast Liston quit at the seventh stanza's opening
Post fight and post haste, Liston told media he had fought with an injured shoulder since the opening stanza, citing an injury which occurred in camp. More were skeptical than were accepting of this. Much later, his own corner-man said the excuse was a spur-of-the moment concoction to secure interest in a rematch which was already agreed to. Twixt them times, Dr. Alexander Robbins, chief physician for the Miami Beach Boxing Commission chimed in to diagnose Sonny Liston with a torn left shoulder tendon. Regardless of legitimacy, Clay had "Shook up the world." Which brings us to our focus for to-day. Although my guess is we are some 63% or-so through this article.
In the fight's fall out, each pug found immediate and independent controversies to add to their shared helping of such. Each were seen as a black eye to the sport of black eyes. Days after the bout Cassius Clay announced he had joined the Nation of Islam, adopting first the name Cassius X. A month later, he was re-named Muhammad Ali by group head Mr. Elijah Muhammad. "When Cassius Clay joined the Black Muslims and started calling himself Cassius X, he became a champion of racial segregation." Said Mr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In the fight's fall out, each pug found immediate and independent controversies to add to their shared helping of such. Each were seen as a black eye to the sport of black eyes. Days after the bout Cassius Clay announced he had joined the Nation of Islam, adopting first the name Cassius X. A month later, he was re-named Muhammad Ali by group head Mr. Elijah Muhammad. "When Cassius Clay joined the Black Muslims and started calling himself Cassius X, he became a champion of racial segregation." Said Mr. Martin Luther King Jr.
As to Liston, he was arrested on March 12 after being pulled over for driving through a residential neighborhood at upwards of 80mph. Without a license, and whilst carrying a loaded Sunday Special. The icing on the cake, as if it were needed, came via empty bottles of vodka in the car. The former champ's companion to these vehicular festivities was a "young woman" whom got away free as whomever this Scott fella is.
What occurred on May 25th 1965 will forever remain mayhaps the single most controversial occurrence in all of boxing's long and oft shady history of controversial occurrences. At the opening stanza's mid-mark, Liston put out a jab which Ali trumped by going over with a fast right. The former king was downed. Most spectators did not see the punch that done him in. Mr. Jersey Joe Walcott, a former champ and great hisself, couldn't wrangle Ali to a neutral corner. "The Greatest" instead opted to stand over his fallen prey taunting: "Get up and fight, sucker!" Picture clicker Mr. Neil Leifer snapped the famous image up top of this article... I'm soitenly certain you've seen it prior. Post snap-shot, Ali danced around the squared circle, arms raised triumphantly. With his count interrupted, Walcott turned to the timekeeper for a clue he didn't get. Then Liston fell back to the canvas. The count never did get continued. Jersey Joe Walcott then separated the by then resumed pugs, and stopped the fight. Muhammad Ali was declared the victor.
The fight ranks as one a' the shortest Heavyweight title fights on record... no matter how ya count it, gentlepersons. You see, the official time of the stoppage was announced as one minute of the opening stanza. In reality, Liston was felled at the 1:44 mark, regained vertical alignment at 1:56, and Walcott called it at 2:12. "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."
My dad oft told the story of missing a Mr. Mike Tyson go in its entirety whilst making a pre-fight sammich. Similarly, many spectators had yet to file into their seats at the time of stoppage. I just thought I'd end here on that brief anecdote.
