February 25, 1964: Cassius Clay vs Sonny Liston

Challenger Cassius Clay, the “Louisville Lip,” scored one of the greatest upsets in boxing history with a seventh-round TKO of heavyweight title holder Sonny Liston. A big time believer in himself with few of the same mind, the immensely brash Clay gave the champion all he could handle and then some throughout the fight.

While Liston missed badly with most of his biggest shots, Clay’s active maneuvering and lightning punches took their toll as the fight wore on. He finished the first round with a wicked flurry that forced the belt holder to reel back in cover, showing this would be nothing like Liston’s prior two first-round title knockouts over Floyd Patterson.

Dr Alexander Robbins, chief physician of the Miami Beach Boxing Commission, stating why the fight stopped at the seventh round beginning bell; “Liston strained his left shoulder. He couldn’t lift his arm.” In response, the 210-pound frenzied challenger proudly shouted, “Eat your words!” to a previously unbelieving press. [43 of 46 writers polled predicted a Liston victory.]

Cynics immediately figured the fight’s odd ending as a mere setup for a rematch in the near future. In fact, the Miami Beach Boxing Commission opted to hold Liston’s stake until an investigation was completed regarding the finish. Anticipating the wariness, Cassius, bounding around the ring, yelled, “It wasn’t any fix. I closed both his eyes. He didn’t lay a hand on me.”

Clay laid plenty of punches on the 218-pound Liston, though. A steady left jab to the face in the first round developed into a wicked cut under Sonny’s left eye by the third round. He fought back strong to close the round, but the challenger had already piled up the points.

With color and controversy frequently surrounding the contender, he began the fifth complaining that he couldn’t see while his handlers yelled that Liston had something in his glove. The champ stalked Clay the whole round as he ran around avoiding confrontation before booing fans.

While Cassius seemed in control in the sixth between dancing and jabs, Sonny continued to be off in his timing. Yet, there was no hint of a conclusion at this stage, even as the round closed.

When Liston’s trainers waved their hands in concession to start the seventh, the fans flew to the ring as the new champion shouted with bravado and delight.

Clay’s propensity for controversy showed itself in full at the pre-fight weigh-in. Warned that wild antics wouldn’t be tolerated, the challenger nonetheless proceeded to yell maniacally at Liston. Dr Robbins believed it was a coverup for tremendous fear, citing a doubling of Clay’s normally slow pulse of 54 during the outburst. He threw out comments such as “Hey chump! You haven’t fought anybody good yet. I’ll eat you up. Are you scared? I’m gonna get you tonight.”

Perceived as edgy days leading up the fight, Sonny Liston’s pulse remained normal through the spectacle, acting as an interested observer rather than an angry retorter. He even remained steady when Clay moved close and menacingly brought his right hand up as if to hit the champion.

Antics like this from a contender are often a coverup for a lack of confidence. Obviously, that wasn’t the case with Cassius Clay. All the days leading up, he predicted victory, boastfully proclaiming things like “I’ll win in eight because I’m great.” He was very close on that prediction.

* Though the live gate was relatively sparse due to an overwhelming sense that Liston would easily prevail, closed circuit television set a new record of half a million viewers.