Recalling a classic: ‘I Shook Up the World’ Muhammad Ali versus Sonny Liston 1 – Boxing
Muhammad Ali versus Sonny Liston, which had World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council Heavyweight Championship titles on the line, took place on February 25, 1964 at the Miami Beach in Florida and Ali, who at that time was known as Cassius Clay,
won this fight in the seventh round via technical knockout.
It was dubbed as one of the biggest upsets in the heavyweight division because Liston, who weighed in at 218lbs, was considered as an invincible boxer at that time.
When the fight started the challenger Ali, who weighed in at 206lbs, looked in a much better shape than his opponent. He surprised everyone with his much superior speed and defensive techniques.
The Big Bear, Liston, who was famously known for his powerful punches, tried to deliver his best shots at Ali but he failed to connect because of the lighting fast speed of his opponent. Ali slipped almost every punch Liston threw at him and on top of it
his awkward fighting style totally confused Liston, who was a red-hot favourite for the match.
In the first two rounds, Ali showed his superb reflexes and fast effective jab which helped him in scoring a lot of points and then in the third round Ali stunned everyone with by opening up his attack. Ali landed several combinations on Liston which forced
Liston’s knees to buckle at a certain point.
Fourth round was a dramatic one as it suddenly saw Ali going into his defensive mode rather he was coasting at a distance. Liston on the other hand was all over him. However, when Ali returned to his corner he was noticed complaining that his opponent had
put something in his eyes and he couldn’t see.
Ali was found yelling in his corner “cut off my gloves,” as he wanted to quit the fight but he was not allowed to do so from his trainer Angelo Dundee who stated “this is the big one, daddy . . . we're not quitting now!”
Ali also had a bad visibility in the fifth round. He kept on running like he was told by his trainer before finally he got his eyes cleared a bit in the sixth round and as soon as Ali was able to see a bit, he reasserted control of the fight after landing
a few combinations on Liston.
Finally in the seventh round Ali knocked out Liston with a lighting fast punch, which is famously known as ‘Ali’s phantom punch’.
Ali later on told the media he couldn’t see anything in the sixth round yet he told the reporters that he will beat Liston.
“I got back to my stool at the end of the sixth round, and under me I could hear the press like they had gone wild,” Clay later said. “I twisted round and hollered down at the reporters, 'I'm gonna upset the world.”
After the fight many reporters tried to get their on to Ali but he was just yelling “I'm the greatest!” and “I shook up the world!”
Ali’s win over Liston was his first big win and in fact, it was the fight from where it all started.
Though Liston tried to avenge his defeat against Ali when they later on met in May 1965, he was knocked out in the very first round.
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