50 years ago today: Clay beats Liston

[rightwinger]

The fight that crowned a king - The Week


It's hard to imagine a time when Muhammad Ali was the ultimate underdog.

But 50 years ago today, when Ali, known then as Cassius Clay, stepped into the ring with heavyweight champion Charles "Sonny" Liston, pretty much everyone thought the younger, less experienced Clay would be walloped.

But Clay did not go down. Instead, Liston withdrew from the bout after the seventh round, citing a shoulder injury. Clay's subsequent celebration — jumping around the ring, shouting, "I'm king of the world!" and being restrained by his trainers — has become the stuff of legend, turning a relative unknown into the fighting force known as Muhammad Ali.

Immediately after the fight, Clay revealed he had convered to Islam and would now be know as Muhammad Ali

 

[NoNukes]

Supposedly, at one point in the fight, Clay wanted to quit. His trainers told him that 'there was no way that he was going to lose the fight'.

 

[rightwinger]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OezriPEepZs"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OezriPEepZs[/ame]

 

[rightwinger]

Supposedly, at one point in the fight, Clay wanted to quit. His trainers told him that 'there was no way that he was going to lose the fight'.

You can watch it in the link I posted.

Liston rubbed liniment in Clays eyes, Clay is blind and fights the fifth round dancing and staying out of Listons way

By the end of the round the stinging stopped

 

[rightwinger]

It is amazing how Clay dominated Liston in this fight. Liston never had a chance of doing significant damage.

What is amazing is that people could watch this fight and still make Liston a favorite in the second fight

 

[NoNukes]

Supposedly, at one point in the fight, Clay wanted to quit. His trainers told him that 'there was no way that he was going to lose the fight'.

You can watch it in the link I posted.

Liston rubbed liniment in Clays eyes, Clay is blind and fights the fifth round dancing and staying out of Listons way

By the end of the round the stinging stopped

My father was involved in the boxing world, boxer, trainer and judge. He trained Ezzard Charles who became heavyweight champ. Saw a lot of fights as a kid. Saw Clay fight Charley Powell.

 

[rightwinger]

Supposedly, at one point in the fight, Clay wanted to quit. His trainers told him that 'there was no way that he was going to lose the fight'.

You can watch it in the link I posted.

Liston rubbed liniment in Clays eyes, Clay is blind and fights the fifth round dancing and staying out of Listons way

By the end of the round the stinging stopped

My father was involved in the boxing world, boxer, trainer and judge. He trained Ezzard Charles who became heavyweight champ. Saw a lot of fights as a kid. Saw Clay fight Charley Powell.

I would have loved to see him in his prime

 

[NoNukes]

You can watch it in the link I posted.

Liston rubbed liniment in Clays eyes, Clay is blind and fights the fifth round dancing and staying out of Listons way

By the end of the round the stinging stopped

My father was involved in the boxing world, boxer, trainer and judge. He trained Ezzard Charles who became heavyweight champ. Saw a lot of fights as a kid. Saw Clay fight Charley Powell.

I would have loved to see him in his prime

He was just a young professional when I saw him.

 

[Rocko]

"His mamma called him Clay, so ima call him Clay".

A prime Tyson would have knocked his block off.

 

[rightwinger]

"His mamma called him Clay, so ima call him Clay".

A prime Tyson would have knocked his block off.

In boxing history there were no bigger bad asses than Liston and Foreman

Ali knocked them both out

 

[Rocko]

"His mamma called him Clay, so ima call him Clay".

A prime Tyson would have knocked his block off.

In boxing history there were no bigger bad asses than Liston and Foreman

Ali knocked them both out

The modern athlete is superior to athletes of that era. More is known of nutrition, training and strategy now. Look at Iron Mike's body, and now compare that to Ali. Tyoson in the third round by TKO.

 

[rightwinger]

"His mamma called him Clay, so ima call him Clay".

A prime Tyson would have knocked his block off.

In boxing history there were no bigger bad asses than Liston and Foreman

Ali knocked them both out

The modern athlete is superior to athletes of that era. More is known of nutrition, training and strategy now. Look at Iron Mike's body, and now compare that to Ali. Tyoson in the third round by TKO.

How many of today's heavyweights do you see with Ali's boxing skills? How many have beaten boxers of the skills of Liston, Frazier, Norton or Forman?

 

[Rocko]

In boxing history there were no bigger bad asses than Liston and Foreman

Ali knocked them both out

The modern athlete is superior to athletes of that era. More is known of nutrition, training and strategy now. Look at Iron Mike's body, and now compare that to Ali. Tyoson in the third round by TKO.

How many of today's heavyweights do you see with Ali's boxing skills? How many have beaten boxers of the skills of Liston, Frazier, Norton or Forman?

I'm not a boxing expert, as far analyzing skill, but the boxers of today look they are moving in light speed to those guys you mentioned.

 

[rightwinger]

The modern athlete is superior to athletes of that era. More is known of nutrition, training and strategy now. Look at Iron Mike's body, and now compare that to Ali. Tyoson in the third round by TKO.

How many of today's heavyweights do you see with Ali's boxing skills? How many have beaten boxers of the skills of Liston, Frazier, Norton or Forman?

I'm not a boxing expert, as far analyzing skill, but the boxers of today look they are moving in light speed to those guys you mentioned.

Heavyweights?

I don't think so

 

[Rocko]

How many of today's heavyweights do you see with Ali's boxing skills? How many have beaten boxers of the skills of Liston, Frazier, Norton or Forman?

I'm not a boxing expert, as far analyzing skill, but the boxers of today look they are moving in light speed to those guys you mentioned.

Heavyweights?

I don't think so

Everyone wants to discredit the heavyweight division because there's no marketable HWs out there today, but if you pull up youtube videos of the top HWs of today, they'll all look superior to thos of yesteryear.

 

[TruthSeeker56]

It is amazing how Clay dominated Liston in this fight. Liston never had a chance of doing significant damage.

What is amazing is that people could watch this fight and still make Liston a favorite in the second fight

The second Liston-Clay fight was in Lewiston, Maine at the Armory. It was over in the 1st round when Clay knocked out Liston with the infamous "phantom punch", and with Liston lying flat on his back, shielding his eyes from the bright lights as the referee counted him out.

Liston was housed and trained at the Poland Springs Resort in Maine. According to newspaper reports from that time, Liston was a very quiet and unassuming guy, and was very accommodating to the fight fans.

Liston was a MONSTER of a fighter. He had a great hard jab, and he DESTROYED his opponents. He was the most feared fighter of his time, much like George Foreman in the early-mid 70s.

The Lewiston Armory is still a functioning facility. I went to a gun show at the Lewiston Armory a few years ago, and I was amazed at how SMALL the venue is.

I doubt the Armory could have held more than 1,500 people for the fight. There was no permanent seating. They would have had to use folding chairs.

To walk into the armory and look around was great. You could almost feel the history.

 

[tonyj5]

Liston never had a chance. Clay was so fast and Liston couldn't get a punch off.