After Sonny easily disposed of Floyd Patterson in one round in September of 1962, a rematch was set for the following summer in Las Vegas. The July 22, 1963 bout would be held at the spanking new Las Vegas Convention Center, where many other big fights would be held as well. As far as the fight itself, it was a copy of the first, with Liston dropping Patterson 3 times in the opening round, causing the referee to halt the action. I personally wouldn’t have paid 50 cents to watch it, knowing Patterson had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning.
The only viable contender for Liston’s belt was young Cassius Clay, the 1960 Olympic Gold medalist. He had been progressing as a professional, had beaten all of his opponents, and had a big mouth to boot. The young boxer never shut up, and talked himself into a title shot. Liston obliged, and the bout was set for February 25, 1964 at the Convention Center in Miami Beach. The odds by fight night were 8 to 1 in favor of Liston, with most of the critics and sportswriters giving Clay little or no chance at ll.
The fight with Clay is one of boxing’s most memorable for many reasons. Cassius showed no fear of Liston, and was boxing his ears off rather easily. Liston resorted to dirty tactics by applying balm to his chest, which blinded Clay so badly, he wanted to quit. Angelo Dundee told his fighter “Run!” Cassius did it, his eyes cleared, and Liston quit on the stool after six, claiming a shoulder injury. The young, cocky kid was the new champ, and Sonny had no choice but to go home and lick his wounds.
It still stands as one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Liston was known as an unstoppable brute, and Clay shocked the world by outboxing him so easily. I’ve seen the tape of the fight many times over, and it proved for certain that styles make fights. True then, and true many decades later.
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