After losing to Cassius Clay on February 25, 1965, it was not long after that a rematch was planned. Clay also changed his name to Muhammad Ali in the interim, and announced he was officially a Muslim, and a follower of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. This did not endear him to the public, and despite his known mob ties, sentiments leaned toward Liston in their November 16 rematch in Boston. Sonny was listed as a 13-5 favorite, and many hoped he could shut up the ‘Louisville Lip’ and regain the title. Just three days before the rematch, Ali suffered a strangulated hernia, which required immediate surgery, and cancelled the bout. Liston had prepared for the fight like never before, but was forced to go back home to Denver and wait.
No major venues wanted the rematch now set for May 25, 1965 in the tiny town of Lewiston, Maine. A small hockey arena would host the bout, and those around the atmosphere at the time, said it had a stench about it. Threats of assassination attempts on Ali following the recent killing of Malcolm X, Liston’s known mob ties, and talks of a fix made the whole affair smell of controversy.
The fight itself was as phony as a four dollar bill. Halfway through round one, Liston went down like he had been hit with an elephant gun. Ali immediately yelled at him “Get up!”, as crowd was chanting ”Fix!” Liston rolled on the floor in a pathetic acting job, and by the time the bewildered referee Joe Walcott knew what to do, the fight was over. Sonny did get up to his feet to continue, but it was too late.
The crowd booed and hissed at an obvious fix, and the talks that surfaced only cemented the facts. Liston was told to lay down in the first round, or “We kill your wife, your son and you”. Sonny had told his friends that he was going down in the first, and that his life was more important than his boxing career. Ali’s claims of an anchor punch knocking the hard-headed Liston out were ridiculous, and no one with an iota of sense believed it then, or today.
I’ve seen the video of it countless times, and to me it is one of the saddest moments in heavyweight championship history. I personally hate organized crime, and always say all of it’s members wind up either dead or in jail. To think they controlled a heavyweight title fight is sickening, but it’s the way it is. Ali had retained the belt, and Liston would go back to Colorado to lick his wounds.
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