The Phantom Punch

Immediately after the Liston fight, Cassius Clay announced that he was now a member of the Muslim sect ‘The Nation of Islam’. Now following the teachings  of Elijah Muhammad, he  wanted to be known as Muhammad Ali from that point forward. Much of this was treated by the press as folly, with the important news […]

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The Bear

Cassius had won 2 big fights in 1963 against contenders Doug Jones and Henry Cooper. His title shot was set for February 25, 1964 in Miami Beach, Florida against feared Charles ‘Sonny’ Liston. Liston had destroyed Floyd Patterson in one round twice, and was listed as an 8-1 favorite over what sportswriters had labeled the

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Cassius Turns Pro

Cassius Clay made his debut as a professional on October 29, 1960 against Tunney Hunsaker, and won it by a unanimous decision at Freedom Hall in is hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Angelo Dundee was hired as his trainer, and would remain in his corner until his last bout in 1981. Clay would have one more

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Cassius Clay

Cassius Marcellus Clay was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville. Kentucky. He began boxing at age 12 when a kid stole his bicycle, and a local policeman named Joe Martin told him that he should learn how to fight before he went to beat anyone up. It was the birth of a spectacular amateur

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Sonny the Champ

Floyd Patterson was heavyweight champion of the world in 1962. He was a good fighter but no one really gave him much of a chance against the brutish Sonny Liston. His own trainer Cus D’Amato did not want him to fight Liston, but Floyd insisted on the  fight. It took place on September 25th of

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Jersey Joe

Jersey Joe Walcott was born Arnold Cream in Pennsauken, New Jersey on January 31, 2014. He started boxing professionally in 1930 at the age of 16 years old. He was a hardened veteran who got his first title shot against Joe Louis on December 5, 1947. Most viewers thought Louis had lost to his 33

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Smokin’ Joe

Joe Frazier was born in Beaufort, South Carolina on January 12, 1944, and his family later moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He won a gold medal in the heavyweight division in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He moved up the ranks and won the New York State heavyweight championship on March 3, 1968. Joe knocked

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