Description
On February 25th 1964, at the Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, USA. Muhammad Ali then known as Cassius Clay fought Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Round 1 – The phenomenal puncher Sonny Liston pursued Cassius Clay behind his long reach and right-hand punches trying to get close wanting to end the fight early. Clay went on the defense, dancing, moving and slipping Liston’s jabs, using his fast footwork circling to his left keeping away from the threat of Liston’s powerful left hook. Clay reversed his role with fast-effective combinations making it difficult for Liston to land with his slower punches. With just thirty seconds to go for the end of the round, Clay let loose a sudden violent attack delivered to Liston’s face. The bell rang, but the fight went on for a further eight seconds, the referee Barney Felix didn’t hear the bell.
Milt Baily, one of Liston’s cornermen later said, ‘Sonny couldn’t catch up with Clay and I thought we might have some trouble. Indeed, it was perhaps the worst round of Liston’s career.’ In the following round at one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and caught him with a left hook. After the fight, Clay said, ‘I was hurt by that punch.’
Round 3 – Clay took complete control delivering an assault of lightning speed combinations with deadly accuracy causing a bruise under Liston’s right eye and a cut under his left. This was the first time Liston was ever cut, later receiving eight stitches. Liston got caught, his knees buckled and nearly went down as he was driven to the ropes, but he answered with some powerful shots to Clay’s body pressing forward going all out for the finish.
Round 4 – Liston piled on the pressure, Clay kept his distance sticking his jab into Liston’s face and using every inch of the ring to keep away from Liston’s big left hook. The bell rang to end the round. Clay was blinking wildly as he went back to his corner. He complained to his chief trainer Angelo Dundee, ‘my eyes are burning I can’t see, cut the gloves off I want to prove to the world there’s dirty work afoot.’ Dundee replied, ‘whoa back up baby, c’mon now this is for the title, this is the big apple, sit down.’ Dundee rinsed his eyes with water and sponge. Clay screwed up his eyes in pain then stood up with his arms in the air demanding the fight should be stopped. There was something on his gloves that got into his eyes. Dundee, worried that Felix would stop the fight, shouted at Clay, ‘RUN!’
Round 5 – Clay done exactly what Dundee said, RUN. Clay’s eyes were burning, he kept blinking, he couldn’t see. Liston didn’t show any mercy as he scowled piling on the pressure moving forward throwing his big bombs. Clay back peddled throwing his jabs. Clays corner complained somethings gone into his eyes from Liston’s gloves. Clay could only see a faint shadow of Liston during the round but he kept moving and poking his jab into Liston’s face.
Round 6 – Clay’s eyes cleared, he took total control of the fight driving Liston back, landing several aggressive combinations to Liston’s face, he didn’t have an answer to Clay’s onslaught. The bell rang to end the round, Liston’s corner men looked worried working on his bruised face and cut eye. The whistle blew to get ready for the sound of the bell. Clay hopped off his stool raring to go for the next round. The bell rang but Liston’s corner men were still in the ring hunched around Liston. Barney Felix rushed to Liston’s corner. Immediately Clay sprang to the center of the ring and shuffled his feet with a victory dance with his hand held high. Clay and his corner men celebrated as Felix raised Clays arm declaring him the winner by technical knockout. Clay ran to the ropes and yelled at the ringside media, ‘I AM THE GREATEST’ and ‘I SHOOK UP THE WORLD.’
Cassius Clay became the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion and he done like he said, he “Shook up the World”.
