The Battles of Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston
Before he became Muhammad Ali, Cassius Clay was an ambitious young boxer from Louisville, Kentucky. He won a boxing gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and quickly turned pro, winning his first 19 fights. The heavyweight champion of the day was Sonny Liston, a tough ex-con with a menacing reputation. In 1963, Liston agreed to defend his title against Clay.
Liston was massive, with huge shoulders and a thick neck. He overwhelmed opponents with a fierce left jab and a devastating hook. He had 26 knockouts in 36 bouts. He was known to pulverize sparring partners and rip open sand-filled heavy bags with punches. In his only defeat, Liston finished the fight despite suffering a broken jaw.
As a teenager, Liston was arrested for a series of assaults and armed robberies. He served time in the Missouri State Penitentiary where he learned to box. He was released from prison in 1952 and turned pro, supplementing his fight income by working as an enforcer for the Philadelphia mob. In 1956, he assaulted a police officer and was sentenced to another six months in jail.
Liston earned the heavyweight title by twice defeating former champion Floyd Patterson. Despite his success, the public perceived Liston as “a monster.” African-Americans shunned him feeling his reputation hurt the civil rights movement.
