The Story
Two very different men entered the ring in Lewiston, Maine on May 25, 1965. Sonny Liston, a tough brawler with a menacing demeanor and Muhammad Ali, a graceful athlete with a tongue as sharp as his jab.
After defeating Liston 15 months earlier as Cassius Clay, the man known as Muhammad Ali now faced Liston. Jersey Joe Walcott, world heavyweight champion from 1951-1952, refereed the fight. Three heavyweight champions in one ring.
And then things got interesting.
Liston went down from an Ali “anchor punch” after little more than a minute in the ring. Walcott failed to get Ali into a neutral corner and Liston spent a full 17 seconds on the floor before a ringside sportswriter informed the referee that the timekeeper had counted Liston out.
At one minute and 42 seconds into the first round, Muhammad Ali retained his crown as the heavyweight champion of the world, amid great controversy. Something that followed the champ wherever he went.
