I wasn’t even born when this fight was shown live and now I’m 50. My kids watched this and I’m sure so will their kids. Ali will continue inspiring us. Thankyou for uploading.
I'm 36 and never really been into boxing. I'm home sick from work and started studying his ideals, stumbled into a video of his first fight with Frazier. Now I'm on my 3rd fight. Dude was an absolute beast. Who wouldn't be captivated by that showmanship?
I was 6 years old when I saw this in 1964 at my grandparents house. Things were very primitive then, television had been broadcasting in N.Z., barely 4 years, my parents didnt own a set then. And watching this fight, delayed coverage a week after this even, was just fantastic. I waited patiently for it to come on, an afternoon of sport, cricket, rugby, and my grandfather telling me to be patient. Finally, on the small black and white screen, I saw it! I was just so excited, and captivated by this fight. I'd never seen anything like it before, Sonny Liston, so physically imposing, and Cassius Clay, as he was known then, dancing around the ring after fight, saying, "I am the greatest, I am King of the World". That, had a big effect on me, a momentous occasion! Years later in June 1978, I was fortunate to briefly meet Muhammad Ali at his training camp, Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. That will always stay in my mind!
Yes it's all very true, Muhammad Ali was my hero, Sonny Liston was unbeatable at the time, and later on, in my view, he was very much underrated. Meeting Ali, even though he was in the twilight of his career, was just terrific
Looking like a middleweight. And that chin that very few have. The men he fought were all supposed to beat him. Incredible competition and he would win. And even better, the guy’s that beat him would lose the rematch. Doesn’t happen too often.
My dad and I listened to this fight. He knew something about the fight game and knew Rocky Marciano well enough to promise me an introduction. He gave me everyone's background.That was it. I was hooked on boxing. I was never really good at organized sports but I was good with my hands, had good reflexes, and did well in the ring. I stayed in shaped through the 1970's. At the end of the fight dad said it stunk. No matter what shape you're in, it's the championship you keep fighting, quitting was unheard of. Dad said Liston was tied with the mob. He came up the hard way. Died sad. Buried near the airport. This is the first time I've seen that fight. I left out so much back story. I was pulling for Liston then as well as now. Thanks for posting. It brought back many good memories. I miss my dad.
Before the fight, of all the fighters asked about the outcome, only Marciano was on point. "Don't fool yourself, this kid can fight, we just don't know if he's rugged enough". Later on they found him to be the best taker of all the heavyweights.
Sonny Liston is truly a tragic figure. He went through hell, paid his due, overcame obstacles that 99.9% of people couldn't imagine overcoming and became champ. All he got for it was that he was judged. Even Muhammad Ali later on said he'd admired and feared Liston.
He was judged, in part, for his own reckless actions. You have to be reasonable about Liston’s behavior back then. I agree that he was unfairly harassed and dogged at times, but other times he deserved it.
He’s just the best of all time. A beautiful fighting man, so much technique, finesse, illusiveness.. body movement and defence. There are elements of martial arts here such as karate. I just can’t get over how good he was. Anyone who doesn’t rate him highly is wrong on this one. There’s no question this fighter is something very very special
My grandad boxed at this same exact place!🥊 my grandads name was Paul Kasper. He wasn't no Ali or Frazier or foreman but he was once the light-heavy champion of New England!
@@TurfDoe The fictional demon god of Allah is most certainly not the Eternal, Infinite, thrice Holy, Immutability, Omnipotent, Omniscient. Perfect, Loving God of the Bible. His attributes are unlimited, I listed just a few.
@@TurfDoe That is patent nonsense. To reduce Jesus to merely a prophet is blasphemous. He is God in the flesh --Prophet, Priest and King. To reduce him to only a prophet is absurd and shows you have no knowledge, and possibly contempt for the Bible.
@Olaf Santos Ali himself said: “The thing with George, I had to let him hit me, the thing with Sonny, I had to make sure he didn’t hit me!” It was well known Sonny was one od the hardest and most feared fighters of that time. Please do your research before telling someone to "stfu"...
@Olaf Santos Even guys with stronger chins feared Sonny but i guess u have 0 manners so there is no point arguing with you.. Please continue being a keyboard warrior.. 🙏🙏
Happy Birthday champ. I remember when this fight took place almost 60 years ago. Thank you for everything that you did for us. You'll never be forgotten...
CASIUS MARCELUS CLEY O CASIUS CLEY QUE DESPUÉS SÉ YAMO MOHAMED ALI FUE ES Y SERÁ EL BOXEADOR MÁS GRANDE, MÁS COMPLETO Y MÁS VALIENTE DENTRO Y FUERA DEL RING EL MÁS GRANDE DÉ TODOS LOS TIEMPOS DESDE LA ANTIGUA GRECIA,, ROMA Y ÉL PRESENTE, SIGLO 21,
Not gonna lie, after rewatching this beauty I kinda start to understand why people are so disappointed with today’s heavyweight era. This was a hell of a match
Regarding the latest fight I agree, I'm not really a boxing fan now but Joshua looked like an athlete and Andy Ruiz looked like a fat bloke from down the pub. Ruiz must have been good as they were fighting for a world title. How about the Giant Russians, were they technically good or just so big and tall no one could hit them? Butterbean! Another fat guy, another powerful fat bloke. I would not wish to tangle with any of these but when I saw Ruiz on the TV I just laughed, where as Ali, Joe Frazier, Our 'Enry, George Forman, even the Don King era actually looked like boxers.
@@basedworldbillionaire2900 As I said previously I am not really a boxing fan now, but in the past Boxers looked like athletes. I am afraid I missed the Tyson Fury bout but they certainly looked like they took their preparation seriously.
These guys and most up until the early 2000's were natural boxers. They generally started when they were kids and you could see the fluidity in their movement. Look at how Ali rolled his neck with punches and even though Liston was older, he still was good at slipping punches and going inside. The top boxers of today are big and muscular but they are not natural fighters. You can see it in their robotic like movement.
Sonny was no joke. He was a very hard hitter. That first body blow had to have hurt, but Ali could definitely take a punch. And could dish them out equally as brutal. Ali's footwork was a work of art. He was also a pro at pacing himself for the latter rounds. Much like what Mayweather Jr. did in his career. He was letting Sonny punch himself out in the first 3 rounds, and you could see it working. As Sonny started to look tired as the fight progressed. A very hard, disciplined thing to do in boxing. Sonny was definitely trying to make short work of it, but probably didn't realize Ali's ability to take a lot of punishment. Very difficult to get a good connection on him. I can only imagine how many people lost money on this fight. Ali truly "Floats like Butterfly, and Stings like a Bee!" My favorite fighter of all time. Grew up watching him, and he is still the best to ever box in my opinion.
@@Loydstardeli2017what nonsense. You just can't say things like that. Liston was the equivalent of Mike tyson of his day so Ali beat the baddest man on the planet on the night, end of
I grew up listening to my father's tales about Ernie Shavers, Ken Norton, Sonnie Liston, George Foreman, Ali, Frazier, Patterson... Greats!! He's now passed away 🙏🏾 but seeing these fights, now on TH-cam, makes me feel closer to him, once again! 💪🏾👍🏾👌🏾
@@kevindouglas8652 Holmes was a little later, I Remember watching Holmes myself; those others were already history, when my father would tell me about them.
The thing with Ali.He used to put on weight big time,between fights.You would see him,eating while on TV shows,badly out of condition.6 weeks later he would climb into the ring,take off the robe,and there stood this magnificent,strapping athlete.And that's what he was.
@@leecorcoran6174 Tyson had great power and speed but didn’t act anywhere near as cocky as Ali did. Especially with an opponent like Liston who was regarded as almost unbeatable
In 1967 Ali was convicted of draft evasion, was stripped of his boxing title and missed 3 years of professional boxing. Those 3 years were his prime years. When he came back to the ring in 1970, he was not the same boxer. He lost some of his quickness and stamina. It is very tragic that we missed out on seeing his best years.
@@anitelufalemei4200 Sort of poetic in a way. Ali’s existence is proof it’s possible to be greater than the Ali we saw, and we will never know what that looks like.
@@MikeSmith-cn6ubHe wasn't saved by the bell. He got up and walked to his corner. If he had been saved by the bell- he would have still been lying on the canvas while the referee was counting.
Ali is like no heavyweight before or after. Such an athlete! I'm no expert but his combination of movement, boxing technique, hand speed, and demeanor make him the best ever in my eyes.
I know, totally addictive, what with the surprises and shifts in the action. Could only imagine how fascinating it was for people watching it then, who probably expected Liston to KO Clay all along... at least until Clay took everything Liston threw in the 5th without being in trouble. One could hardly write a better script for a fight in which one retires after 6 rounds.
Ali was hard to hit AND he could take a punch. You'd have to throw 300 punches to hit him 10 times but then he hits you twice for every punch you throw. The numbers are bad news for you!
I thin Liston ripped off history with this fight. He was being outclassed, was infuriated, and just quit. He was a bully who was able to thump the crap out of everyone but by the end of the 6th he knew he had no place in the ring with this kid. He could have made a much better fight, IMHO but sucked out.
@Zak Quinn the Liston who fought Machen would have stood no chance against Ali. I agree that Liston is one of the greats, and it sucks that he was older when he fought Ali. If he were in his prime we could be having a different discussion. I think that Liston was left handed or ambidextrous. It's odd how his left jab/hook was what he smashed people with - if he could hit you. He was no faster with that jab in his other fights, and I do not believe that he was pulling punches in 1964. Who knows how bad the injury was. I hate this type of situation were no resolution is available. I want you to watch the first 4 rounds and count how many punches Liston squarely lands and compare this with misses. Do the same with his fight with Patterson. Ali slid almost all of Liston's jabs, and those jabs were no different than any fight Liston had, ever. When Ali was complaining about his eyes he was taking bombs, and this leads to another point - that Ali was legendary at taking punishment. I think some fighters are just bad matchups for other fighters, and I think this is the case here. Ironically, Liston would have crushed Frasier and Ken Norton - who I feel were Ali's only true losses. BTW, I do not think 1964-65 Ali would have lost to either of these two. I just watched three early fights and loved them. Liston Besmanoff is a good fight and Liston looked fit. His story is just so odd! Imagine if he started as a kid and trained with the best and then went to the Olympics before turning pro with supporters who believed in him. It would have been a totally different career story. He seemed like and interesting man. I noticed in the Besmanoff fight that the two of them touched gloves at the end of some rounds. At the end of the fight both showed great respect for the other. I liked the Tyrell sparring session, and Liston's comment about Tyrell hugging him more than his wife!
Feliz de poder ver la pelea que antaño de niño al lado de mi padre, que en paz descanse. Solo lo escuchamos por radio,. Me hizo recordar mi niñez, gracias
???... back then you had the mob. Don came later & was good for the sport. He did nothing diferent than what Bob Arum was doing. He just had a lot of hair & a different complexion that always smiled when they tried talking bad about him.
John Wilkerson because he had true nobility of character, will and desire and one of the few to sacrifice what he was famous for..for who he is and his true touch with humanity at such a young age, is astonishing.
After growing up watching live boxing with my grandparents for years since childhood and hearing story's about the fights of old, and my pap doing impressions of the og announcers echoing his voice at dinner, always hearing tales of the greatest fights. I found this at 3 am and was brought to tears in a multitude of ways while sitting up and screaming at the television like they were in the room with me still. This is the greatest boxing match I've ever seen and probably of all time. Thank you for uploading.
I was 10 years old when this happened, the grown-ups thought Ali was all talk but all the little kids loved him especially his rhymes, all the kids in my neighborhood wanted to box like Ali ..well clay back then
Although Sonny Liston is now viewed more as “The Guy Who Lost The Heavyweight Championship To Ali”, he was one hell of a champion. The guy was feared for a reason. Even Ali admitted he had the upmost respect for Liston. Ali taunted him because he knew psychological warfare was just as important to beating Liston as physical skill. Ali wanted Liston to think Ali was full of it so he could surprise Liston with his true talent. And it worked perfectly. The only people who truly were able to get past the psychological games Ali played were Frazier, Norton, and Holmes.
@@michaeldundee8300 Disrespect. This was a 22 year old kid, by any measure it's absurd and shameful for Ali to have done that. Even more so in those days.
Happy 60th anniversary to the first fight between Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) on February 25, 1964. Never forget this moment. RIP Muhammad Ali (FKA Cassius Clay) and RIP Sonny Liston.
Imagine being in the same building as Willie Pep, Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Sonny Liston, future Muhammad Ali. All of them in the same building, history of boxing just amazing. Imagine being able to have a photo with those legends.
A remarkable fight that signaled the beginning of one of the greatest heavyweight boxing champion in history. We'll never see another one like him. As-salamu alaykum, champ!
Liston standing there blinking at the end of round 1, just going: "What the fk?!", basically......I read in a biography of Muhammad Ali, where Sonny said, years later, that his first reaction to Ali's ("Clay's") incredible defensive and evasive skills, and in particular, upon his landing his first combinations on Sonny, was one of utter and absolute shock. He stated that Ali hit with so much more power and real sting than anybody had ever realised, and that his actual power shocked him; that the accuracy, timing, and placement of his shots were nothing short of incredible, and redoubled the effect thereof. Sonny also explained that Ali's ("Clay's") handspeed, footspeed, and the sheer level of his reflexive, defencive skill basically defied all means of description, and had to be experienced firsthand for one to ever have any means of ever being able to have any chance of comprehending the level and degree thereof. What an absolutely incredible heavyweight boxer...(!!).. What an absolute all-time legend. Max Respect, and RIP Muhammad Ali. His legacy will live on forever.
Sean O'Brieon I doubt Liston ever gave an interview about Clay or about this fight at all. You can’t believe it just because you read it in a book. Liston didn’t trust reporters - for good reason - and basically didn’t give interviews.
And to Sonny's fairness, he was past his prime , never should have looked at clay to fight , but he let the public n Clay's mouth get em in trouble, no one knew how great he really was until that night, by then it was to late for the public n Sonny,, all you haters had to eat crow,, n still excuses were made for Sonny,, instead of just given clay his props,,
My grandma showed me Muhammad Ali when I was young and got me all these pictures of him boxing and what not. By the time I was 10 I heard he had died and I was devastated. Rest in Peace ✌ 😥
I remember hearing this fight on the radio when I was 10 years old. My dad was rooting for Sonny Liston but I soon began to like Mohamed Ali the best. I am 65 years young and I love martial arts and practice karate . This is the first time I watched the fight on video and it appears that Sonny Liston tried to cheat by putting oinment on his gloves to make Ali not see but Ali still beat him which makes it even more impressive!
@@MrMarco855 You're waving the BS flag in solidarity Brother, I think you can stand down at this point lol Ali will always be the greatest regardless of assclowns like you
@@magicsugarbump4972 You're right, he will always be the best in the eyes of those with an emotional attachment. Only a guy with a man crush on Ali would insult a stranger for voicing his opinion. The emotions you are not in control of disqualify you from making a fair assessment. On the other hand, I care about the truth and about history. If it was up to you recorded history would be driven by emotion nonsense. Ask anyone, your response is too strong to be unbiased. A very biased opinion is worse then no opinion at all. I've done research, you haven't. I didn't need research to convince myself, it was for the benefit of die hard knuckle heads such as yourself. I got tired of people that had no idea about the subject matter insisting that there's no evidence of a fix. There's plenty of evidence it turns out, but that was a waste of my time for the most part. A guy that's too emotional regarding a particular issue doesn't want evidence, they want things to be the way they want things to be. A level headed, open minded truth seeker would appreciate evidence brought to show, but most hard nosed Ali fans aren't in that category. I can fill a book with facts and very persuasive information but you wouldn't open and look at the first page. I'll ruffle your shorts a little more, Ali had one other fixed fight, making a total of 3 fixed fights in his career. Watch the Zora Folley waltz, tell me you think that was a real fight. They circled close enough to hug each other, neither man had the desire to throw a punch. Folley went down on a soft punch, then acted like a damn fool trying to get up. A fixed fight by my guarantee. I know that doesn't impress you but it should. I'm much older, much wiser and far more intelligent from day one. If you're willing to accept anything then accept this; take advice from older men, it allows you to gain wisdom and to avoid risk and danger, without paying the price that others will pay while learning the hard way. Okay gomer,........and put your wallet away, this was free advice.
No one could seem to hit Ali in the face, so they all went to the body, which never worked. Reportedly he would get up in the morning and pee blood. But body shots never wore him out. That's what great shape he was in.
it was an accident. A substance that Liston's cut man put on his cut under his eye after round 3 to stitch it up. Sonny touched it with his gloves accidentally and when he hit Cassius it made its way to his eyes. That seems to be the most believable explanation. Sonny didn't have to cheat, because he didn't take Clay seriously. He barely trained for the fight and drank all night before. Therefore many doubt he had anything to do with that. Don't forget the majority of the public and experts gave Clay 2-3 round max until ge gets knocked out. It really did shake up the world.
Wow. Holy shit. This is how you get Ali. The other Ali fights are extraordinary, but this guy in his prime is unbelievable. He doesn't duck punches. He doesn't block 'em. He just makes them slip through. Liston looks like a man catching smoke. Ali is fast and furious. No man could beat this man in his prime. That's a simple fact. Anyone who thinks a guy like Tyson is better has watched Zaire Ali and Manilla Ali. Ali here is unbeatable.
Antonio Guanaes Tyson asked Cus how does one beat prime Ali, Cus had a strategy for all the boxers they watched on the flim-all the boxers through history, in the collection of Cus', the reply to Tyson was "there was no strategy, Ali was not beatable at his best" Tyson then agreed and still agrees.
Antonio Guanaes Ali in the '70's was still an awesome fighter, but very different from the young man who shook up the world in 1964. When he was in his prime, in his 20's, he was just plain unbeatable - no one could hit him, he was just too damned fast. His jab was lighting quick and he could slip punches by just moving his head back, did not even try to block them with the gloves! Liston had never seen anything like this kid and you can just imagine what was going through his mind during the fight. "What the fuck?! Who is this guy?! What do I have to do to land a punch?!" Ali was robbed of his very best years - and so were all of us who appreciate how incredibly awesome he really was in his prime. He was a matador and Liston - well, Sonny was just the bull! And Sonny Liston was, a very great heavyweight. I do not think any fighter other than Clay could have beaten him. And very shortly after this fight, young Mr. Clay announced to the world that he had joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammed Ali! Holy Shit! Talk about shaking up the world! That news hit like a bombshell! The White Establishment media just went ape - you mean, this brash young kid with the big mouth who just whipped Liston is a friend and follower of (gasp!) Malcolm X!?! Suddenly, a lot of people who used to hate Sonny Liston for being a bully, a thug and a goon (he once dumped a cop into a trashcan and took his gun!) started to root for him to take back the crown! Hah, hah!
Antonio Guanaes Mike Tyson was much faster than Liston. Liston being slow made Ali look very hard to hit. But if you check his previous fight against Cooper he was hit several times. Having said that, I think a peak Ali defeats Tyson because of his superior chin, stamina and heart.
Johny Law The other thing, is that Ali was coming into his prime just about around the period of Cleveland Williams and Zora Folley, just after that period, would be his prime, but, we were robbed of it. The world never saw him in his ultimate prime form. The Cooper fight, while Ali was good, he was still developing, and he didn't prepare for those fights as much as he did for Liston.
The fact that the score was even when it ended is ridiculous. Ali was in complete control from the first bell, even when he couldn't see. This was a truly remarkable performance.
I would give Ali rounds 1,3, and 6. Liston rounds 2, 4, and 5. But of course that wouldn't really tell the story of the fight. Overall IMO Ali dominated most of the fight beginning to end with the exception of round 5 where he was fighting blind, and was basically beating the sh!t out of Liston in the 6th, when he quit in the 7th. Liston was just plain outclassed by a better fighter who the world was only beginning to get to know. Liston knew he was going to lose. He managed to make it out of round 3 when Ali almost dropped him, but he was terribly damaged. After the 6th, he knew the jig was up and that he would eventually lose if he continued.
Back in this age, any person had been well dressed. Cool suits, shirts and haircuts. Look at the cap Sonnys trainer is wearing. These had been MAD MEN-times. Love this era.
Believe it or not...I met Ali on two separate occasions. Initially, I saw him while he was sparring with Jimmy Ellis for his match with Zora Folley in the the old Madison Square Garden circa 1967... followed by the extraordinary good fortune of meeting him in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans in May of 1985. In the lobby of the Hyatt, I enjoyed an uninterrupted, 10 minute conversation with the champ. Clearly suffering from the symptoms of Parkinson's, nevertheless, he was both charming and positively gracious. By far...my fondest memory to date.
In the most respectous way possible, i am jealous; God Bless You all, Ali was and still is a Giant among us, a different breed of person, the truly Greatest Ever
YESSS that was Ali I lived on the next block from him when he stayed in Chicago The champ knew me on first name basis.I went to lunch at Valios in Hydepark with the champ one evening.He Saw Me and two other guys and invited us to lunch. I've been around the champ more than I can remember. But my fondest memory has to be one night walking home and heard a Horn blow. I looked up and it was the champ I don't care how many times you could see Ali he ALWAYS left you with something to tell your grand kids.
I had exactly the same experience with him in 1979, though at a different hotel in Sydney, Australia, where I happened to be working. I waited till he came out from having breakfast at the hotel bistro, and with no one else around approached him for an autograph. I thought he'd tell me to get lost, but instead he pulled up with his minder and chatted to me for a few minutes before giving me a very sweet and personalized autograph. He couldn't have been nicer, charming or kind and made me feel like I was the one person he wanted to stop and talk to that morning. Still have that autograph, framed, beneath a print of the famous knockout picture with Liston. Some years later I read of an interview he gave where he said that he never declined an autograph because he always tried to remain mindful of how much the moment might mean to the individual - I certainly saw it that day. A champ in and outside of the ring. :)
I truly believe in his prime..no one could have beaten Ali..I was in Louisville and went to pay respects at his final resting place..I said your the best of all time..thanks for the memories champ.. By his grave there is a marker with words from the champ..The kindness you give to others in this world..is the rent you pay for your room in Heaven Rest in peace Champ..You were the greatest
Yes. I am 74 years young. I was 15 at this time. I have always been obsessed by Sam Cooke and Ali. Growing up in Glasgow Scotland. We were influenced by the black American soldiers who at that time were based in the naval base in Dunoon on the riverside in Scotland . I had just started going to the dancing on a Saturday night in Glasgow. Soul music was my obsession. Still is. But first time I heard Sam singing was around 1960. My uncle played his records. You send me. Then chain gang. I don’t need no therapy.I listen to the music of Sam Cooke. His music soothes my soul.
Bruce Lee admired Muhammed ali. He watched and studied Ali’s fighs. “ When you expand, I contract, when you contract, I expand”. Bruce Lee. Think there is testimony of Bruce Lee and Ali meeting.
I saw this with my Grandpa as a little boy. And have watched this many times since then. It was also great to see another great fighter Joe Lewis. Thank you for uploading this
Ali was the trendsetter. Listen to the crowd. He was loved from the start. The way he moved was all new to people at that time. In general he is pure entertainment at its best.
No Heavyweight ever possessed the head movement Ali had. No Heavyweight ever possessed the hand and foot speed Ali possessed. Simply the Greatest Ever!
@@tby3502 Cassius Clay is the fighter in this bout. It's written on the back of the his corner men. Announcers say CASSIUS CLAY. Didn't have the name change until later.
You can really see how short life really is when you can watch the entire career of an all time great boxer from his youth to his retirement fight in the 1980s which was 30 some years ago and was in his 70s when he passed away....if you think about it 100 years is nothing
Not sure why I fell in love with boxing at a very young age. Have loved to box, (neighborhood boys, Mom wouldn't allow me to fight girls) and cousins all my life. I know if I were born a boy, I would have boxed as a sport til I got too old😂 A senior citizen now, when no one is around, I still dance around and shadow box😊 Thanks for sharing this awesome fight! First time I've saw it and sure I'll watch again!...after I watch the second match between them 😊
I remember getting up in the early hours of the morning in the UK to watch this fight. I was still at school. The Brits were fascinated with the former Cassius Clay. Even more so when Clay won.
The Spy yeah, Ali was loved back home in the UK. And I remember him being interviewed by Michael Párkinson, who was a great interviewer in the good old days of the 70s. That night Ali ate MPs lunch. It showed me how absolutely smart and intelligent Ali was. A great mind indeed.
Keep fooling yourself MrMarco855. Repeating your nonsense over and over still doesn't make it fact. It just reminds us of your stupidity and ignorance.
I was a boy of four, my two older brothers were listening to this fight, my older brother was 22 and my next older brother was 7. We listen to this fight. I have lost both of them. The second brother died when he was 49, and my oldest brother was almost 82, he just left me in this dimension. Thank you for uploading this fight. I remember both of my brothers. Thank you. Danny Tukes FVSC
It's so impressive that a man can hardly believe it. If I didn't know better I might think it was not a real fight. If Ali had done anything more then he did I might have to wonder if the fight wasn't a fix. If Ali had won while both hands were tied behind his back I may have to consider that other possibilities were in play. If Ali had won without showing up at the arena that may be enough to change my thinking a bit.
What made this bout so great is Charles Liston was considered by The Great's such as Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey to be the greatest Heavyweight of all time. Liston actually did good body work, but, no one knew how skilled Muhammad Ali was, in particular, those who only "HEARD" him on the radio, but, could not see his incredible abilities. When looking at the upper body movement, the check hook, the well timed jab, the solid chin and overall athleticism you can see where, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Roy Jones Jr and Oscar De Lahoya have taken one thing or another from, THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!
At one point in the 2nd or 3rd round Liston fires 9 or 10 punches, and Clay dodges every one. Incredible defense. That was what he lost during his 3.5 years in exile.
@@mobetter25 you can see why he got Parkinson's though.Taking that left hook from liston and multiple left hooks from Frazier.2 of the hardest hitting heavyweights ever and never got knocked out.Superhuman is the only word
I wasn’t even born when this fight was shown live and now I’m 50. My kids watched this and I’m sure so will their kids. Ali will continue inspiring us. Thankyou for uploading.
I'm 36 and never really been into boxing. I'm home sick from work and started studying his ideals, stumbled into a video of his first fight with Frazier. Now I'm on my 3rd fight. Dude was an absolute beast. Who wouldn't be captivated by that showmanship?
@@Theculturalcannabisproject True man
Im 30 and my oldest has seen it lol
I was there somewhere...
@@michaeldundee8300 for reals
Interviewer asks "How come you did it in 7 rounds when you said 8?"
Ali: "The man stopped it just to keep me from looking so great"
Yes 😃Always the best Ali 🥊🥊
divegabe because that’s the round mob fixers told him to do it. The fight being fixed is a now recorded fact.
This is Clay not Ali he wasn’t Ali till later
MANCHESTER UNITED what???
MANCHESTER UNITED but Manchester is ass
Thank god this was recorded so we can re-watch history with a click
He Shook the WORLD!!!!
God* indeed.
Aqqqqqqqqqqqq qt¹ 8 million blocking people @@timhoward5
I was 6 years old when I saw this in 1964 at my grandparents house. Things were very primitive then, television had been broadcasting in N.Z., barely 4 years, my parents didnt own a set then. And watching this fight, delayed coverage a week after this even, was just fantastic. I waited patiently for it to come on, an afternoon of sport, cricket, rugby, and my grandfather telling me to be patient. Finally, on the small black and white screen, I saw it! I was just so excited, and captivated by this fight. I'd never seen anything like it before, Sonny Liston, so physically imposing, and Cassius Clay, as he was known then, dancing around the ring after fight, saying, "I am the greatest, I am King of the World". That, had a big effect on me, a momentous occasion! Years later in June 1978, I was fortunate to briefly meet Muhammad Ali at his training camp, Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. That will always stay in my mind!
Awesome story ... phantom punch brought me here title of clip is wrong though overall still I enjoyed watchin
Yes it's all very true, Muhammad Ali was my hero, Sonny Liston was unbeatable at the time, and later on, in my view, he was very much underrated. Meeting Ali, even though he was in the twilight of his career, was just terrific
I just turned ten when l heard the news it sent shock waves all round the world as Clay was a huge under dog.
How old are you??????
Really?
Ali’s head movement, and footwork was absolutely incredible. Never ever will we see someone like him again. He was so so far ahead of his time.
especially in the heavyweight division
Looking like a middleweight. And that chin that very few have.
The men he fought were all supposed to beat him. Incredible competition and he would win. And even better, the guy’s that beat him would lose the rematch. Doesn’t happen too often.
The closest thing we ever got was James Tillis, and we all know how THAT went
The goat..end of story
Inaccurate. He was so so far ahead of ALL times.
My dad and I listened to this fight. He knew something about the fight game and knew Rocky Marciano well enough to promise me an introduction. He gave me everyone's background.That was it. I was hooked on boxing. I was never really good at organized sports but I was good with my hands, had good reflexes, and did well in the ring. I stayed in shaped through the 1970's. At the end of the fight dad said it stunk. No matter what shape you're in, it's the championship you keep fighting, quitting was unheard of. Dad said Liston was tied with the mob. He came up the hard way. Died sad. Buried near the airport. This is the first time I've seen that fight. I left out so much back story. I was pulling for Liston then as well as now. Thanks for posting. It brought back many good memories. I miss my dad.
Wonderful story..thanks for sharing.
Liston and team cheated with the stinging cream into Alis eyes
Fight was rigged big time then ali never looked back.
Before the fight, of all the fighters asked about the outcome, only Marciano was on point. "Don't fool yourself, this kid can fight, we just don't know if he's rugged enough". Later on they found him to be the best taker of all the heavyweights.
Right 🙂👍
If i remembered, there was one old man that favoured Ali/Clay at the time since he can go for 12 rounds and Liston usually ends fights in a few rounds
Sonny Liston is truly a tragic figure. He went through hell, paid his due, overcame obstacles that 99.9% of people couldn't imagine overcoming and became champ. All he got for it was that he was judged. Even Muhammad Ali later on said he'd admired and feared Liston.
He fascinates me, kind of the ultimate pro athlete cautionary tale, the way the press covered him winning the championship was truly shameful
he made it onto the cover of sgt. peppers though. Most legendary pop album cover of all time
He was judged, in part, for his own reckless actions. You have to be reasonable about Liston’s behavior back then. I agree that he was unfairly harassed and dogged at times, but other times he deserved it.
Liston didn’t have the heart to be champion.
@@lisawinsin your mind only…Liston was a poser.
I remember this being a radio fight I was 8 years old now 63
Wow that's really cool old timer , any more good stories sir .
@@freestyleking2151 ask away.
Yeah I was 6 and I can remember listening to the fight on the radio with my dad like it was yesterday. I'm 62 now.Lol
Must be great to watch something you lived by ear.
@@mynamehaschanged that's probably why I remember it . not very many memories of the things that occurred in history by radio.
He’s just the best of all time. A beautiful fighting man, so much technique, finesse, illusiveness.. body movement and defence. There are elements of martial arts here such as karate. I just can’t get over how good he was. Anyone who doesn’t rate him highly is wrong on this one. There’s no question this fighter is something very very special
His reflexes, speed and coordination were on a higher level than everyone else's. Liston just couldn't catch him.
This is all true. Everything. The all time HW Champ!
tyson was better, didnt see elements of karate or such either except that you also move there, still great
Hes overrated. Also he was a racist coward.
Jesus Christ Ali was fast. RIP to both these legends
Liston isn't a legend, against Ali he gave up the first fight and he took a dive in the second one. He was far for being a lionheart.
@@marceltresvant8581 stfu
@Jonas Johnson I respect Liston as a human being but I wouldn't call him a legend.
@@marceltresvant8581 He didn't take a dive in the second fight he got knocked out.
@@Joachimhuby Lol, he clearly took a dive, that wasn't a ko punch and he fell on the floor in a very unnatural way, that was bad acting from Liston.
My grandad boxed at this same exact place!🥊 my grandads name was Paul Kasper. He wasn't no Ali or Frazier or foreman but he was once the light-heavy champion of New England!
That’s really cool. You must be proud. Awesome history
@@deanodebo1380I am proud! Thank you
pessent league
@@aezakmiaezakmi-cr3mk Ok keyboard coward😂
@@aezakmiaezakmi-cr3mk Ok keyboard coward😂
He is the greatest. 'If God is with me, can't nobody be against me" Ali
He exchanged the true God for a false one.
@@timcarr6401 It's the same God.
@@TurfDoe The fictional demon god of Allah is most certainly not the Eternal, Infinite, thrice Holy, Immutability, Omnipotent, Omniscient. Perfect, Loving God of the Bible. His attributes are unlimited, I listed just a few.
@@timcarr6401 Jews, Christians, and Muslims all pray to the same God. Jesus is even a prophet in Islam.
@@TurfDoe That is patent nonsense. To reduce Jesus to merely a prophet is blasphemous. He is God in the flesh --Prophet, Priest and King. To reduce him to only a prophet is absurd and shows you have no knowledge, and possibly contempt for the Bible.
Ali was such a genius... The intelligence against the brutal strength....
Exactly. Especially because Liston was dangerous in the ring
@Olaf Santos Ali himself said: “The thing with George, I had to let him hit me, the thing with Sonny, I had to make sure he didn’t hit me!” It was well known Sonny was one od the hardest and most feared fighters of that time. Please do your research before telling someone to "stfu"...
@Olaf Santos Even guys with stronger chins feared Sonny but i guess u have 0 manners so there is no point arguing with you.. Please continue being a keyboard warrior.. 🙏🙏
He didn't look too pretty with a broken jaw from Ken Norton.
He was indeed intelligent ... At the age of 22, aside from becoming the champion, he was also studying religions and mind games.
Happy Birthday champ. I remember when this fight took place almost 60 years ago. Thank you for everything that you did for us. You'll never be forgotten...
Yes, t y!
14:38
CASIUS MARCELUS CLEY O CASIUS CLEY QUE DESPUÉS SÉ YAMO MOHAMED ALI FUE ES Y SERÁ EL BOXEADOR MÁS GRANDE, MÁS COMPLETO Y MÁS VALIENTE DENTRO Y FUERA DEL RING EL MÁS GRANDE DÉ TODOS LOS TIEMPOS DESDE LA ANTIGUA GRECIA,, ROMA Y ÉL PRESENTE, SIGLO 21,
This is whats so great about YT. Being able to watch all the past great fights on my TV.
Never in my life have I seen Ali talk.... today was my first day and it was amazing to see this. Thanks TH-cam
king of the world.
That's hilarious. I believe you, but it's hilarious, because Ali was known as much for his mouthiness as for his boxing skills.
@@bobtaylor170 right I agree
"I saw sonny Liston the other day" Ali - "ain't he ugly ?"
Not gonna lie, after rewatching this beauty I kinda start to understand why people are so disappointed with today’s heavyweight era. This was a hell of a match
Regarding the latest fight I agree, I'm not really a boxing fan now but Joshua looked like an athlete and Andy Ruiz looked like a fat bloke from down the pub. Ruiz must have been good as they were fighting for a world title. How about the Giant Russians, were they technically good or just so big and tall no one could hit them? Butterbean! Another fat guy, another powerful fat bloke.
I would not wish to tangle with any of these but when I saw Ruiz on the TV I just laughed, where as Ali, Joe Frazier, Our 'Enry, George Forman, even the Don King era actually looked like boxers.
@@basedworldbillionaire2900 As I said previously I am not really a boxing fan now, but in the past Boxers looked like athletes.
I am afraid I missed the Tyson Fury bout but they certainly looked like they took their preparation seriously.
I don't agree. Klitschko AJ was a brawl. AJ Fury will be amazing. Wilder AJ. Some of the old fights were shite too.
Fury has comparable skill to Ali.
These guys and most up until the early 2000's were natural boxers. They generally started when they were kids and you could see the fluidity in their movement. Look at how Ali rolled his neck with punches and even though Liston was older, he still was good at slipping punches and going inside. The top boxers of today are big and muscular but they are not natural fighters. You can see it in their robotic like movement.
Sonny was no joke. He was a very hard hitter. That first body blow had to have hurt, but Ali could definitely take a punch. And could dish them out equally as brutal. Ali's footwork was a work of art. He was also a pro at pacing himself for the latter rounds. Much like what Mayweather Jr. did in his career. He was letting Sonny punch himself out in the first 3 rounds, and you could see it working. As Sonny started to look tired as the fight progressed. A very hard, disciplined thing to do in boxing. Sonny was definitely trying to make short work of it, but probably didn't realize Ali's ability to take a lot of punishment. Very difficult to get a good connection on him. I can only imagine how many people lost money on this fight. Ali truly "Floats like Butterfly, and Stings like a Bee!" My favorite fighter of all time. Grew up watching him, and he is still the best to ever box in my opinion.
Sonny was definitely the best fighter Ali fought.
Very Good way to analyse the fight. Lston calles Clay the Talking dool before the fight. The dool was a damn dood boxer !!
I don't think Ali even knew he could take a good punch at this point in his career
Late 1950s & early 1960s ( 1962) sonny liston might haven beaten Cassius clay
@@Loydstardeli2017what nonsense. You just can't say things like that. Liston was the equivalent of Mike tyson of his day so Ali beat the baddest man on the planet on the night, end of
Clay's footwork and speed was unreal.
I grew up listening to my father's tales about Ernie Shavers, Ken Norton, Sonnie Liston, George Foreman, Ali, Frazier, Patterson...
Greats!!
He's now passed away 🙏🏾 but seeing these fights, now on TH-cam, makes me feel closer to him, once again! 💪🏾👍🏾👌🏾
He wasn't a Larry Holmes fan then.
@@kevindouglas8652
Holmes was a little later, I Remember watching Holmes myself; those others were already history, when my father would tell me about them.
The thing with Ali.He used to put on weight big time,between fights.You would see him,eating while on TV shows,badly out of condition.6 weeks later he would climb into the ring,take off the robe,and there stood this magnificent,strapping athlete.And that's what he was.
May your father RIP 🙏🏾
@@kevindouglas8652 yap Larry was not a boxer by then
Amazing that Ali had that much confidence at age 22.
Not as much confidence as mike Tyson at19 and then becoming world 🌎 champion at 20 , unbelievable 🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊
@@leecorcoran6174 Tyson had great power and speed but didn’t act anywhere near as cocky as Ali did. Especially with an opponent like Liston who was regarded as almost unbeatable
That's what it takes to be the GREATEST.
@@loyaldude10 Ali is much smarter than Mike. He's being an entertainer.
@@leecorcoran6174More confidence. Ali predicted that he would be heavyweight champion when he was 12 years old.
Imagine Ali on Twitter at the age of 25......
GeneralKayoss lmao
BEST off without that rubbish we leave that nonsense to CLOWNS like Trump
He was an introvert Angelo was responsible for his antics
@@peterwood-jenkins3634 Trump is your president tho. How's that Russian collusion impeachment conspiracy theory working out? lol
thank God he was around before all that fake shit
In 1967 Ali was convicted of draft evasion, was stripped of his boxing title and missed 3 years of professional boxing. Those 3 years were his prime years. When he came back to the ring in 1970, he was not the same boxer. He lost some of his quickness and stamina. It is very tragic that we missed out on seeing his best years.
It's sad that this happened to Ali when Bill Clinton was a draft dodger and was still able to be president of the United States 😢
@@Charlotte-bn4gp Yeah, like George Bush.
@@Mister_PedanticJoe Biden.
This in his prime 1960's version of Ali is hands down the greatest heavyweight ever. He could not have been beaten by anyone.
Thing is. This isn’t even his prime. His true prime was when he was laid off for 3 years.
@@anitelufalemei4200 Sort of poetic in a way. Ali’s existence is proof it’s possible to be greater than the Ali we saw, and we will never know what that looks like.
Watch the Hery Copper fight the one before this he was almost beat saved by the bell. He would have lost
@@MikeSmith-cn6ub bruh he beat copper twice lol
@@MikeSmith-cn6ubHe wasn't saved by the bell. He got up and walked to his corner. If he had been saved by the bell- he would have still been lying on the canvas while the referee was counting.
Ali is like no heavyweight before or after. Such an athlete! I'm no expert but his combination of movement, boxing technique, hand speed, and demeanor make him the best ever in my eyes.
TRUTH
I watch this fight like 20 time and i can still watching this fight 1000 times more!
I know, totally addictive, what with the surprises and shifts in the action. Could only imagine how fascinating it was for people watching it then, who probably expected Liston to KO Clay all along... at least until Clay took everything Liston threw in the 5th without being in trouble. One could hardly write a better script for a fight in which one retires after 6 rounds.
Maybe after 20 more times you'll finally realize that it was a fixed fight.
@@ballhawk387 You're right, they wrote a great script for this 'fight'.
@@MrMarco855 😂😂😂😂
The funniest part was when th guy was interviewing Ali and Ali randomly starts screaming "I am the king of the world!".
Ali was hard to hit AND he could take a punch. You'd have to throw 300 punches to hit him 10 times but then he hits you twice for every punch you throw. The numbers are bad news for you!
How can I be hard to hit too
Barack Uzamaki i think you need a seriously large pain tolerance
sevenrats; at this point Ali was unbeatable.
@@bb1111116 well,he did go on to get beat by Frazier a few years later.but thats with all due respect to 2 of the best heavyweights ever
Joshua Tree; Frazier was great. But after Ali came back from his suspension, at 28 years old, when he was past his prime.
" I'M A BAAAD MAN!
" I MUST BE THE GREATEST "
"The doctor said he threw his left arm outta the socket"
"Yeah, swingin at nuthin, who wouldn't?" Hahahaha! Classic! 41:01
Yea he couldn't hit what he didn't see
Lol Ali was hilarious og and true pioneer the greatest boxer ever
I thin Liston ripped off history with this fight. He was being outclassed, was infuriated, and just quit. He was a bully who was able to thump the crap out of everyone but by the end of the 6th he knew he had no place in the ring with this kid. He could have made a much better fight, IMHO but sucked out.
@Zak Quinn the Liston who fought Machen would have stood no chance against Ali. I agree that Liston is one of the greats, and it sucks that he was older when he fought Ali. If he were in his prime we could be having a different discussion.
I think that Liston was left handed or ambidextrous. It's odd how his left jab/hook was what he smashed people with - if he could hit you. He was no faster with that jab in his other fights, and I do not believe that he was pulling punches in 1964. Who knows how bad the injury was. I hate this type of situation were no resolution is available.
I want you to watch the first 4 rounds and count how many punches Liston squarely lands and compare this with misses. Do the same with his fight with Patterson. Ali slid almost all of Liston's jabs, and those jabs were no different than any fight Liston had, ever.
When Ali was complaining about his eyes he was taking bombs, and this leads to another point - that Ali was legendary at taking punishment.
I think some fighters are just bad matchups for other fighters, and I think this is the case here. Ironically, Liston would have crushed Frasier and Ken Norton - who I feel were Ali's only true losses. BTW, I do not think 1964-65 Ali would have lost to either of these two.
I just watched three early fights and loved them. Liston Besmanoff is a good fight and Liston looked fit. His story is just so odd! Imagine if he started as a kid and trained with the best and then went to the Olympics before turning pro with supporters who believed in him. It would have been a totally different career story.
He seemed like and interesting man. I noticed in the Besmanoff fight that the two of them touched gloves at the end of some rounds. At the end of the fight both showed great respect for the other.
I liked the Tyrell sparring session, and Liston's comment about Tyrell hugging him more than his wife!
@@ernestboykin3rd706 Larry Holmes would disagree with you. He claims Ali is the most overrated fighter of all time.
Feliz de poder ver la pelea que antaño de niño al lado de mi padre, que en paz descanse. Solo lo escuchamos por radio,. Me hizo recordar mi niñez, gracias
The best thing about this is there's no Don King.
Yeah
"Amen" to that!!!
???... back then you had the mob. Don came later & was good for the sport. He did nothing diferent than what Bob Arum was doing. He just had a lot of hair & a different complexion that always smiled when they tried talking bad about him.
No Howard Cosell either.
tLotS replace _Don King_ with _Devil_ and the meaning is still the *same*
Ali is and will always be my favorite fighter
John Wilkerson because he had true nobility of character, will and desire and one of the few to sacrifice what he was famous for..for who he is and his true touch with humanity at such a young age, is astonishing.
Some times you can watch history being made.
The crown is taken from the old and given to the new.
This is one of those times.
The crown was taken in a back room deal in Las Vegas. What you're seeing here is a choreographed work of deception.
Liston left hook was meant to knockout Ali in second round. THIS Fight wasn't fix.
After growing up watching live boxing with my grandparents for years since childhood and hearing story's about the fights of old, and my pap doing impressions of the og announcers echoing his voice at dinner, always hearing tales of the greatest fights. I found this at 3 am and was brought to tears in a multitude of ways while sitting up and screaming at the television like they were in the room with me still. This is the greatest boxing match I've ever seen and probably of all time. Thank you for uploading.
He wanted to go to heaven SO I TOOK HIM IN SEVEN lol
😂😂👌👌 epic
The greatest 🙏🙏
Definitely in heaven he was a helper of Men
The first tine Ali said/shouted " Im the greatest" and indeed he was, and he will always be.. RIP.. Ali.
Of All Times!!!!!!
why I say a man winning the Heavyweight championship at the age of 22 must be the best.
I was 10 years old when this happened, the grown-ups thought Ali was all talk but all the little kids loved him especially his rhymes, all the kids in my neighborhood wanted to box like Ali ..well clay back then
I was 11... That’s when THE WEAVE first became popular! Nobody thought you could just WEAVE out of the way of a punch - not like ALI did!!
This video needs preservation status on TH-cam.
So true i agree
@@americanpatriot3759 me too
not even original
I’ve watched it a thousand times and if I watch it a thousand more times, Ali’s footwork and head movement will always put me in awe.
SO TRUE Its my personal most watched video of all time Unbelievable speed of CLAY This was the real Start of CLAYS Incredible Journey
@@peterwood-jenkins3634 fought a round near blind
Cassius Clay, sonny liston, joe Louis, sugar ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano and Sam Cooke all in the same ring - it’s what dreams are made of.
Muhammad Ali
Cassius Clay aka 'Ali' still remains Cassius Clay
Got
Dance
Thanks
SAM COOKE?
2019 still watching!
C Wilson people will still be watching in 3019 😂
Yup me too!
Although Sonny Liston is now viewed more as “The Guy Who Lost The Heavyweight Championship To Ali”, he was one hell of a champion. The guy was feared for a reason. Even Ali admitted he had the upmost respect for Liston. Ali taunted him because he knew psychological warfare was just as important to beating Liston as physical skill. Ali wanted Liston to think Ali was full of it so he could surprise Liston with his true talent. And it worked perfectly. The only people who truly were able to get past the psychological games Ali played were Frazier, Norton, and Holmes.
Holmes was the only one because he was Ali sparing partner but as for Frazier and Norton it made them more focus
Liston was the last of the old-style heavyweights, Clay was the new, nimble future.
The thug Tyson turned the clock back, but only briefly.
Such a disappointing finish.
Lol, Ali was waaaay past his prime facing Holmes.
Ali said Liston hits harder than George Foreman
This fight, the foreman fight and the Frazier trilogy is why Ali is considered the greatest
🎯.
Hollering "I'm the greatest that ever lived" right into the face of Joe Louis and not giving a damn...
right lol joe rolled his eyes lol
Confidence
@@michaeldundee8300 Disrespect. This was a 22 year old kid, by any measure it's absurd and shameful for Ali to have done that. Even more so in those days.
@Alf G well he wasn't Joe Louis is the GOAT
@@therumbleinthejunglee Ali is way greater then joe Lois whoever thinks otherwise does not watch boxing
What a man. Beautiful boxing from Ali. Hit and not be hit at it's best.
Happy 60th anniversary to the first fight between Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) on February 25, 1964. Never forget this moment. RIP Muhammad Ali (FKA Cassius Clay) and RIP Sonny Liston.
The fight that changed the world
''HE'S HURT HIM IN THE BODY WITH A RIGHT HAND''' . ALI DIDN'T LOOK HURT TO ME.
He couldn't have been because Liston wasn't really fighting.
I agree. The announcer was just saying anything?
Ali never looked hurt. We learned he can take a punch
MrMarco855 lol you are definitely what is wrong with people today
I suppose at ringside it might be different.The sound from the impact of the body shot,it might have looked painful but it didnt hurt Ali.
Imagine being in the same building as Willie Pep, Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Sonny Liston, future Muhammad Ali. All of them in the same building, history of boxing just amazing. Imagine being able to have a photo with those legends.
mike tyson?
Don’t disrespect Sam Cooke. Sam Cooke was also there.
A remarkable fight that signaled the beginning of one of the greatest heavyweight boxing champion in history. We'll never see another one like him. As-salamu alaykum, champ!
Liston standing there blinking at the end of round 1, just going: "What the fk?!", basically......I read in a biography of Muhammad Ali, where Sonny said, years later, that his first reaction to Ali's ("Clay's") incredible defensive and evasive skills, and in particular, upon his landing his first combinations on Sonny, was one of utter and absolute shock. He stated that Ali hit with so much more power and real sting than anybody had ever realised, and that his actual power shocked him; that the accuracy, timing, and placement of his shots were nothing short of incredible, and redoubled the effect thereof. Sonny also explained that Ali's ("Clay's") handspeed, footspeed, and the sheer level of his reflexive, defencive skill basically defied all means of description, and had to be experienced firsthand for one to ever have any means of ever being able to have any chance of comprehending the level and degree thereof.
What an absolutely incredible heavyweight boxer...(!!).. What an absolute all-time legend.
Max Respect, and RIP Muhammad Ali.
His legacy will live on forever.
Sean O'Brieon I doubt Liston ever gave an interview about Clay or about this fight at all. You can’t believe it just because you read it in a book. Liston didn’t trust reporters - for good reason - and basically didn’t give interviews.
@@syourke3 you are very confident in your knowledge. Where is your basis for it.
@@syourke3 that's not true... There are interviews of Liston online
Sujit Sharma Yeah. He says about three words.
Liston didn’t live long enough to give a “years later” interview.
It’s so beautiful, the way Ali boxed, there is really no one like him.
1960s Muhammad Ali was beautiful to watch.
Almost flawless in every way. Lighting fast as hell
E re
@@lewisgodfree6826 what does that mean
Nah Cassius was great, Muhammad is the greatest
As Heaven
Ali is the greatest heavyweight but he defiently had more flaws than others
37:07 ”Im the king of the world… I’m pretty”
We will never have a boxer as charming and charismatic as Mohamed Ali.
Rest in peace ❤️
What a man!! Dancing, dodging, fighting with his hands down. Who else can do it ? Ali is really the GOAT. Only haters would say the game was fixed.
And to Sonny's fairness, he was past his prime , never should have looked at clay to fight , but he let the public n Clay's mouth get em in trouble, no one knew how great he really was until that night, by then it was to late for the public n Sonny,, all you haters had to eat crow,, n still excuses were made for Sonny,, instead of just given clay his props,,
HATERS AND MISERABLE ASSHOLES WHO KNOW NOTHING OF THE "SWEET SCIENCE"!!!!
This was the birth of the champion. Respects on the day of your departure. Rest in Peace champ.
Sudipto Roy Ameeen!!!
Sonny Listen used some powder to make Ali blind, you can hear Ali saying it in the interview.
My dad told me people in the crowd were saying Clay cheated the whole match by ducking punches the way he did lol
Draft dodger...
@@georgeleicht9917 ass hole
My grandma showed me Muhammad Ali when I was young and got me all these pictures of him boxing and what not. By the time I was 10 I heard he had died and I was devastated. Rest in Peace ✌ 😥
I listened to it on the Radio with my Father & Brother ! Never will forget it. I was 10 yrs.old❤
I remember hearing this fight on the radio when I was 10 years old. My dad was rooting for Sonny Liston but I soon began to like Mohamed Ali the best. I am 65 years young and I love martial arts and practice karate . This is the first time I watched the fight on video and it appears that Sonny Liston tried to cheat by putting oinment on his gloves to make Ali not see but Ali still beat him which makes it even more impressive!
TRUTH
You should have seen a fixed fight, I guarantee it was fixed.
@@MrMarco855 You're waving the BS flag in solidarity Brother, I think you can stand down at this point lol Ali will always be the greatest regardless of assclowns like you
@@magicsugarbump4972 You're right, he will always be the best in the eyes of those with an emotional attachment. Only a guy with a man crush on Ali would insult a stranger for voicing his opinion. The emotions you are not in control of disqualify you from making a fair assessment. On the other hand, I care about the truth and about history. If it was up to you recorded history would be driven by emotion nonsense. Ask anyone, your response is too strong to be unbiased. A very biased opinion is worse then no opinion at all.
I've done research, you haven't. I didn't need research to convince myself, it was for the benefit of die hard knuckle heads such as yourself. I got tired of people that had no idea about the subject matter insisting that there's no evidence of a fix. There's plenty of evidence it turns out, but that was a waste of my time for the most part. A guy that's too emotional regarding a particular issue doesn't want evidence, they want things to be the way they want things to be. A level headed, open minded truth seeker would appreciate evidence brought to show, but most hard nosed Ali fans aren't in that category. I can fill a book with facts and very persuasive information but you wouldn't open and look at the first page.
I'll ruffle your shorts a little more, Ali had one other fixed fight, making a total of 3 fixed fights in his career. Watch the Zora Folley waltz, tell me you think that was a real fight. They circled close enough to hug each other, neither man had the desire to throw a punch. Folley went down on a soft punch, then acted like a damn fool trying to get up. A fixed fight by my guarantee. I know that doesn't impress you but it should. I'm much older, much wiser and far more intelligent from day one. If you're willing to accept anything then accept this; take advice from older men, it allows you to gain wisdom and to avoid risk and danger, without paying the price that others will pay while learning the hard way. Okay gomer,........and put your wallet away, this was free advice.
No one could seem to hit Ali in the face, so they all went to the body, which never worked. Reportedly he would get up in the morning and pee blood. But body shots never wore him out. That's what great shape he was in.
Wow this Cassius guy looks just like Muhammad Ali.
He later changed his religion to Islam and renamed as Muhammad Ali.
@@shazebalamkhan um
alam khan shazeb yeah looks like someone didn’t get the joke
@@shazebalamkhan it was a joke man lol
@@SONOFPEARL315 oh... hahaha 😂
I personally think something was on Sonny's gloves that made Ali's eyes hurt and when it did not work as planned sonny threw the towel in so to speak
It was oil
@@hollowdragon2897 basically cheated right?
It was ointment
@@nabeelhakeem3593 yep
it was an accident. A substance that Liston's cut man put on his cut under his eye after round 3 to stitch it up. Sonny touched it with his gloves accidentally and when he hit Cassius it made its way to his eyes. That seems to be the most believable explanation. Sonny didn't have to cheat, because he didn't take Clay seriously. He barely trained for the fight and drank all night before. Therefore many doubt he had anything to do with that. Don't forget the majority of the public and experts gave Clay 2-3 round max until ge gets knocked out. It really did shake up the world.
I have to keep reminding myself that Ali's a heavyweight here!
Nowadays heavyweights are 7ft 400 pounds on average
@@7Frosty7 Ali would still beat them
Wow. Holy shit. This is how you get Ali. The other Ali fights are extraordinary, but this guy in his prime is unbelievable. He doesn't duck punches. He doesn't block 'em. He just makes them slip through. Liston looks like a man catching smoke. Ali is fast and furious. No man could beat this man in his prime. That's a simple fact. Anyone who thinks a guy like Tyson is better has watched Zaire Ali and Manilla Ali. Ali here is unbeatable.
Antonio Guanaes
Tyson asked Cus how does one beat prime Ali, Cus had a strategy for all the boxers they watched on the flim-all the boxers through history, in the collection of Cus', the reply to Tyson was "there was no strategy, Ali was not beatable at his best" Tyson then agreed and still agrees.
Antonio Guanaes Ali in the '70's was still an awesome fighter, but very different from the young man who shook up the world in 1964. When he was in his prime, in his 20's, he was just plain unbeatable - no one could hit him, he was just too damned fast. His jab was lighting quick and he could slip punches by just moving his head back, did not even try to block them with the gloves! Liston had never seen anything like this kid and you can just imagine what was going through his mind during the fight. "What the fuck?! Who is this guy?! What do I have to do to land a punch?!" Ali was robbed of his very best years - and so were all of us who appreciate how incredibly awesome he really was in his prime. He was a matador and Liston - well, Sonny was just the bull! And Sonny Liston was, a very great heavyweight. I do not think any fighter other than Clay could have beaten him. And very shortly after this fight, young Mr. Clay announced to the world that he had joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammed Ali! Holy Shit! Talk about shaking up the world! That news hit like a bombshell! The White Establishment media just went ape - you mean, this brash young kid with the big mouth who just whipped Liston is a friend and follower of (gasp!) Malcolm X!?! Suddenly, a lot of people who used to hate Sonny Liston for being a bully, a thug and a goon (he once dumped a cop into a trashcan and took his gun!) started to root for him to take back the crown! Hah, hah!
Antonio Guanaes Mike Tyson was much faster than Liston. Liston being slow made Ali look very hard to hit. But if you check his previous fight against Cooper he was hit several times. Having said that, I think a peak Ali defeats Tyson because of his superior chin, stamina and heart.
Johny Law
The other thing, is that Ali was coming into his prime just about around the period of Cleveland Williams and Zora Folley, just after that period, would be his prime, but, we were robbed of it. The world never saw him in his ultimate prime form. The Cooper fight, while Ali was good, he was still developing, and he didn't prepare for those fights as much as he did for Liston.
Tyson would of did any man in his prime I believe no one fights like him he was all out first round till the last round pure anger and aggression
Clay (Ali) bowing to Sugar Ray twice. Respect for the acknowledged greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all-time.
Yeah Ali was always super respectful of Robinson. Always said Robinson was a greater fighter pound for pound.
...and SO many great champions there. Legends. Wow. It's 2019 and incredibly, I'm watching this for the first time.
Real Talk Ali said and I quote"I want to be a heavyweight Sugar Ray Robinson".
@@knowledgesomemore3564
Thats where he got his moves and style from.
@@knowledgesomemore3564 He was.
Slip,duck,roll,dance,lateral movement,head movementshoulder blocks,open palm blocks...this was a lesson on boxing from a boxing GOD!
The fact that the score was even when it ended is ridiculous. Ali was in complete control from the first bell, even when he couldn't see. This was a truly remarkable performance.
I had Liston winning rounds 2, 4, and 5. Having an even scorecard is fair, even if it doesn’t tell the full story
I could only see Liston winning round 5. 2 and 4 could only be given to Liston based on heavy confirmation bias.
I would give Ali rounds 1,3, and 6. Liston rounds 2, 4, and 5. But of course that wouldn't really tell the story of the fight. Overall IMO Ali dominated most of the fight beginning to end with the exception of round 5 where he was fighting blind, and was basically beating the sh!t out of Liston in the 6th, when he quit in the 7th. Liston was just plain outclassed by a better fighter who the world was only beginning to get to know. Liston knew he was going to lose. He managed to make it out of round 3 when Ali almost dropped him, but he was terribly damaged. After the 6th, he knew the jig was up and that he would eventually lose if he continued.
That head movement in the first round from clay was very beautiful to watch.
HA HA. I thought exactly that. He was slipping punches like it wasn't shit. AND IT WASN'T. For him. #TheGreatest
Back in this age, any person had been well dressed. Cool suits, shirts and haircuts. Look at the cap Sonnys trainer is wearing. These had been MAD MEN-times. Love this era.
One thing liked about this era, the heavyweights weren't all fat out of shape monsters that killed you with their weight.
lmao "I SHOOK UP THE WORLD" This dude was something else
Believe it or not...I met Ali on two separate occasions. Initially, I saw him while he was sparring with Jimmy Ellis for his match with Zora Folley in the the old Madison Square Garden circa 1967... followed by the extraordinary good fortune of meeting him in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans in May of 1985. In the lobby of the Hyatt, I enjoyed an uninterrupted, 10 minute conversation with the champ. Clearly suffering from the symptoms of Parkinson's, nevertheless, he was both charming and positively gracious. By far...my fondest memory to date.
Lucky man
In the most respectous way possible, i am jealous; God Bless You all, Ali was and still is a Giant among us, a different breed of person, the truly Greatest Ever
YESSS that was Ali I lived on the next block from him when he stayed in Chicago The champ knew me on first name basis.I went to lunch at Valios in Hydepark with the champ one evening.He Saw Me and two other guys and invited us to lunch. I've been around the champ more than I can remember. But my fondest memory has to be one night walking home and heard a Horn blow. I looked up and it was the champ I don't care how many times you could see Ali he ALWAYS left you with something to tell your grand kids.
I had exactly the same experience with him in 1979, though at a different hotel in Sydney, Australia, where I happened to be working. I waited till he came out from having breakfast at the hotel bistro, and with no one else around approached him for an autograph. I thought he'd tell me to get lost, but instead he pulled up with his minder and chatted to me for a few minutes before giving me a very sweet and personalized autograph. He couldn't have been nicer, charming or kind and made me feel like I was the one person he wanted to stop and talk to that morning. Still have that autograph, framed, beneath a print of the famous knockout picture with Liston. Some years later I read of an interview he gave where he said that he never declined an autograph because he always tried to remain mindful of how much the moment might mean to the individual - I certainly saw it that day. A champ in and outside of the ring. :)
Liston was a mauler but no one had ever seen anything like Cassius Clay before, or really since.
Best Bout Gaming there’s only one Tyson Fury 😂
Respect the champs name my guy, theres a reason he changed his name.
Muhammad Ali*
@@harrywilly6155 Back when this fight happened, he still was Cassius. Let's stay true to history.
@@alkestos but when you reffer to him in 2020 you say Ali don't need to say Clay
I truly believe in his prime..no one could have beaten Ali..I was in Louisville and went to pay respects at his final resting place..I said your the best of all time..thanks for the memories champ..
By his grave there is a marker with words from the champ..The kindness you give to others in this world..is the rent you pay for your room in Heaven
Rest in peace Champ..You were the greatest
Kindness?? Frasier lent him money, then Ali called him a gorilla and an Uncle Tom...
@@dansullivan1246strictly for hype for the fight 😊
There's nobody in heavyweight history that would have beaten this version of Muhammad Ali
"You're Beautiful!" - Sam Cooke to Ali. Lol hilarious. Rest in Heaven Muhammad Ali and Sam Cooke
That's become a trite saying with no truth behind it. According to the Bible those two did not end up in Glory.
Tim Carr wtf are you talking about
Exactly what I said. There's nothing mysterious about it.
@@timcarr6401 who the fuck are you to say whether or not those two 'ended up in glory'?
Yes. I am 74 years young. I was 15 at this time. I have always been obsessed by Sam Cooke and Ali. Growing up in Glasgow Scotland. We were influenced by the black American soldiers who at that time were based in the naval base in Dunoon on the riverside in Scotland . I had just started going to the dancing on a Saturday night in Glasgow. Soul music was my obsession. Still is. But first time I heard Sam singing was around 1960. My uncle played his records. You send me. Then chain gang. I don’t need no therapy.I listen to the music of Sam Cooke. His music soothes my soul.
Isn't it amazing to think that a young Bruce Lee was most probably watching the same thing we are on his TV set in his house that evening!
As soon as I saw that footwork I was reminded the same thing, that that got translated into an entirely different physical are
Mr Lee did mimic his foot work after Mr Ali..
Bruce Lee would've been older than Ali at the time.
Bruce Lee shook up the world with Muhammad Ali.
Bruce Lee admired Muhammed ali. He watched and studied Ali’s fighs.
“ When you expand, I contract, when you contract, I expand”. Bruce Lee.
Think there is testimony of Bruce Lee and Ali meeting.
Ali was untouchable. Amazing reflexes
National Geographic used a strobe light. Ali could throw a punch in 1/100th of a second...no lie
Today it's called "running"
In this fight he wasn't touched but it wasn't his reflexes, it was orders from the mob.
Cus D’Amato claimed the great Muhammed Ali as the “boxing wizard”.
I saw this with my Grandpa as a little boy. And have watched this many times since then. It was also great to see another great fighter Joe Lewis. Thank you for uploading this
Ali was the trendsetter. Listen to the crowd. He was loved from the start. The way he moved was all new to people at that time. In general he is pure entertainment at its best.
He was hated back then for his big mouth and every one wanted him to get knocked out
@@milos7315 true, but only by the whites. who hated gobby boaster's anyway.
Joe Louis was the trendsetter
I Remember Listening to this fight on the radio I was 7 with my Grandfather we was so happy that Cassius Clay won
reg buc ..i aslo remember that morning..would love to hear that radio commentary again..I was a six year old Clay fan.
How to interview Cassius Clay; hold the microphone up don't ask questions and let him talk.
that was Howard Cosell's strategy.
His name is Muhammad Ali
John Mac Kongi
His name is Muhammad Ali
His name aint cassius clay
"Im the prettiest thing that ever lived" 🤣😍❤
No Heavyweight ever possessed the head movement Ali had. No Heavyweight ever possessed the hand and foot speed Ali possessed. Simply the Greatest Ever!
And to believe they’re still imbeciles that call this fight rigged.
Mike Tyson was faster at both, Cassius Clay still a Legend.
@@violent_bebop9687 Muhammas Ali*
@@violent_bebop9687 his name was Muhammad Ali
@@tby3502 Cassius Clay is the fighter in this bout. It's written on the back of the his corner men.
Announcers say CASSIUS CLAY.
Didn't have the name change until later.
I've just watched his footwork for the whole video amazing gliding on ice
You can really see how short life really is when you can watch the entire career of an all time great boxer from his youth to his retirement fight in the 1980s which was 30 some years ago and was in his 70s when he passed away....if you think about it 100 years is nothing
Terry Wilson and half of our lives we spend sleeping.
Def Style I really don’t understand why any person would want to commit suicide. It’s scary what the mind does to some people.
@@fa2359 you just said it,its scary what the mind does to people.People dont WANT to commit suicide.in their head its the only way out.
@@fa2359 Gotta charge that battery, man.
@Olaf Santos Who is Stu? What did Stu do to get involved here?!
Not sure why I fell in love with boxing at a very young age. Have loved to box, (neighborhood boys, Mom wouldn't allow me to fight girls) and cousins all my life. I know if I were born a boy, I would have boxed as a sport til I got too old😂 A senior citizen now, when no one is around, I still dance around and shadow box😊 Thanks for sharing this awesome fight! First time I've saw it and sure I'll watch again!...after I watch the second match between them 😊
Arm out of the socket?
Clay: "He was swinging at nothing."
Can you believe how long ago they fought!
He truly was!
I remember getting up in the early hours of the morning in the UK to watch this fight. I was still at school. The Brits were fascinated with the former Cassius Clay. Even more so when Clay won.
Ali was treated like Royalty by the Brits. The Brits were Ali's Biggest Fans.
The Spy yeah, Ali was loved back home in the UK. And I remember him being interviewed by Michael Párkinson, who was a great interviewer in the good old days of the 70s. That night Ali ate MPs lunch. It showed me how absolutely smart and intelligent Ali was. A great mind indeed.
"Sam Cooke, let that man up here!!"
I don''t know about that fight. It didn't make sense.
That was such a beautiful moment, tons of mutual respect
That was icing on the cake I was just thinking how awesome this moment would have been and then he did that
I was hoping to see Malcolm X in the crowd
' Look how confident this boy is!' Perfectly stated.
This man sparked the evolution of boxing in a world of brawlers
Javon Antoine I thought gentleman Jim Corbett and jack Johnson did that decades earlier?
ronsmac Nope
FREE GEMS It was a rhetorical question. Corbett changed what boxing was when he beat Sullivan and Johnson was the master of defense.
Willie Pep more so
I love the way Ali deals with the ointment in his eyes, realizes what happened, and made liston pay afterwards
I think Ali rehearsed that scene several times to sell the fix and it went pretty well.
Keep fooling yourself MrMarco855. Repeating your nonsense over and over still doesn't make it fact. It just reminds us of your stupidity and ignorance.
@@MrMarco855 Yes, and Earth is flat and is run by lizard people.
@@TheClinchMagazine I thought it was square and run by iamtman.
@@iamtman1 You keep following what others tell you and everything will be alright Goober.
Still the greatest victory celebration Ive ever seen. The Ali Shuffle
Class
Po
jaydimepc79 what about THIS victory celebration?
th-cam.com/video/CdUYfz82VdU/w-d-xo.html
I was a boy of four, my two older brothers were listening to this fight, my older brother was 22 and my next older brother was 7. We listen to this fight. I have lost both of them. The second brother died when he was 49, and my oldest brother was almost 82, he just left me in this dimension. Thank you for uploading this fight. I remember both of my brothers. Thank you. Danny Tukes FVSC
The way he beat Sonny Liston was very impressive, not a mark in his face, even fighting half-blind, and defeating on his stool at only 22 years old.
It's so impressive that a man can hardly believe it. If I didn't know better I might think it was not a real fight. If Ali had done anything more then he did I might have to wonder if the fight wasn't a fix. If Ali had won while both hands were tied behind his back I may have to consider that other possibilities were in play. If Ali had won without showing up at the arena that may be enough to change my thinking a bit.
What made this bout so great is Charles Liston was considered by The Great's such as Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey to be the greatest Heavyweight of all time. Liston actually did good body work, but, no one knew how skilled Muhammad Ali was, in particular, those who only "HEARD" him on the radio, but, could not see his incredible abilities. When looking at the upper body movement, the check hook, the well timed jab, the solid chin and overall athleticism you can see where, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Roy Jones Jr and Oscar De Lahoya have taken one thing or another from, THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!
liston was 39.
@James R. Puehl Sr. you have no idea WTF you are talking about.
No, Charles Liston was 32 Years Old actually, at the beginning of the fight they said he was 30 Years Old. Sonny Lied about his age.
Before ""Rope-A-Dope", there was "Dance-A-Dope".....
What about Box with Dope.
@@kevindouglas8652 That's mike tyson
22 years old and fighting a full grown excon,what a man, rest in peace champ,
Ali was full grown as they come too ...and whats Sonnys breakin the law got to do with fightin Ali ???
@@bobsaturday4273 nothing the guy is a bozo
@@frommarsentertainment3899 , you callin either of these great fighters names shows you're nothing but a stupid little punk bozo yourself
At one point in the 2nd or 3rd round Liston fires 9 or 10 punches, and Clay dodges every one. Incredible defense. That was what he lost during his 3.5 years in exile.
Ali certainly have a chin made out of granite. That left hook by Liston should put anyone else to ground, but Ali made it looks like nothing.
That was discovered later when he had a real fight with someone.
That was a powerful lefthook. This proves that this fight wasn't fix. That punched was meant to knock out Ali.
@@mobetter25 you can see why he got Parkinson's though.Taking that left hook from liston and multiple left hooks from Frazier.2 of the hardest hitting heavyweights ever and never got knocked out.Superhuman is the only word
Michael j Fox fought George foreman and Ali at same time. That is how Michel j Fox got Parkinson’s.