Ali-Liston II 50 Years Later: Sonny Got Hit, But Wasn’t KO’d

Published

10 years ago

May 25, 2015

It was the first time Cassius Clay entered the ring as Muhammad Ali, and the heavyweight champion of the world.

And it was the last time former champ Sonny Liston, 35-2, would ever participate in a world title bout. The date was May 25th, 1965 and Ali, 20-0 was making his first defense of the title versus the man whom he won it from 15 months earlier, Sonny Liston.

Prior to their first meeting, Liston was at the top of the food chain among the elite heavyweights in the world. Sonny was considered so formidable and dangerous during the late 1950s and early 1960s that heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson’s manager/trainer, Cus D’Amato, kept Floyd away from Liston as long as he could. Finally, upon Floyd’s insistence, due to the press labeling him as being afraid of Liston, he forced Cus to make the fight with Sonny. It turned out to be a disaster and no-contest. Liston knocked Patterson out in the first round to win the title and 10 months later dispatched Floyd again in the first round to retain the title. And it was shortly after Liston’s two demolitions of Patterson that many boxing aficionados and historians began proclaiming Liston as perhaps the greatest heavyweight champ of all-time, even greater than the immortal Joe Louis.

All these years later many forget how prior to the first Liston vs. Clay bout, Cassius Clay wasn’t taken all that seriously as a contender and fighter. He was considered to be charming and funny, but nowhere close to being a serious threat to Liston or even Patterson. It was assumed after getting torn apart by Liston when they eventually would fight, Cassius would be out of boxing shortly thereafter.

As a fighter Clay/Ali broke every rule in the boxing manual regarding his fundamentals and basics. He carried his hands at his waist. His movement was considered wasted and he was not a knockout puncher, something the hardcore boxing fanatics frowned at. On the other hand, Liston was a destroyer who held his hands high, applied steady pressure and was adept at cutting the ring off. He had an abundance of both short and long power….his left jab was straight and was thought to be the equal of getting hit in the face by a telephone pole. Liston was physically strong, thought to be impossible to hurt, and terrified his opponents just by staring at them. It was believed by many that Liston would hold the title as long as he wanted to and probably still be champ after Clay was gone from the sport.

And if the legend of Sonny Liston tumbled on February 25th, 1964, the night he couldn’t/wouldn’t come out for the seventh round against Cassius Clay because he injured his shoulder during the fight, thus relinquishing his heavyweight championship sitting on his stool, it’s obituary was written May 25th, 1965 when he was officially stopped by Muhammad Ali aka Cassius Clay in the first round of their rematch at St. Dominic’s Arena in Lewiston Maine. And it’s the loss to Ali in their rematch that really kills Liston’s perception and standing in the eyes of many boxing historians and observers as the truly remarkable all-time great fighter he was.

The loss to Clay in the first fight was often dismissed as Sonny starting to decline physically and unfortunately crossing paths with perhaps the greatest heavyweight ever (unknown at the time) who was entering his prime….Looking back in hindsight, it’s clear that Ali owned the style advantage over Liston. Add to that Sonny didn’t think too much of the young and boastful Clay as a fighter, especially after he was nearly knocked out in his previous fight against British heavyweight champ Henry Cooper. Ironically, Cooper’s management and advisers wouldn’t let him anywhere near or contemplate fighting Liston.

The Ali-Liston rematch 50 years ago, because of the way it ended, was the final shovel of dirt forever burying Liston’s persona as an all-time great fighter and champion. It wasn’t just that Liston was dropped by a punch that few sitting ringside saw, it was what happened while he was down and attempted to get up, that made the fight, should we say, appear to be a little fishy. The punch that felled Liston is known today as the “phantom punch.” However, countless replays over the last 50 years clearly show that Ali caught Liston leaning in with a short chopping right hand (Ali named it the anchor punch after the fight) on the point of his chin and he went down. The replay shows Liston’s chin jolt as the punch makes impact and he falls.

One can argue how hard the punch really was – what they can’t dispute is whether or not Sonny was actually hit by a punch. Liston ended up on his back when he went down, he then rolled over to his front, attempted to rise, failed, then tried again and succeeded. Once he was upright, he and Ali started exchanging punches. Soon they were broken up by referee and former heavyweight champion “Jersey” Joe Walcott, who was informed that Liston was down for more than a count of 10 and the fight was over. The official time was initially announced as one minute but a tape showed Liston falling at 1:44, rising at 1:56 and Walcott officially stopping the fight at 2:12.

Two things overlooked still, all these years later are: Liston was never given a count. A knockout isn’t in effect when a fighter has been down for 10 seconds, it’s the referee’s count of 10 which activates the call of KO.

Everybody counts at a slightly different tempo. Walcott never counted over Liston because Ali was running around the ring yelling at Liston to get up and fight. So the fact of the matter is, Sonny Liston was never counted out against Muhammad Ali during their rematch. And the other issue pertaining to the stoppage is, Liston was on his feet fighting and exchanging with Ali when the bout was officially ended by Walcott. Despite never counting over Liston, Walcott stopped the bout after Nat Fleischer, the founder of “Ring” magazine sitting ringside, yelled to Walcott that Liston was down for more than 10 seconds. So if Liston entered the ring with the intent of throwing the fight and taking a dive, why bother getting up and leaving things to chance?

There are no new revelations about the fight 50 later. It is conjecture as to whether Liston threw it or not. Sonny was never down as a pro before fighting Ali the second time. Marty Marshall broke his jaw during their first bout and he finished the fight on his feet. Cleveland Williams was a terrific puncher with both hands, and in five rounds of war in two fights, he didn’t do much more than get Sonny’s attention. So how could Ali, who only scored one other first round knockout in his entire career, get Liston out in less than two minutes of ring combat? The answer is, he didn’t. Liston was on his feet when the bout was halted.

I don’t know if Liston was in the tank for the fight, or even the first bout for that matter, because outside forces were supposedly backing and betting on Ali in both bouts. What I do know is, Liston was dropped by a good punch that he was moving into early in the fight while he was still a little stiff and tight. The referee never counted over him, nor did he attempt to because of Ali’s antics and theatrics. Liston was a bad actor on the canvas if he was acting, but he got up and resumed fighting it out with Ali. This points away from him looking for a way to dump the fight and lose.

One can draw any conclusion they chose to regarding both fights between Muhammad and Sonny. All I know for sure is, Liston, age 31, or older, was on the decline when they fought. Ali, age 23, was really beginning to fill out physically and was all muscle at that time. Looking back now, it’s easy to see that Ali had the size, speed, style and chin to be Liston’s stumbling block. And it’s quite evident that Liston’s two ugly losses suffered at the hands of Ali have wrongly held him down regarding his stature among the greatest heavyweight champions in history. Had there been no Muhammad Ali, Liston probably would’ve held the title another five years, through 1969. And that certainly would change things regarding his status among where he ranks among the greatest of the greats. Even with the two Ali fiascoes being part of his resume, I don’t think I can name five former heavyweight greats who I’d pick to beat Sonny Liston during his peak, circa 1958-62.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing

Published

1 day ago

January 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.

As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.

This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.

A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”

Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.

Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.

Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)

Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.

When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.

Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).

For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.

“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.

As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.

As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”

Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.

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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

3 days ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Mizuki-Hiruta-Dominates-in-her-U.S.-Debut-and-Trinidad-Wins-Too-at-Commerce

Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

4 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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