Ali's Knockout Punch: How a Photograph Stunned the Boxing World

Ali's Knockout Punch: How a Photograph Stunned the Boxing World — page 1
Chapter One STILL THE CHAMP Muhammad Ali stood in the middle of the boxing ring and stared at Sonny Liston Many called Liston the big bear but to Ali he was usually the the big ugly bear Ali was known for boasting about his skills and sometimes insulting his opponents which had earned him the nickname the Louisville Lip a reference to his hometown in Kentucky But Ali seemed to take special pleasure in taunting Liston At 6 feet 3 inches 190 centimeters Ali was taller than the big bear though Liston outweighed him by about 10 pounds 4 5 kilograms But Liston’s reach was much longer measuring 84 inches 213 cm from fingertip to fingertip with his arms stretched out to the side He could stay back from his opponent and still hit his target Ali’s reach was 6 inches 15 cm shorter Liston also had a thick chest and thighs and a powerful left-handed punch And he could take a hard punch In one of his bouts years before Liston fought several rounds after Marty Marshall broke his jaw Marshall said later that Liston didn’t even blink Marshall won that fight in 1954 long before Liston became the heavyweight boxing champion of the world But Liston went almost 10 years without another loss until a fighter named Cassius Clay beat him in February 1964 and took away his championship Now more than a year later Liston stood in the ring again for the first time since that fight trying to win back his crown Only now Cassius Clay was known as Muhammad Ali and he was determined to keep the