Featured Exhibit
Muhammad Ali inspects the scale as Sonny Liston stands on it at the pre-fight weigh-in.
Photograph by Howard Bingham
Finally, the Fight!
Ahead of the pre-fight weigh-in, Ali told one group of reporters to expect plenty of excitement, claiming he would expend enough energy to make it a "four-round weigh-in." On the contrary, he told the Associated Press, "I got a big surprise for you at the weigh-in--complete silence." Amazingly, the second claim turned out to be true.
When Ali entered the ring for the weigh-in, viewers booed, but when Liston entered the ring, cheers erupted from the small crowd. In a stark contrast to the weigh-in ahead of their first meeting, Ali remained calm and collected, and mostly silent, while he was weighed and his vitals were taken. His heart rate was perfectly normal and he even managed to get a smile from Liston when he squared up with the former champion with bare fists.
Sonny Liston, who trained harder than he ever had before, weighed in heavier than expected at 215 and 1/4 pounds. This weight was taken after he was first weighed at 220, a number his trainers vehemently rejected, and the fight officials decided it was not a great idea to have the scale on soft surface like a boxing ring canvas. After the scale was placed on a piece of plywood and Liston's accurate weight was recorded, Muhammad Ali, who had put on 25 pounds during his recovery from his hernia repair, weighed in much lighter at 206 pounds.
