The Fight That Shook Up the World! Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay, Jr.
Page from the interior of the Liston-Clay: Fight of the Century Magazine, 1964
Donated by George Kalinsky in 2015.
The Champion
Charles "Sonny" Liston was always a mysterious figure when it came to his personal history. He gave multiple birth dates and birth locations, making him anywhere between 29 and 33 years old at the time of his first fight against Muhammad Ali. Some speculated that he could have even been 34. What was consistent about his story, however, was his introduction to boxing--the Missouri State Penitentiary. Upon his release from prison, he competed in the 1953 United States National Championships and secured the 1953 Chicago Golden Gloves, then decided to turn professional in September 1953. He boasted a record of 33-1 when he challenged Floyd Patterson for the Heavyweight Championship in 1962, most of those victories coming from knockouts in early rounds.
On the day of his title defense against 22 year old Muhammad Ali, Liston weighed in at 218 pounds, his fists had a circumference of 15 inches, and his reach extended to 84 inches.
