Back then, Ali was still known as Cassius Clay, and at 22, he fought Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title at the Convention ...

When Muhammad Ali knocked down Sonny Liston on May 25, 1965, a 22-year-old photographer named Neil Leifer was ringside. Decades later, the image he captured still has our attention.

On May 25, 1965, Muhammad Ali took on Sonny Liston in a rematch of their 1964 fight. The bout lasted barely more than a minute, with Ali’s “phantom punch” knocking Liston to the canvas. To ...

What happened in the first fight between Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali? Clay (19-0, 15 KOs) weighed in at 210½ pounds, while Liston (35-1, 24 KOs) came in at 218. The referee was Barney Felix.

Ali actually defeated the heavy-fisted Liston twice, first in Miami Beach on Feb. 25, 1964, followed by the Lewiston rematch in 1965. Ali stunned the sports world both times. Even fate played a role.

Despite his back-to-back losses against Ali, Liston came back stronger. He won 15 of his last 16 fights before hanging up the gloves. IMAGO / Pond5 Images. The Latest Boxing News.

Ali entered the second fight with a 20-0 record, including 16 wins by knockout, but Liston was still the heavy favorite. Leifer, though, was convinced Ali would prevail in Lewiston.

Zenos Frudakis’ Muhammad Ali statue suggests, but does not duplicate, the iconic photo of the boxer standing over Sonny Liston during their fight in Lewiston, Me. (Emma Lee/WHYY) Philadelphia-based ...

Decades later, the sudden end of the Ali-Liston fight is still one of the most controversial in boxing history. Officially, referee Jersey Joe Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12 of the first round.