Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay (Audio CD)

by Bill Cayton (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Bill Cayton's PRIME TIME BOXING

Presents:

Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay
February 25, 1964 and May 25, 1965

The heavyweight champion of the world in early 1964 was a seemingly unbeatable behemoth known as Sonny Liston.

Liston was a truly ferocious fighter who had trampled through the heavyweight division en route to two title bouts with previous champion Floyd Patterson, doing the unthinkable by knocking Floyd out in the first round twice. No one believed that anyone then living could beat Sonny Liston. Even the ranked challengers did not seem anxious for a title shot -- a situation unparalleld in boxing history.

Liston, a 215-pound wrecking machine with an incredible 84-inch reach, was the most feared fighter in the history of boxing. Sonny Liston had emerged from prison in the early 1950s to win the mid-west Golden Gloves. Immensely strong with a great natural left, he compiled a professional record of 14-1 from 1953 to 1956, when he was sent back to prison for assaulting a policeman. Released in 1957, a new and improved Liston clubbed his way through the heavyweight division.

Young and handsome Cassius Clay, dubbed “The Louisville Lip” by newsmen for the non-stop way he ran his mouth, was a teenaged boxing protege. He capped his sterling amateur career by winning the Gold Medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy.

Turning pro under the sponsorship of a group of Louisville businessmen, Clay was undefeated for the next three years, stunning boxing people with his skill, speed and braggadocio, even daring to name the round in which he would dispatch his opponents -- and usually making good on his predictions.

But English heavyweight Henry Cooper actually knocked Clay down in the closing seconds of the fourth round at Wembley before Cassius stopped him on cuts. Clay claimed he hadn’t seen the punch, a hook.

“If he couldn’t see Cooper’s,” said one expert, “how is he going to see Liston’s?”

Almost everyone thought Cassius was crazy to fight Liston, and Sonny was installed a heavy favorite at 7-1. In the popular mind, the brash young man seemed likely to get killed.

The stage was set for Sonny Liston versus Cassius Clay at the Miami Beach Convention Hall on February 25, 1964.

Liston’s dead pan, bad guy, superman persona and Clay’s brash charisma have been made it an eagerly anticipated bout.

And so we go to ringside. Barney Felix is the referee. Liston has weighed in at 218, Clay at 210 and a half. Les Keiter will do the blow-by-blow with Howard Cosell ringside color analyst. Keiter was well known for his work in NFL football. Keiter combined the excitement of Sam Taub and Clem McCarthy with the accuracy and professionalism of Don Dunphy when it came to doing boxing. His voice, a baritone, was clear but never shrill.

The rest is history. Clay went on to score an unbelievable knockout upset of Liston.

The Liston-Clay contract had provided that Clay’s first defense, if he won, was to take the return bout with Liston. That return, originally scheduled for November 16, 1964, had to be postponed until May 25, 1965 when Ali underwent an operation for a hernia.

Many felt the Clay-Liston bout in Miami Beach was a fluke. In fact, Liston claimed that he had injured his left shoulder -- the same shoulder that had caused a postponement of his rematch with Floyd Patterson in 1963.

The aura of Sonny Liston, the unbeatable, unstoppable behemoth, was still there despite the loss to Clay. Liston is a slight favorite over Ali in their rematch. The referee is former world heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott.

Your blow-by-blow commentator for the heralded rematch is the much experienced Russ Hodges. Big-voiced Van Patrick and the veteran Bill Stern are the color men at ringside. The champion, announced as “Muhammad Ali” by ring announcer Johnny Addie, is referred to as “Cassius Clay,” the name by which he won the title, by the broadcast team. Not until the 1970s would this new name, Muhammad Ali, be fully accepted by the boxing community, and indeed by the world.

About PRIME TIME BOXING

Programming that cannot be duplicated or found anywhere else, PRIME TIME BOXING features the legendary Don Dunphy, the all-time most dynamic and knowledgeable boxing commentator describing the most exciting and memorable fights of Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson and all the other great champions.

Through the incredible magic of the original radio broadcasts listeners will be able to "see" the fights for the first time - in the theater of their mind! A magical replay of exciting sports history presented on audio CD, PRIME TIME BOXING includes the greatest fights ever, including many that have never been filmed or broadcast on TV.

About the Author
Described by Muhammad Ali as the man who "...preserved boxing's special heritage, a heritage that might have been lost without your early insight," Bill Cayton is an authentic legend in the world of boxing.

Besides bringing boxing to television, Cayton built the world's greatest collection of fight films, saving for posterity films of such greats as Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, and Muhammad Ali.

Named Manager of the Year an unprecedented 14 times, Cayton managed champions Wilfred Benitez, Edwin Rosario, Tommy Morrison, Vinny Pazienza, Michael Grant, and Mike Tyson, who for years was regarded as not only the most talented, but the best managed and best-marketed fighter in the world.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Cayton Sports, Inc. (January 2, 2001)
• ISBN-10: 0970837143
• ISBN-13: 978-0970837141
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,425,850 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Making Of The Legend, Parts I and II, December 22, 2006

By	Mr. Richard D. Coreno "Mr. C" (Berea, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Bill Cayton literally spent a lifetime in boxing, but he may be best remembered for releasing a number of CD's on legendary championship bouts from the original radio broadcasts through the Prime Time Boxing moniker.

This CD is the two Ali-Liston fights - I believe as many do that Ali had converted to the Nation of Islam before the first match - with Ali capturing the world title in a stunning 1964 upset and then defending the title by a "stunning" knockout in 1965.

Liston was considered unbeatable before the first fight - and his ring presence was captured in the classic Esquire magazine cover photo of the then champion attired in a Santa Claus outfit and wearing his "game face."

There were pundits - perhaps prejudiced by Ali's religious awakening - who felt the 1964 victory was a fluke, probably due to an injury Liston suffered in the earlier rounds. And controversy swirled around the second match, as it is still reported that Ali won through a "phantom" punch, with Liston taking a very bad dive.

Liston's boxing career as a major contender seemed to be over after the second Ali match, but by 1970 he had positioned himself back into the title chase before his untimely death (murder?) on December 30th of that year.

The CD places the listener at the championship fights as they took place. These bouts are as much cultural history as a narrative from the annals of the sport. It is a must for those who are interested in 1960s pop culture as much as it is for boxing fans.

5.0 out of 5 stars SONNY LISTON WAS THE MAN !, February 15, 2009

By	Joseph Franklin Taitano "RAIDER JOE" (CHULA VISTA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

GREAT ITEM WITH EXCELLENT SOUND AND QUALITY.LISTON WAS NOT SUPPOSE TO WIN EITHER FIGHT AS HISTORY WAS CREATED WITH CASSIUS CLAY AT THE EXPENSE OF SONNY LISTON. LISTENING TO BROADCAST ALMOST FEELS LIKE LISTENING TO FIGHT THE NIGHT LISTON WAS DETHRONED. BECAUSE OF HIS PASS LEGAL MISCHIEFS HE NEVER GOT THE CREDIT HE DESERVED.