"Clay showed me that I'll get locked up for murder if we're ever matched." - Sonny Liston" 1963-03-13 : Muhammad Ali 202½ lbs beat Doug Jones 188 lbs by UD in round 10 of 10 Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA Referee: Joe LoScalzo 8-1 Judge: Frank Forbes 5-4 Judge: Artie Aidala 5-4 Unofficial Scorecards: AP: 5-4-1 Jones UPI: 6-3-1 Clay Long Beach Press-Telegram: 7-1-2 Clay Oakland Tribune: 5-4-1 Jones AP poll of 15 writers at ringside: 7 for Clay, 5 for Jones and 3 even UPI poll of 25 writers at ringside: 13 for Jones, 10 for Clay and 2 even Notes: Clay was a 3 to 1 favorite. A few days before the fight, Clay changed his knockout prediction from six rounds to four rounds. The fight was shown on closed circuit TV in 40 locations in 38 cities. A capacity crowd of 18,732 filled Madison Square Garden. The live gate was $104,943, and the closed circuit telecast brought in about $200,000. Clay earned about $90,000 and Jones $75,000. Named The Ring Fight of the Year. Quotes: "I didn't like the picture in the papers of Jones reading a book called The Rise and Fall of Cassius Clay." - Cassius Clay on why he changed his knockout prediction from six rounds to four rounds. "I would say I won the fight by about seven rounds to three." - Cassius Clay "I thought I won it no worse than 6-3-1." - Doug Jones "I thought I was going to finish him in the fourth, but he's tougher than I thought he was. I understand Liston is watching. When I get back to Miami, I'll take care of the bum. He'll fall in eight. I won't mess around next time." - Cassius Clay "I'm not knocking his big mouth. He made me a lot of dough. He talks a lot outside but doesn't show much in the ring. He better fight me again before he even thinks of Liston." - Doug Jones "Clay will be Liston's next title opponent at Philadelphia in June or July—after we get rid of Floyd Patterson on April 10." - Jack Nilon, adviser to Sonny Liston "Clay showed me that I'll get locked up for murder if we're ever matched." - Sonny Liston
His Ted Lowry moment. Im sure someone will point out how the comparison isn't picture perfect because of so and so reason. Yawn.
I know it's a controversial fight, but here is the way I saw it. Cassius Clay v Doug Jones Round 1: Jones Round 2: Clay Round 3: Clay Round 4: Jones Round 5: Jones Round 6: Even Round 7: Clay Round 8: Jones Round 9: Clay Round 10: Clay 5-4-1 Clay
The crowd booed the decision...they threw peanuts into the ring...Clay picked them up...ate them...and threw the shells back into the crowd!!!
Was kind of like the Danny Jacobs moment that GGG had. GGG looks poor; gets a Canelo paycheck. Clay/Ali looks vulnerable, get a title shot.
Whether you liked Cassius Clay back then or not, he was good for boxing. This mid-level heavyweight fight in mid-week, was shown on closed circuit TV in 40 locations in 38 cities. Followed by the Henry Cooper fight 3 months later with more controversy, and 9 months later with the Big Bear himself. (Of course, Angie Dundee's brother Chris, was a wrestling promoter in Miami, the site of the first Liston Title fight.) I scored the fight "close" Ali's way...when I watch it back in 1963.
7-3 Clay. All those whipped up into a frenzy about some phantom robbery are simply parroting something they heard their dad say once or just don't know how to score a fight.
It’s actually a great fight, this one. It might not seem much (7 lbs in weight) , but Ali grew into himself that bit more by the time he fought Liston - which made quite the difference, and he still had some filling out to do after he won the title. Oh boy, this fight then the Cooper fight next…as happenstance would have it, Liston was truly being misled as to who he would be actually facing come Miami, Feb1964. Amazing.
