Direct quote from Angelo Dundee on Clay's burning eyes in Miami

From Thomas Hauser's "Muhammad Ali : His Life and Times", a book that is largely and primarily made of direct quotes from people around Ali during his career.
Book came out in 1991.

(Page 75)

ANGELO DUNDEE : Near the end of the fourth round, Cassius started having trouble with his eyes. To this day, nobody knows exactly what the problem was. It might have been liniment from Liston's shoulder. My guess is, it was coagulant that his corner used on the cuts. Probably, Cassius got the solution on his gloves, and when he brushed them against his forehead, it left a layer of something that trickled down with the perspiration into his eyes."

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That's Dundee's guess, he thinks that is the most probable explanation.

I think it makes more sense than competing theories.
There's apparently a claim that Liston's trainer admitted to applying burning solution to Liston's gloves BUT I've never been shown any direct quote, and I suspect said cornerman (Joe Pollino) was dead before the story even came out.

Sports Illustrated March 1964, reporting the fight, had a similar story to Dundee, but say Dundee made it worse or partly caused the problem by pouring water on Clay's head, washing the substance INTO Clay's eyes.

Clay, in his rant interview after the fight, accused Liston's trainers and this is almost certainly where the whole conspiracy theory comes from. Clay was panicked and scared at the time so it is understandable why he thought of the most malicious cause, but it seems likely paranoia to me.

It's interesting that such a pro-Ali books as Hauser's doesn't mention the "Liston's corner try to win through foul play" theory, interesting that the conspiracy theory has grown since 1991.

Some people here have explained why they feel Liston "almost certainly" and "with little doubt" INTENTIONALLY blinded Clay, and why they feel the liniment/coagulant theories are impossible/unlikely.
But I tend to follow Dundee's idea of what's probable, and the report from Sports Illustrated.

But as Dundee says "nobody knows"

 

Pages 194 - 195 of "King of the World"

"As it happened, after the brutal and frustrating third round, Liston told his main cornerman, Pollino, to call on their own special advantage. The evidence is hearsay (Liston, Pollino, and Reddish are all dead) but as close to reliable as it gets in boxing. "It's very simple" said Jack McKinney, the Philadelphia Daily News reporter who was so close to Liston and Pollino. "Immediately after the fight, Joe, who was very close to me, unburdened himself to me. He told me that Sonny had told him to juice the gloves, and he went ahead and did it. Not only that, he said that they always were ready to do that in case of danger, and that they'd done it in fights against Eddie Machen and Cleveland Williams."


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Remnick allows that the whole story is hearsay, but then asserts its reliability, and recounts McKinney's story as if it is a certainty.

Jack McKinney seems to know all the details, according to Remnick, but I'd like to know where McKinney first told this story.

I know nothing about this journalist McKinney, so I'm not going to automatically swallow what he says about people who are not around to answer. Nor do I accept a story as "reliable" just because an author says it is so.
We have old mob guys quoted in Nick Tosches books saying they "were there" when the fix was arranged (for the same Miami '64 fight), but doesn't make it true OR relaible, and journalists and sparring partners who come out years later with "Liston told me this, Liston told me that". I'm not buying into these stories.

Dundee just offers an OPINION, what he thinks PROBABLY happened, and I prefer that. I think it's a reasonable theory. Also, I believe Dundee IS relaible and largely honest, whereas I dont know **** about these writers who claim they know all the shady details of Liston's life. Dundee makes his living knowing boxing, working corners, and good reporters report the fight as they happen. Some of these writers are just making stuff up, they cant all be telling the truth, so why should I believe any of them ?