Liston's cornerman on the KO loss to Ali

If something looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it may just be a duck.

btw, always enjoyed reading Jim Murray, and from all accounts he was a great gentleman and all around fine fellow, and may he RIP.

 

both liston and bonavena were coming in to him as Ali's punch connected. i think liston was caught cold and hit by a perfectly timed punch he didn't see (his foot is off the ground) - he probably stayed down but he was up and still fighting when it was stopped by Walcott - bloody Nat Fleisher. I think it was only the 2nd or 3rd punch Ali threw in the fight.

 

Perhaps this was the fight that later inspired the song Kung Fu fighting.

 

Were you impressed by the punch, Bokaj?

 

HA HA....INDEED

 

Mythbusters says that that's not possible. Makes it even more incredible that Bruce Lee could do it!

 

One more controversy to ask about though Nat, the second Ali-Liston fight. Did Liston take a dive?

Nat Fleischer: I was sitting next to the timekeeper Frank McDonough. It is true, that after the knockdown, Walcott, who was acting as referee, allowed them to resume fighting. But the count had reached 10, Liston was actually lying on the canvas 20 seconds. I had caught Walcott's attention and McDonough informed him that the count had reached 10 and so Walcott stopped the fight. Liston never got the count. It was unpopular and cries of “fake” came from the crowd. But I believe the punch to be real. I saw it from the best seat in the house. After seeing the punch as Clay tossed it with a twist, then watching it several times on TV, there can be no doubt that is was

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that dropped Liston. It was the same kind of punch and that is why, despite not looking impressive at a glance, it was quite damaging.

Cox’s Corner: I basically agree. If you watch the fight on slow-motion replay you can see Liston’s head snap from the blow. He never saw it and those are the ones that usually do the trick. It was enough to knock him down but I don't think it was enough to knock him out. I thought the real controversy was the way the fight was stopped. Liston never received a count and Ali never went to a neutral corner. Liston later said he couldnt get up because Ali was standing over him. The count was illegal because of the neutral corner rule. Walcott should never have stopped that fight in my opinion, although there is no doubt in my mind Ali would have won anyway.

 

I think Liston's explanation of being too afraid to get up could be the truth, or it could be an excuse. Who knows. It's just one of boxings great mysteries. I try not to lose sleep over it.

 

A 23 or 24 year old man beating a 37 year old man back then was no big deal. Sonny is listed as being born in 1932, but it is well known it was 1928 or 29. Sonny was way past his prime when they fought.

 

Why would a karate chop inspire a song about kung fu? Karate is way cooler than Kung Fu.

 

Yet one of his greatest victories was only 9 months before the Clay fight.

He just met his match in a green, though stylistically difficult, match. Liston honks love to go on about how dangerous he was in the late 60's. And they are correct to some degree. However, he would have never been that dangerous to Clay/Ali. Styles make fights. And on the converse, some lesser fighters were more dangerous to Ali than Liston.