Dennis Claxton:
> I've been waiting for this one to come out for a while. I love Ali.
> I've got a picture on my wall of him standing over Sonny Liston in
> their second fight. First minute, first round.
I'm a big Ali fan as well, but as Nick Tosches suggests, and I now tend to agree with, Liston threw both fights, esp the second one. Ali didn't have the punching power to take out a man of Liston's size and strength that fast, not to mention that Liston was felled by a "phantom punch." Add Liston's involvement with the boxing underworld, and . . .
Dennis
-------------------------------- Well, I tend to doubt that Liston threw either fight, but if he did, it was in his best interest. Ali would have cut up Sonny pretty badly had they gone into the late rounds. Liston had no answer for Ali's speed and movement - not that anyone else did. Ali's greatest moment was "The Rumble In the Jungle." For an Ali long past his prime to beat a young, prime Foreman - the all-time monster - was truly epic. "When We Were Kings" is well-worth watching in this respect. (Actually, the final punch that knocked out Big George is very much like the so-called "phantom punch" that felled Sonny in the second fight; it was just filmed much better.)