Looking at history encompasses a lot of events – some of them have very little to do with earth-shattering events in a political nature – some of them are earth-shattering events in Sports. One of those events was the first fight between Heavyweight Champion and newcomer Cassius Clay (before his transformation to Mohammed Ali.
Needless to say, the events of February 25, 1964 stunned the sports world and, if anything, proved almost all the pundits to be dead-wrong. Which further proves the notion of never underestimating the underdog.
To celebrate the moment, United Press International asked Clay to write his version of the fight, as a letter to his Mother:
“Hey Mom, guess who’s the new heavyweight champion of the world? Me. That’s right, Ma, your boy, Cassius. Didn’t I tell you I’m the greatest? I told them all I was but they didn’t believe me now although there are some people in this world you can never convince about anything. I know I talk a lot, I fight a lot, too. They all said I’d be scared of that big ugly bear, Liston. I sure was scared, wasn’t I? I was trembling in my boots. Are they kiddin’? I came to rumble and I did. I used my psychological warfare on Liston during yesterday’s weigh-in and I finished the job last night.
Now it’s up to him to chase me. I’ll gladly give him a return if he wants one. Makes no difference, though. It’ll be the same next time. I’m king to stay.
I’m beautiful. I’m the best. How about all those experts?” They said Liston would rip my head off with his bombs. I don’t know. My head is still on my shoulders today, and I ripped his face pretty good. I moved and he missed, that’s all. Even Joe Louis told me I did a good job. And you know how great he was. It takes one to know one. Didn’t I tell you I was the greatest, Ma?”.
Here is the complete fight, as broadcast over the ABC Radio Network on February 25, 1964.
