Remembering One Of Boxing's Storied Bouts
NPR
Friday, October 11, 2013
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Robert Siegel and Melissa Block recall the fight between Cassius Clay and and Sonny Liston, the fight at the heart of the off-Broadway play Fetch Clay, Make Man.
Transcript
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
One final note on that famous title fight between Liston and Ali. The legendary anchor punch that Mike mentioned is also known as the phantom punch. That's because many in the crowd didn't see it land and certainly didn't think that one quick punch could have dropped a man Liston's size. Even Ali seemed surprised. To this day, many wonder if the fight was fixed. After the fight, Ali headed over to broadcaster Steve Ellis and asked to see a replay.
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SIEGEL: With Ellis, Ali narrated as they watched.
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SIEGEL: And then came the famous anchor punch.
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SIEGEL: Muhammad Ali on May 25, 1965, moments after shocking the country by knocking out Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston in the first round.
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MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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