Mohammed Ali vs. Sonny Liston
Photographer: Neil Leifer
Date: May 25, 1965
Location: St. Dominic's Arena, Lewiston, Maine, USA
Neil Leifer photographed Muhammad Ali (formerly Cassius Clay) standing over a knocked-down Sonny Liston in the first round of their heavyweight championship rematch at St. Dominic's Arena in Lewiston, Maine, on May 25, 1965. Ali's right hand punch — so fast many in the audience did not see it land — dropped Liston. As referee Jersey Joe Walcott struggled to get Ali to a neutral corner, Liston remained on the canvas. Ali was declared winner by knockout, though the fight was immediately controversial: many spectators believed Liston had taken a dive. The fight has been called the 'Phantom Punch' fight. Leifer's photograph — Ali's mouth open in a shout, fist raised, towering over the prostrate Liston — is widely considered the greatest sports photograph ever taken. Sports Illustrated named it the top sports photograph of all time.
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