The Phantom Punch The Story Behind Boxing’s Most Controversial Bout
The two fights between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston were amomg the most controversial in heavyweight boxing history. Ali, still known as Cassius Clay, won the first bout in Miami Beach in February 1964, when Liston refused to come out for the seventh round. The second fight took place in Lewiston, Maine, fifteen months later. Halfway through the first round, Ali countered a left from Liston with a fast right, knocking Liston down and seemingly out. That single lightning-quick blow, which many spectators didn't see, was dubbed the Phantom Punch —and it triggered a complex chain reaction of events that few people understood, either then or now. Even if you’ve seen films of the fight and think you know what happened, this book will change your perspective on boxing’s greatest controversy.
