Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) defeated World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach on this date in 1964. The fight was one of the most anticipated, watched, and controversial matches of all time. This first of two meetings between the two heavyweights was held in the Miami Beach Convention Hall with over 8,000 people in attendance, and grossed nearly $4.5 million dollars. Clay was the underdog coming into the match, but dominated most of the fight. He eventually won in the seventh round when Liston refused to re-enter the ring, conceding the fight. Their second fight took place on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine, with Ali, who had officially changed his name in March, 1964, again defeating Liston, this time with a TKO in the first round.
