Sports Wax Episode 4: A Shocking Upset on South Beach
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Some moments in sports history feel inevitable. A dynasty rolling to another title. A generational talent rising through the ranks. A champion cementing their legacy.
But sometimes, sports shock the world — and that’s exactly what happened on a balmy February night in 1964, when a brash young boxer named Cassius Clay stepped into the ring with the seemingly invincible Sonny Liston.
This week’s Sports Wax takes you back to that night, breaking down one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Here’s where you can listen:
The Setup: An Underdog With No Shot
Cassius Clay wasn’t yet Muhammad Ali. He was a 22-year-old loudmouth with lightning-fast hands but questionable power, fresh off a fight where the crowd booed his victory. Sonny Liston, on the other hand, was the most feared fighter on the planet—a ruthless knockout artist with mob ties, a criminal past, and an aura of absolute dominance.
Liston had destroyed Floyd Patterson in back-to-back fights, each ending in a knockout within the first two minutes. Most experts figured Clay wouldn’t make it out of the first round.
Liston himself wasn’t worried. Watching Clay’s last fight, he famously said:
"If I fight that guy, I’ll get locked up for murder."
And yet, the fight happened anyway.
A Different Kind of Fight Build-Up
If Liston was terrifying, Clay was unbothered — or at least, he made sure Liston thought he was.
In the weeks leading up to the fight, Clay launched a psychological assault. He called Liston “The Big, Ugly Bear”, said he’d turn him into a bearskin rug, and even took a bus to Liston’s house at 3 a.m. to yell at him.
Most people assumed Clay was putting on a show because he was scared to death. But as the fight would prove, he wasn’t scared at all.
Fight Night: The Moment That Shocked the World
The fight took place in a half-empty convention hall in Miami Beach on February 25, 1964. The sports world was barely paying attention — 43 of 46 sportswriters picked Liston to win by knockout.
They were all wrong.
From the opening bell, Clay didn’t just survive — he dominated. He danced around Liston’s thunderous punches, barely getting touched, then landed lightning-quick combinations of his own. By the third round, he cut Liston under his left eye—something no fighter had ever done before.
Then, in Round 4, controversy struck. Clay suddenly couldn’t see—his eyes were burning, and he told his trainer, Angelo Dundee, to cut off his gloves. Dundee refused, instead pushing him back into the ring with one word:
“Run.”
Clay survived the round, his vision returning in the fifth. And by Round 6, the inevitable became obvious — the underdog was now the predator. Liston, exhausted and battered, quit on his stool before the seventh round.
Just like that, Cassius Clay was the new heavyweight champion of the world.
'I Shook Up the World!'
In the chaotic aftermath, Clay stood before reporters, shouting the words that would define the moment:
“I shook up the world! I am the greatest!”
Days later, he would announce his new name: Muhammad Ali.
The rematch in 1965 would be even more controversial, with Ali knocking out Liston in the first round in the now-iconic “phantom punch” fight. But the 1964 bout was the one that truly changed everything.
Why This Upset Still Matters
Ali went on to become a global icon, but his career (and boxing itself) was forever shaped by that shocking night in Miami Beach. The Liston fight marked the moment when Clay became Ali, when an underdog became a legend, and when the world learned that no favorite is unbeatable.
Relive the Moment
If you weren’t around to see Ali fight, the closest thing to experiencing it is hearing the original radio call from that night. That’s why we’re bringing it back in this week’s episode.
Listen now and relive one of the greatest upsets in sports history:
Check out the episode here: