Cassius Clay vs Sonny Banks - February 10, 1962 - Round 1, 3 & 4

Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) vs Sonny Banks
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Cassius Clay fights the great left-hooker Sonny Banks. In the first round Cassius Clay went down for the first time in his professional career.
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Their records at the time:
Cassius Clay: 10-0
Sonny Banks: 10-2

[@ELVIS1975T]

The interview at the end was so sweet. Such details make you relive history, or have a kind of time-travel.

[@uncjim]

Dundee said when Sonny caught Clay with the left hook that put him down, he saw Clay's eyes roll back in his head. When he hit the canvas, he instantly woke up. According to Angelo, this was when he knew what he had in Clay. This is a fabulous upload.

[@stevenyourke7901]

@Chris Tasse You gotta give Wepner credit for having a lot of heart. He could take a huge amount of punishment. How can you not love a fighter they called The Bayonne Bleeder? He said Sonny Liston was the most intimidating fighter he ever fought. “Every time he hit me he broke something!” Ha!

[@quantumo2099]

You gotta love Ali! His belief in self was true. We, African Americans, ALL need this.

[@grzegorzk1177]

You African - American need be good at school. doing great in maths, biology, chemistry, ok.

[@uncjim]

What a sharp shooter the young Cassius Clay was. These pre-championship clips display the early genius that would become Muhammad Ali. Great upload. Thank you.

[@harryhirsch8527]

he did not become Ali..his name is Clay

[@ismailabdelirada9531]

@@harryhirsch8527: Until it wasn't.

[@gamalelzoghaby5549]

رحمك الله ايها ايها القدوة باخلاقك وعبقريتك الفذة التى وهبها الله لك فكنت خير سفير للاسلام بين الامريكان عنجهية الرجل الابيض كنت من حطمت تلك الاسطورة وسيقى اسمك بين الاخيار

[@boxingjos]

Thanks for sharing this with us

[@agustinperezjulio5426]

Noticias Nacional

[@agustinperezjulio5426]

música salsas

[@alyjulmiste1880]

I felt it should have beek stopped sooner. Ali was looking like, why isn't this ref stopping this fight

[@Gigantor60]

Actually the fight was stopped to late. Really hard to see the carnage in black and white films, but believe me Banks face was battered

[@micheltanguay6413]

What a strange moment for the referee to stop it. Needles to say Frazier took a page out of Sonny Banks book to stop the great one in 1971

[@Bobby-fj8mk]

A bit controversial but the ref can see more than we can with this old footage. It was probably a good decision.

[@WadeStOnge-tr7cw]

Ruby Goldstein was heavily criticized for what was perceived as an early stoppage, which is why he hesitated a month later to stop the Griffith-Paret fight, which tragically resulted in death. Only reffed once more after that. Better to stop a fight too early than too late.

[@Chaos1214]

It might look a premature stoppage, but the ref is up close, and can see things the spectators can't. Probably saw some reaction from Banks that didn't look good.

[@musiclover59]

Amazing. Ali walks in at 1:04 and is on his ass in 1:06. The Banks punch that was responsible is among the fastest in heavyweight history. Ali didn't see it coming. Ali no doubt learned from this as he went on to do this to his opponents many times in years to come.

[@harryhirsch8527]

Clay

[@ettawing5955]

right

[@andrewowens-russell6796]

didn't learn as he was caught several times by guys with a good left hook

[@thalmusscantlebury9696]

Sonny Banks died in 1965 three days after being knocked out in a fight by Leotis Martin in Pennsylvania maybe the ref saw something and stopped this fight.

[@stewartberger7734]

Interesting

[@Williamottelucas]

"I'm supposed to be the greatest" even when he is boasting Ali is humble, at least at that age!

[@Kidfunkadelic77]

Dundee's lesson for this fight was don't go out with a hooker. Meaning don't through your left hook with a guy who is a big left hooker. ali rarely used his left hoof throughout his career. He when he did used could be quite effective as he stopped Oscar Bona vena with a left hook. He sought to counter with his right lead.

[@stevenyourke7901]

I think Cassius Marcellus Clay is a pretty cool name! Sounds like a Roman nobleman!

[@drummerboy1545]

Ali opponent tried his best they need to just give Ali the win! RIP champ!

[@arealmench]

The punch that put Clay on the canvas looked just as weak as the Clay punch that put Liston on the canvas. Thats why I don't think the second fight with Liston was fixed. ..Btw, this fight with Sonny Banks was stopped to soon.

[@TheBatugan77]

It was fixed. C'mon man. C'mon.

[@stwads]

Why was it stopped ? Banks was losing but he didn't look hurt!

[@atlien1988]

Black and white and the graininess of the film makes it near-impossible to tell just how badly Sonny was getting beaten. His face was battered afterwards and right before the ref steps in, he was wobbly on his legs.

[@syourke3]

Ali was already saying "I am the greatest" in 1962, two years before he won the heavyweight crown. That kid was something else! Awesome boxing skills, intelligent, funny and extremely handsome, to boot. Truly unique.

[@harryhirsch8527]

Clay

[@monisallam8280]

Harry Hirsch liking your own comments? What a loser lol

[@douglaslowry8702]

I was There!

[@LeviJohansen]

@flarbton how come?

[@douglaslowry8702]

OH, the dominance, the perpetuity, the magnificance

[@miftahulhidayah2661]

Khususon bapak Muhammad Ali... Al - fatihah

[@bobsmagula2292]

Ruby Goldstein showed great concern for Sonny Banks and perhaps stopped the fight a bit prematurely. Yet just six weeks later, RG froze in the same ring at Madison Square Garden as Emile Griffith rained punches on the defenseless and doomed Benny "Kid" Paret. Benny never regained consciousness and died ten days later. I wonder if criticism of the earlier stoppage played a role in RG's indecisiveness later.

[@afrikan1641]

People have to understand what Ali was fighting for, that man fought amongst ancestors and so did David when he he beat Goliath. Frazier once said in an interview “It was as if voices spoke to him, I dont know where these things were coming from. “ most fighters knew exactly what Ali was fighting, this man was no regular person. Love Ali, Champ!

[@blipco5]

I never understood the strategy of blocking punches with your face.

[@russellcampbell9198]

Clay/Ali could take a punch and recover as well as any heavyweight. I am amazed that it was thought that one punch from Liston and that would be the end of him.

[@douglaslowry8702]

Liston "needed" clay

[@dempsey9554]

Liston dernt hit him watch the fight. Liston through very powerful left hooks that was ment to miss

[@stevenyourke7901]

Banks was badly beaten but he has the rare distinction of having knocked down Ali. Only two other men - Henry Cooper and Joe Frazier - could make that claim.

[@mybrotherkeeper1484]

As I've heard said before, "The referee must have earned thousands with this stoppage." In this case, I suspect the referee must have put up money on a 4th round stoppage.

[@ismailabdelirada9531]

Suspecting things is all well and good. Do you have any evidence to support this suspicion, or is it yet another wacko internet conspiracy theory?

[@douglaslowry8702]

LIVE!

[@douglaslowry8702]

Did George know?

[@ettawing5955]

01:05 . . . 01:06 it was a left hook to the chin but Muhammad Ali got right back up.

[@rashaddbaker5399]

Why did the ref stop the fight? Sonny was clearly still responsive, but Ali was tagging him, rip to the greatest

[@atlien1988]

He was mostly standing on will. If you notice right before the ref steps in stop the fight, Sonny appears wobbly on his legs.

[@lee1990lee]

im sure everytime ali hit the deck it was a left hook no to sure but i no this cooper and frazier was

[@dempsey9554]

Yes you are right all left hooks

[@wymple09]

Stopped too early, but Ali was torturing Banks pretty bad. Banks got in one good shot, and then paid for it.

[@douglaslowry8702]

No! George didn't ... KNOW!

[@LeviJohansen]

@boxingjos You're welcome. Remember to subscribe!

[@douglaslowry8702]

When we changed how to use

[@lusianaratna4366]

Clay could not get up if it was Tyson's left hook

[@ELVIS1975T]

I did.

[@ettawing5955]

01:05 knockdown 01:08 right back on his feet.

[@James-Campbell]

Ali would've won this fight but to stop it like that makes things look more than suspicious!

[@FURYxPulsar]

Muhammad Ali 🖤

[@rovsanhumbatov4907]

Ali Great

[@douglaslowry8702]

I loved the way you stood strong,my dad hated you; saying you "cut" fighters with your 'laces'

[@zmiru]

What made him say that?

[@douglaslowry8702]

You did, cut

[@AbdulAbdul-wo8vl]

يا حبيب المسلمين، عليك رحمة الله وبركاته

[@douglaslowry8702]

HowWeird Cosell, I don't know how Mohammed Ali can ...

[@douglaslowry8702]

I ,an most were "listening to"... according to how-weird-cosell; we Thot he "KNEW" some kinda stupid, if George was King

[@DavidGee51]

1:05 "I am the greate...OW! WHAT THE HELL?"

[@douglaslowry8702]

Ha hah

[@krisguillen50]

Anyone else hear the punches at 1:24 or am I crazy

[@dcshadow8163]

I heard them too.

[@ettawing5955]

Combined gross annual income will reach millions of dollars for this twenty year old.

[@douglaslowry8702]

Boing!boing! Boing nangangang!

[@dr.anonymous7479]

1:05

[@douglaslowry8702]

Really?

[@dcshadow8163]

huh?

[@alihashimi9158]

Muhamad Ali champ

[@denissssss8579]

No problems for Ali in that fight

[@harryhirsch8527]

Clay

[@MG-io4on]

Imagine if that was a hook from Tyson! Ali came along at the right time. He lost 3 times to Norton