On what date did Muhammad Ali win the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston?

Muhammad Ali won the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964. Fighting under his birth name, Cassius Clay, he upset the heavily favored champion in Miami Beach, Florida.

Liston had demolished Floyd Patterson twice in the first round and was widely expected to defeat the young Clay. Clay entered the bout as an approximately 8-to-1 underdog, but his speed, footwork, and rapid combinations kept Liston from landing effectively. Liston did not answer the bell for the seventh round, citing a shoulder injury, giving Clay a technical-knockout victory.

The date is often mixed up with the rematch, held on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine. That second fight ended in the controversial first-round knockout known for Ali’s “phantom punch.” Clay formally became known as Muhammad Ali later in 1964, after the first Liston fight.