60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
2/25/64 - Cassius Clay wins the World Heavyweight Boxing Title at The Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida, when Reigning Champion Sonny Liston fails to come out for Round 7.
Muhammad Ali (then still fighting as Cassius Clay ... although he would change his name immediately after winning the title) went into the first Sonny Liston fight as an 8-1 underdog.
He was a brash, loud-mouth kid, prone to bragging (and poetry!) ... but he was charismatic as hell ... you either loved him or you hated him ... and even if you hated him, odds are you would learn to love him ... as he truly was one of a kind.
Perhaps the most exciting sports figure the world has ever known, Ali was recognized the world over. He would be stripped of his title after refusing to report for the draft in 1967, taking six of the best years of his boxing career away from him.
But he would come back and win the Heavyweight Title a total of THREE TIMES ... the only man to ever do so. He was as quick on his feet as he was quick-witted ... ALWAYS an entertaining interview, Ali was pure showbiz.
But the fact of the matter is, the man could box! He was almost scientific in his approach to boxing ...
And on February 25th, 1964, when Liston couldn't answer the seventh round bell, Clay was declared The Heavyweight Champion of the World. (The look of joy on his face in the photo above says it all ... although some would argue that it was more a state of shock ... both analysis might be true!)
The following month, a new single of Cassius Clay singing "Stand By Me" was released ... and actually charted! (#86 in Music Vendor and #102 in Billboard)
In a rematch with Liston in March of the following year, Ali would knock Liston out in the very first round with a phantom punch that legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell would later describe as: "I saw the punch ... it wouldn't have split a pea."
Ali never ducked anybody ... he fought all comers ... and even when he lost (which he did five times in his professional boxing career), he earned the respect of all that covered the sport. He started out as an Olympic Champion ... then became known as "The Louisville Lip." By his own proclamation, he was also known and accepted as "The Greatest" ... and when he was exiled from boxing, he became known as "The Peoples' Champion." In this capacity, he traveled the world on both speaking engagements and missions of peace and harmony, meeting with country leaders still able to earn an elite living when boxing afforded him none.
His fights with Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman are legendary ... listed amongst the greatest boxing matches (and sporting events) in history.
Muhammad Ali died on June 3rd, 2016, at the age of 74. The world has been a sadder place ever since.
Also on 2/25/64, The Beatles have a very productive day in the recording studio.
For starters, they finish up "Can't Buy Me Love," a song they first started recording in France on January 29th. They also knock out "You Can't Do That." Those two tracks will make up the A-Side and B-Side of their next single, the first to be released simultaneously in Great Britain and America. (Advance orders for "The Beatles' Next Single" ... WHATEVER it may be ... already exceed 2.1 million copies.)
Before they call it a day, they also record "I Should Have Known Better," a track that will end up on the soundtrack to their first motion picture, to be released later this year ...
ALL of this on what was George Harrison's 21st birthday!
