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Two lives unknowingly became intertwined on February 25, 1964, at the Miami Beach Convention Center when Cassius Clay faced the reigning heavyweight champion Charles “Sonny” Liston, a 7-1 betting favorite over the brash 22-year-old challenger from Louisville, Kentucky.
Seated ringside was Robert Lipsyte, who was covering the match for the New York Times, seven years after graduating from Columbia University with an English degree.
Clay, who would shortly change his given name to Muhammad Ali, was thought to be in over his head.
“The regular boxing writer, Joe Nichols, terrific guy, also covered horse racing which he was more interested in,” Lipsyte said. “His feeling, as was the general feeling, was that Cassius Clay would be knocked out in the first round and he did not think it was worth his time to go all the way down to Miami Beach for less than one round.”
Lipsyte, who had two tours at the Times beginning in 1957 and running through 1971, and 1991 through 2003, was looking for his big break.
“He kind of looked around the newsroom and he pointed to me and he said, “the kid on the night rewrite, he’s not doing anything, send him.” That’s a bit of a legend,” he said. “The point was they were ready to move me up. The fight was in February. The decision was probably made in October to send me down. Those decisions are certainly made long in advance. And so, I had a number of months to go to every boxing match I could go to, interview fighters, read everything.”
Getting this assignment wasn’t lost on Lipsyte, who would become one of the vaunted Sports of the Times columnists, and during his long career would be highly decorated, including winning the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association for lifetime contribution to Young Adult Literature in 2001. Previously he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1992 and won the A.J. Liebling Award for Outstanding Boxing Writing from the Boxing Writers Association of America in 1995.
“I was enormously inexperienced compared to Joe Nichols, but I had a little sense of boxing when I went down there. I was very excited. Even if the fight was going to be over in 10 seconds, I had never been to a heavyweight championship fight,” he admitted. “Remember this was 1964 when boxing was very important and it was still a major sport in America and really a heavyweight fight held the same prestige as the Super Bowl now. It’s hard to believe.”
“Think about the excitement of being in the arena for a heavyweight championship fight. The Super Bowl. A Broadway opening. Think of anything that has that kind of crackle and electricity,” said Lipsyte, a New York City native. “I was totally thrilled to be there.”
Like every writer, Lipsyte, who has published roughly two dozen books of non-fiction and fiction including “SportsWorld: An American Dreamland,” “The Contender,” and “An Accidental Sportswriter: A Memoir,” arrived in South Florida several days before the fight.

“I had spent a week now down there, most of that time with Clay and I really liked him a lot which was not necessarily the consensus and my thought was that I hoped he wouldn’t get hurt too badly because I really liked him,” he said. “I hoped he would stay around and I could interview him some more.”
At the time, Lipsyte was 26 and part of the younger generation of sportswriters.
“Most of the sportswriters down there were older experienced guys, like Joe Nichols would have been, and then there were the younger guys,” he said. “The younger guys gravitated to Clay’s camp and hung out there. The older guys went to Liston’s camp where his entourage included Joe Louis who was the hero of their young manhood.”
On the night of the fight, the overwhelming majority of scribes concurred with the Las Vegas oddsmakers and favored Liston.
“Up until the very moment that the two fighters came into the ring, beside my excitement to be there, was this feeling I really hoped he would be able to dance away enough so he would not get hurt,” Lipsyte said. “Then the moment the two fighters came into the ring, I suddenly had this thought that Cassius Clay is much bigger than Sonny Liston.”
Lipsyte’s concern for Clay’s safety quickly dissipated as he dominated the action which resulted in a sixth-round stoppage and technical knockout victory when Liston failed to come out for the seventh round.
“In our minds, we had created this David versus Goliath narrative but actually it’s really not quite true,” he said. “Clay was taller. He was broader and he took command of the fight almost immediately and it changed everything. I would say only one or two of the 100 reporters at ringside gave him a chance to win.”
Compared to many of the veteran sportswriters at the clash, Lipsyte was a pup.
“I was young and inexperienced and I went along with what the experienced big shots were saying,” he said of Liston’s menacing stare and potent punching power. “I assumed that because Liston was terrifying. He could make you pee in your pants at a press conference.”
Looking back on what Clay and later Ali meant to him, Lipsyte is grateful for that time and opportunity.
“I always say that when Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston it was as much of a career move for him as it was for me. It changed everything. Suddenly I was no longer this young newcomer, a feature writer at the paper,” he said. “I was immediately the boxing writer. Being the boxing writer at that point meant the Muhammad Ali writer. That was the biggest story in sports for a long time and I covered it. I got more out of it right away than he did. It absolutely made my career.”
Even though Clay had been the newly-minted heavyweight champion, he had tough sledding because of his unpopular stances.
“He was excoriated for becoming a member of the Black Muslims,” Lipsyte said. “There were all kinds of rumors that the fight was fixed in some way. It took a while for the Muhammad Ali we think about now. A lot of people and certainly a lot of very important older sportswriters like Red Smith, Jimmy Cannon and Arthur Daley, if they didn’t despise him, they certainly wrote as if they did. He refused to go into the Army. He repudiated the Christianity of his parents. At the middle of the civil rights movement in America, he was a segregationist. He was so many things that white America was either afraid of or hated because they were afraid of.”
No one is perfect and that includes Ali. Still, Lipsyte recited an example of his kindness.
“He and I had a midnight plane ride back to New York,” he recalled. “There was a little old lady and she took a picture. She clicks and he reaches out. “Your lens cap was on,” he said. “I wouldn’t want her to have missed taking a picture of the champ.”
Lipsyte mentioned a second incident of Ai’s generosity.
“I pulled up next to him on the plane with an economy ticket,” he noted. “I sat down next to him. I told him I had to get back in my seat. He said, “don’t worry, you’re with the champ,” and of course nobody bothered us the whole time. What I remember was his generosity, his spirit, his kindness and his sense of who he was and the world’s sense of who he was. It all was encapsulated for me in that little story. That was him.”
Another time when Ali seized center stage was at the Atlanta Olympics.
“That moment when he lit the Olympic torch in 1996, it’s the first time I have ever cried at a sporting event,” Lipsyte remembered, “and later finding out that hot wax was dripping on his hand and burning him but he never let on. He just held that flame in his quivering hand. It was kind of a testament to his gallantry.”
Though Lipsyte covered many boxing matches, his favorite sport is baseball, and in a curious way he finds much about the sweet science that he doesn’t much care for.
“I never liked boxing. This is something I’m struggling with right now. Boxers are my favorite athletes,” he stated. “They’re the best athletes to talk to and in the old days you had access. I love boxers. They’re fun to write about. I hated boxing.”
Asked if he keeps up with boxing, Lipsyte said that he hasn’t for a long time.
“I don’t follow boxing. The last time I followed boxing was when one of the heavyweight champions, one of the Klitschko brothers [Vitali] was mayor of Kyiv,” he said. “I kind of lost interest. The whole thing didn’t make sense anymore.”
Living on Shelter Island in Long Island, New York, Lipsyte turned 85 on January 16 and has several grandchildren and outside interests to occupy his time.
“I’m very busy. I’m still writing. I have a great family. At my age, I’m playing with the house’s money,” he said. “I go to memorials for my friends and that’s it. The last birthday that really rocked me was 30. That was the end of childhood.”
As a wise elder, Lipsyte can lay claim to being present at many unforgettable sporting events, including what Sports Illustrated ranked fourth on its list of greatest sports moments of the 20th century, the night Clay shocked the world, and two iconoclasts were launched.
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Jared Anderson (UD 10) and Arslanbek Makhmudov (TKO 2) Victorious in Toledo
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Top Rank was in Toledo, Ohio tonight showcasing two of the sport’s most dynamic heavyweights. It was a homecoming for Toledo native Jared Anderson who was matched against former IBF title-holder Charles Martin in the featured bout.
Heading in, Anderson had won all 14 of his fights by knockout while answering the bell for only 33 rounds. Tonight, he was forced to go the distance and although he won a lopsided 10-round decision (98-91, 99-90, 99-90) he had more than a few anxious moments.
Anderson scored the bout’s only knockdown, dropping Martin in the waning seconds of round three with an overhand counter right hand. Martin was up in a jiff complaining that their legs had become tangled but replays showed otherwise.
Round five was the most one-sided round of the fight and in a major surprise the round belonged to the pony-tailed Charles Martin who at age 37 was the older man by 14 years. He had the house fighter on rubbery legs. It was the first time in his career that Anderson had faced adversity. But Anderson weathered the storm. Martin (29-4-1, 26 KOs) landed a big left hand in the seconds before the final bell, but Anderson remained upright and when the final bell sounded, the decision that would be rendered in his favor was a mere formality.
Makhmudov
Arslanbek Makhmudov has stopped 16 of his 17 opponents. The latest victim was Raphael Akpejiori who was overwhelmed in a match that was all over in the second round. A native of Nigeria who lettered four years in basketball at the University of Miami without getting much playing time, the six-foot-eight Akpejiori entered the contest with a misleading 15-0 (14) record.
A stablemate of Artur Beterbiev, Makhmudov carried 263 ½-pounds on his six-foot-five frame. There is no finesse to his game – both he and Akpejiori drew warnings in the opening round for roughhousing – but like Beterbiev, he is a human steamroller, a man who clubs his opponent into submission, albeit not as methodically as Beterbiev; at age 34, the Russian Lion is a man in a hurry. He scored three knockdowns before the fight was waived off.
Other Bouts of Note
In a 6-round match that was sandwiched between the main attractions, Abdullah Mason (8-0, 7 KOs), a 19-year-old Cleveland southpaw with a big upside, blasted out Alex de Oliveira in the second round. A succession of left uppercuts, the last of which came with de Oliveria off his feet, sprawled against the ropes, brought the bout to a conclusion at the 2:18 mark of the second stanza. It was the fifth straight victory inside the distance for the Cleveland phenom who advanced to 9-0. de Oliveira, a 37-year-old Brazilian who stepped away from boxing for 10 years to pursue a career as a lawyer, falls to 20-5.
Cleveland junior welterweight Delante “Tiger” Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, advanced to 10-0 (5) With an 8-round shutout over Jonathan Montrell (15-2) of New Orleans. The fight wasn’t quite as lopsided as the 80-72 scores would suggest. Montrell was a willing mixer but was outclassed.
In an 8-round junior lightweight affair, Toledo’s Tyler McCreary finished strong to win a unanimous decision over Deivi Julio. It was the second fight back for McCreary (18-2-1) following back-to-back defeats and then a drive-by-shooting in which he suffered a gunshot wound to his hand. The scores were 59-54 and 57-56 twice.
A 42-year-old Brazilian, Julio (26-14) had his moments and would have theoretically earned a draw if not for having had a point deducted for holding in the second round.
There was a big upset in a 6-round junior welterweight match. Rance Ward, a boxer from Houma, Louisiana, who was 7-5-1 heading in, scored a majority decision over previously undefeated Husam Al Mashhadi (6-1, 5 KOs). The scores were 59-55, 58-56, and a curious 57-57.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank via Getty Images
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In a brutal and somewhat sloppy fight Savannah Marshall defeated Franchon Crews-Dezurn to become the new undisputed super middleweight champion on Saturday.
It was not picturesque.
Fighting 100 miles from her hometown, Marshall (13-1, 10 KOs) battled her way to victory over America’s Crews-Dezurn (8-2, 2 KOs) in front of a large and vocal crowd at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
Marshall, a former middleweight title-holder, now holds the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF super middleweight titles.
“I can’t describe how I feel,” said Marshall.
From the opening round Crews attacked Marshall boring in with punches and never allowing the taller fighter to use her height and leverage to unload her powerful blows. Marshall clinched immediately in the first round.
Marshall made some adjustments in the second round as Crews attacked boldly again. Marshall fired a few counters and clinched again in a closer round than the first.
It was clear that Crews was not going to allow Marshall to fight on the outside and use her reach. The American champion dived in again while pumping blows to the body and head. Most of her overhand rights flew over the target. Marshall connected with a clean right counter.
Beginning in the fourth round Marshall used her jab as Crews attacked. That stalled the champion and allowed for space for the British fighter to connect. Though not many blows were landed by either fighter, Marshall’s were cleaner and more visible.
Both fighters clinched inside and it seemed Crews was the physically stronger between the two in grappling. Little by little the clinching seemed to take energy away from Marshall.
Around the 7^th round the constant dive attacks of Crews began to take a physical toll on Marshall. The energy seemed to wane from the British fighter and Crews was able to score more than in the previous three rounds. It was Crews best round since the second.
The constant grappling and clinching continued to take energy away from Marshall. Crews seemed more energized and though few punches were clean, she was scoring to the body and head.
It seemed a rallying point for Crews during the seventh and eighth but the rounds were never clearly defined. Neither fighter was ever visibly hurt.
Marshall mustered up energy in the ninth round, beginning with a clean left hook. Then a three-punch combination followed by a two-punch combination connected for the British fighter. Crews lost the momentum she had gained.
In the 10^th and final round, it was unclear who was winning. Neither fighter could truly hurt the other. And were judges scoring the body blows?
Both fighters tangled immediately and though each fired blows it was Crews who was the busier fighter. But neither was able to connect cleanly with any blows. After 10 rugged rounds the judges saw the fight 95-95, 99-92, 97-93 for Marshall who wins by majority decision and becomes the new undisputed super middleweight champion.
“She’s a tough, tough fighter,” said Marshall about Crews-Dezurn.
Natasha Jonas Wins
Despite moving down a weight division Natasha Jonas battered Canada’s Kandi Wyatt before ending the fight by technical knockout in a welterweight world title fight.
The end was seldom in doubt.
Jonas, the former super welterweight champion, dropped down to 147 and immediately displayed her firepower in staggering Canada’s taller Wyatt with a left cross. The southpaw fighter immediately went on attack and tried to end the fight in the first round, but could not.
After expending extra energy in the first round Jonas budgeted her punch outtake in the second round. Her right hooks rocked Wyatt and once again Jonas went back on attack. She ended the round with lead left bombs.
Still, Wyatt was upright.
Jonas boxed and moved toward her left, not her right as southpaws normally do. It seemed to puzzle Wyatt. Jonas was in complete control of the fight through the first four rounds.
Wyatt made her move in the fifth round by targeting the body. Unable to score often to the head in the earlier rounds, the Canadian fighter’s work to the body opened up more targets and changed the momentum slightly. It was Wyatt’s best round so far.
It must have made an impression on Jonas who opened up with crisp one-two combinations one after another. All connected and jolted Wyatt. Jonas was back in control. A succession of three crisp left crosses connected at the end of the sixth round.
Jonas took over completely in the seventh round with three-punch combinations one after the other. Wyatt’s head snapped back causing the referee to look more cautiously. Wyatt fired back or else the fight might have been stopped.
In the eighth round it was evident that Jonas had no fear of Wyatt’s punches and she attacked with more three-punch combinations. Wyatt absorbed the shots but was unable to fire back with any power. A crisp left connect by Jonas caused the referee to rush in and stop the action at 33 seconds of the eighth round.
Jonas was declared the new IBF welterweight world titlist by technical knockout.
Now who will Jonas face next?
“I don’t really care,” Jonas said to SKY Sports. “I’ll fight whoever the fans want to see.”
 
Other Bouts
Olympic silver medalist Ben Whittaker (4-0) won by stoppage in the eighth and final round over Vlad Belujsky (13-7-1) in a light heavyweight fight. The tall rangy fighter displayed a powerful left hook and agility in his one-sided win.
Callum Simpson (12-0) remained undefeated but had a tough time against Boris Crighton (11-4) who withstood every attack by the favored fighter. Simpson had problems smothering his own attacks but managed to out-punch Crighton to win the super middleweight 10-round fight by unanimous decision.
Mark Jeffers (16-0) used his counter-punching style and quickness to defeat Zak Chelli (13-2-1) and win a regional title by unanimous decision.
In a female super welterweight match April Hunter (7-1) out-worked Kirstie Bavington (7-5-2) to win by decision after eight rounds.
 
 
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The Sweet Science Rankings: Week of June 25th, 2023
135lbs
1 Devin Haney (USA)
2 Gervonta Davis (USA)
3 Vasily Lomachenko (Ukraine)
4 Isaac Cruz (Mexico)
5 William Zepeda Segura (Mexico)
6 Frank Martin (USA)
7 George Kambosos Jnr (Australia)
8 Shakur Stevenson (USA)
9 Raymond Muratalla (USA)
10 Keyshawn Davis (USA)
140lbs
1 Teofimo Lopez (USA)
2 Regis Prograis (USA)
3 Jose Ramirez (USA)
4 Jose Zepeda (USA)
5 Jack Catterall (England)
6 Subriel Matias (Puerto Rico)*
7 Arnold Barboza Jr. (USA)*
8 Gary Antuanne Russell (USA)*
9 Zhankosh Turarov (Kazakhstan)*
10 Shohjahon Ergashev (Uzbekistan)*
147lbs
1 Errol Spence (USA)
2 Terence Crawford (USA)
3 Vergil Ortiz Jr. (USA)*
4 Jaron Ennis (USA)*
5 Eimantas Stanionis (Lithuania)*
6 David Avanesyan (Russia)*
7 Cody Crowley (Canada)*
8 Roiman Villa (Colombia)*
9 Alexis Rocha (USA)*
10 Rashidi Ellis (USA)*
154lbs
1 Jermell Charlo (USA)
2 Tim Tszyu (Australia)
3 Brian Castano (Argentina)
4 Brian Mendoza (USA)
5 Jesus Alejandro Ramos (USA)*
6 Sebastian Fundora (USA)*
7 Erickson Lubin (USA)*
8 Michel Soro (Ivory Coast)*
9 Magomed Kurbanov (Russia)*
10 Tony Harrison (USA)*
160lbs
1 Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan)
2 Carlos Adames (Dominican Republic)
3 Janibek Alimkhanuly (Kazakhstan)
4 Liam Smith (England)
5 Erislandy Lara (USA)
6 Sergiy Derevyanchenko (Ukraine)
7 Felix Cash (England)
8 Esquiva Falcao (Brazil)
9 Chris Eubank Jnr. (England)
10 Michael Zerafa (Australia)
168lbs
1 Canelo Alvarez (Mexico)
2 David Benavidez (USA)
3 Caleb Plant (USA)
4 Christian Mbilli (France)
5 David Morrell (Cuba)
6 John Ryder (England)
7 Pavel Silyagin (Russia)
8 Vladimir Shishkin (Russia)
9 Carlos Gongora (Ecuador)
10 Jaime Munguia (Mexico)
175lbs
1 Dmitry Bivol (Russia)
2 Artur Beterbiev (Canada)
3 Joshua Buatsi (England)
4 Callum Smith (England)
5 Joe Smith Jr. (USA)
6 Gilberto Ramirez (Mexico)
7 Anthony Yarde (England)
8 Dan Azeez (England)
9 Ali Izmailov (Russia)
10 Craig Richards (England).
200lbs
1 Jai Opetaia (Australia)
2 Mairis Breidis (Latvia)
3 Chris Billam-Smith (England)
4 Richard Riakporhe (England)
5 Aleksei Papin (Russia)
6 Badou Jack (Sweden)
7 Arsen Goulamirian (France)
8 Lawrence Okolie (England)
9 Yuniel Dorticos (Cuba)
10 Mateusz Masternak (Poland)
Unlimited
1 Tyson Fury (England)
2 Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)
3 Zhilei Zhang (China)
4 Deontay Wilder (USA)
5 Anthony Joshua (England)
6 Andy Ruiz (USA)
7 Filip Hrgovic (Croatia)
8 Joe Joyce (England)
9 Dillian Whyte (England)
10 Frank Sanchez (Cuba)

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