So, their next stop was to instead go pose with the loudmouthed and undefeated challenger who would try to take Liston's title, in the very unlikely event he survived long enough to do it. There are several stories about this meeting. Some say Ali had no idea who The Beatles even were. But in the special from PBS that this GIF comes from, American Experience, it seems Ali was still perfectly happy for the opportunity to ham it up with some British rock band if it made them both more press and, hence, more money. So it went:
Ali would go on to defeat Liston twice in a row in that year and the next, and he'd remain an undefeated champion until 1971. Liston would be, for all intents and purposes, blackballed from big fights after the rematch with The Greatest. That's what happens when a fighter takes advantage of Beatlemania and his opponent does not.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
Muhammad Ali Kayos Alien
Muhammad Ali's Subtle Toupee Feint On Howard Cosell
Muhammad Ali is dropped hard by Henry Cooper
Mike Tyson fights Jean-Claude Van Damme
