MUHAMMAD ALI downed Sonny Liston without the need for a phantom punch to set up a blockbuster eWorld Boxing Super Series final with either Mike Tyson or George Foreman.
The Greatest’s second fight against Big Bear in 1965 went down in history for the controversial way Ali won, when Liston hit the deck without appearing to be punched.
There was no such conspiracy about this win however, with Ali’s huge left uppercut downing Liston in the fifth of their simulated fight.
Ring Icon Ali will now meet either Iron Mike – who demolished Butterbean on Wednesday – or his Rumble in the Jungle foe Foreman in Sunday’s final, where the Heavyweight Legend will be crowned.
Liston, who had 50 wins throughout his career, 39 by way of knockout, was a late replacement for Joe Frazier.
Smokin’ Joe had to pull out due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
And he probably wished he had not bothered when Ali clocked him with a series of uppercuts in the first.
None really troubled Liston, however, who scored with a right of his own half-way through.
The turning point came with 40 seconds of the second round left, when another Ali uppercut sent Liston crashing to the canvas.
He was up after a five count and hit back in the third with a series of jabs, none of them really hurting the cultural icon, though.
Ali was allowed to counter with his own and sent him his opponent into the ropes with 90 seconds of the round remaining.
That scene repeated in the fourth, but Ali could not land the ultimate blow until a huge right caught Liston clean again.
And still he got up. What was it going to take to see him off once and for all?
The answer came in the following round when a pulverising left uppercut from the three-time lineal champ with a minute to go put Liston away for good.
