Cassius Clay vs. Duke Sabedong

Cassius Clay (soon Muhammad Ali) fought Duke Sabedong in a ten-round boxing match in Las Vegas on June 26, 1961. The fight went the full distance with Clay winning comfortably on points, despite Sabedong's usage of roughhouse tactics.^{[note 1]}

The fight's special significance rests on Clay's interactions with Gorgeous George during the pre-match promotional activities related to the Clay-Sabedong bout, and also just after the fight. These interactions would shape Clay's behavior and mannerisms, particularly while promoting his future fights, for the rest of his boxing career.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]}

Notes

1. Sabedong was penalized twice and warned thrice during this fight for using tactics like throwing low blows and hitting after the break.^[1][2]

References

1. David Remnick (1998). King of the World. Random House. p. 119.
2. Rob Sneddon (2015). The Phantom Punch. Down East Books. p. 58.
3. Thomas Hauser (1991). Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times. Simon & Schuster. pp. 38–9.
4. Felix Dennis and Don Atyeo (2003). Muhammad Ali: The Glory Years. miramax books. p. 58.
5. David Remnick (1998). King of the World. Random House. pp. 119–20.
6. Rob Sneddon (2015). The Phantom Punch. Down East Books. pp. 58–9.
7. "The Branding of Muhammad Ali". New Republic. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
8. Michael Ezra (2009). Muhammad Ali:The Making of an Icon. Temple University Press. p. 32.