Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York. 10th February, 1962.
Brenner's opportunity came a
little more quickly than he had expected. A Heavyweight bout
he had made for the Garden fell through at five day's notice.
He rang Angelo Dundee and asked him if Clay would fight Sonny
Banks in a replacement fight. Dundee was flattered by Brenner's
offer. Here was a major acknowledgement of Clay's ability
and widespread appeal. But he asked Brenner for some time
to discuss the opportunity with Bill Faversham.
The pair were confident that
Clay could handle Banks, who had only two more pro fights
than Clay, but they had to consider the downside too. A defeat
at the Garden on National Television would cause considerable
damage to Clay's confidence. After all, he had been a pro
fighter for less than a year and a half. In the end they decided
to back their man. They accepted the fight, figuring the experience
and the exposure offered a fine return on their risk.
In truth, the New York boxing
scene was shady and still whiffed of the Mob involvement that
had blackened boxing throughout the 1950's. Cassius Clay hit
the city hard. He showed up at the monthly lunch on the New
York Boxing/Writers' Association at Jack Johnson's restaurant
on Broadway in a rented tuxedo and offered the assembled journalists
his manifesto. He was going to be the Heavyweight Champion
of the World, perhaps the youngest ever to hold the title.
He described exactly what he was going to do to Sonny Banks.
'The man must fall in the round I call,' he rhymed. 'In fact
Banks must fall in four.'
It was manna from heaven, a story
that came and slapped itself down right there on the hungry
hacks plates. For the next few days, the papers were full
of Gaseous Cassius, the Louisville Lip and Mighty Mouth.
The fans rolled up at the Garden
eager to see 'The Lip' get knocked flat on his back. They
were not to be dissapointed. Clay allowed himself to be carried
away by his own guile.
Banks was overmatched, but he
could punch. Clay began round one by mugging and sticking
out his chin. Banks hit him on the chin with a long left hand
and Cassius Clay hit the deck for the first time in his life.
'On the way down hiw eyes were closed,' remebered Dundee,
' but when he hit the canvas he wokeup'. Clay's cornerman
Gil Clancy recalled Dundee turning white as his man fell.
But 'The Lip' was more shocked
than hurt. He jumped up and began to dance around Banks. Within
a couple of rounds he had regained his senses. He waited until
the 26th second of round four to drop Banks, whose own powers
of recovery could not match those of his opponent. Clay was
not slow to let the reporters know about his correct call.
'I told you. The man fell in four!'
