Demands for Investigations of Ali-Liston Match

May 26, 1965 - Muhammad Ali’s first-round knockout of Sonny Liston last night in defense of his heavyweight boxing championship touched off demands today for an investigation of the fight and for Federal control of boxing.

The bizarre ending of the fight, in which Liston went down from a right-hand punch and was counted out by the timekeeper while the referee, Jersey Joe Walcott, was trying to get Ali to a neutral corner, brought outcries of “fake” and “a disgrace” from fans, officials, and leading boxing figures in this country and abroad.

In Washington, Sen. John Tower called for a Congressional investigation. The Texas Republican described the fight as “the nadir of a sport.”

“Many sports fans are deeply concerned about the situation inside boxing and the future prospects of boxing,” he said. 

“Since the use of citizen-owned television airways keeps boxing alive in its present, highly questionable form, I believe Congress has both the jurisdiction and the obligation to conduct an investigation.”

Rep. Robert Michel termed the fight, which took place in Lewiston, Me., “disgraceful” and demanded that Congress investigate boxing.

“Before the fight, I said I wouldn’t spend 29 cents to see it, and I was right,” the Illinois Republican said.

He proposed the creation of a national commission to oversee the sport.

Jack Dempsey, the former heavyweight champion, said he had not seen the fight but had read about it.

“From the looks of it, I don’t like it,” he said. “The Federal Government should waste no time appointing a commission to run boxing on a national level. It’s the only thing that can save boxing. It’s going from bad to worse. It’s gotten to be a joke.”Gene Tunney, who held the heavyweight title from 1926 to 1928, was the most caustic in his denunciation of the fighters and most vehement in his demands for Government action.

“This is the worst, most offensive debasement of boxing that I’ve ever seen or even read about,” he declared.

Abel Greene, commissioner of the World Boxing Association, which recognizes Ernie Terrell as the heavyweight titleholder, said the Ali-Liston “fiasco” could be the “straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“The only thing that can now save the sport from one-shot promoters, who manipulate control and block year-round legitimate promoters,” he said, “is the promised Federal control. A strong Federal law could close the door to plotters, schemers, and malefactors.”

Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s