“You reporters, all of you reporters made it hard on this one. Never write about me like this. Never make me no underdog. And never talk about who’s going to stop me. Well, ain’t nobody going to stop me. Not a heavyweight in the world fast enough to stop me.”

That frustration had been building throughout the promotion.

Liston was considered such a dangerous champion that Clay’s constant predictions and insults did little to convince boxing writers that he belonged at that level. After all, Liston had demolished Floyd Patterson twice, requiring barely four minutes combined to finish both fights.

Clay held Olympic gold and a 19-0 professional record, yet he had struggled against Doug Jones and was dropped by Henry Cooper. His unusual style, carrying his hands low while relying on movement and reflexes, gave skeptics plenty of reason to believe Liston would eventually catch him.

Ringside predictions reflected that confidence in the champion, with 43 of 46 polled sportswriters picking Liston to win, many predicting a knockout.

Instead, Clay’s speed caused trouble from the opening bell. The younger challenger controlled the fight until Liston quit before the seventh round began.

The reporters who had dismissed Clay were suddenly surrounding the new heavyweight champion.

He wasn’t about to let them forget what they had written.