At 1 minute and 44 seconds into the heavyweight title fight on May 25, 1965, Muhammad Ali landed a decisive right hand that sent Sonny Liston to the canvas. Ali then stood over Liston, shouting "Get up and fight, sucker!" In that moment, 22-year-old freelance photographer Neil Leifer captured a striking image of Ali standing dominantly above his fallen opponent. Though the photograph was not featured on the magazine cover nor the lead story spread, instead relegated to the final page, it has since become celebrated as one of the greatest sports photographs ever taken.
It is remarkable that such a defining image of one of the most photographed athletes in history was taken in a modest hockey arena in Lewiston, Maine, before fewer than 4,000 spectators. Over the years, Leifer's photograph has transformed from an overlooked shot to an iconic representation of Ali’s indomitable spirit.
Now 82 years old, Leifer reflects on how this photo gained enduring significance, despite its initially low profile.
The following interview has been condensed and refined for clarity.
Rewinding to that night six decades ago in Lewiston, where some of the era’s top photographers were dispatched to cover the fight, why was the young Neil Leifer chosen for this assignment?
By 1965, I was far from a novice. I had already achieved 15 Sports Illustrated covers, at a time when many covers were illustrations or caricatures, so photographers had limited opportunities. I had also covered the first Clay-Liston fight in Miami 15 months earlier, where I was surrounded by legendary photographers like Hy Peskin and Ralph Morse—and I secured the cover. For the Lewiston bout, there were only two coveted ringside seats; one went to Herbie Scharfman and the other to me.
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