The birth of The Greatest: Reliving Muhammad Ali's rivalry with Sonny Liston
Clay was a bright prospect having won gold at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, but he faced an uphill task of taking on the deadliest puncher boxing had witnessed at the time in "Big Bear".
The build-up between the duo was a feisty affair with Clay promising to leave more than blood to be left in the ring. His absurd behaviour saw him receive a fine of $2,500.
At the age of 22, entering the ring at 210-pounds, Clay defied all odds in Miami to become the youngest heavyweight to defeat a defending world champion - Mike Tyson would later break that record in 1986, aged 20.
Liston, the most feared heavyweight fighter on land prior to their first encounter, was no longer after getting dismantled by Clay throughout the bout.
The fight ended when Liston refused to get back off his stool going into the seventh.
The rematch
Following his famous win in Miami, Clay converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. His decision received a huge backlash from the press, boxing fans and your average Joe.
Liston secured a rematch after noting a shoulder injury as the reason behind the loss at the Convention Center.
Did the punch genuinely knock Liston out or did "Big Bear" take a dive because of the mob?
These days, premium fighters enter the ring twice, maybe three times if we are lucky.
Ali went on to defend his world titles on EIGHT occasions in 21 months and included wins against Floyd Patterson and Henry Cooper before being forced to vacate those belts because of his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War.