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9781608933655

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In this exhaustively researched, intriguing chronicle, sport historian and Down East Magazine editor Robert Sneddon examines the infamous phantom punch that ended Ali-Liston II in May of 1965. The controversy that followed Cassius Clay's 1964 upset of the menacing Sonny Liston in their first bout was multiplied a thousand fold when Clay pledged allegiance to the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. White America couldn't decide which black man it hated and feared more-the former criminal with mob ties or the adherent to Islam. Against a backdrop of political assassinations and the rising turmoil of the 60s, one venue after another rejected the chance to present the rematch, leaving Lewiston, Maine, to claim the spotlight. While Sneddon's ostensible subject is the phantom punch-a seemingly innocuous blow that KO'd Liston in the first round-he is equally concerned with New England characters such as promoters Sam Michael and Suitcase Sam Silverman. Diligent historical research allows Sneddon to convincingly evoke the surreal marriage of a heavyweight title bout with an economically struggling city. While Sneddon doesn't solve the mystery behind the punch (and dismisses any claim of a fix), he vividly recreates the social upheavals that brought the most glamorous contest in boxing to the northeastern hinterlands of the nation. Publishers Weekly

Sneddon has done a great job of detective work on a subject that sportswriters have stumbled over and around for decades. .. . vivid and highly readable account should have a long life as well. - Allen Barra, Chicago Tribune * Chicago Tribune * In this exhaustively researched, intriguing chronicle, sport historian and Down East Magazine editor Robert Sneddon examines the infamous phantom punch that ended Ali-Liston II in May of 1965. The controversy that followed Cassius Clay's 1964 upset of the menacing Sonny Liston in their first bout was multiplied a thousand fold when Clay pledged allegiance to the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. White America couldn't decide which black man it hated and feared more-the former criminal with mob ties or the adherent to Islam. Against a backdrop of political assassinations and the rising turmoil of the 60s, one venue after another rejected the chance to present the rematch, leaving Lewiston, Maine, to claim the spotlight. While Sneddon's ostensible subject is the phantom punch-a seemingly innocuous blow that KO'd Liston in the first round-he is equally concerned with New England characters such as promoters Sam Michael and Suitcase Sam Silverman. Diligent historical research allows Sneddon to convincingly evoke the surreal marriage of a heavyweight title bout with an economically struggling city. While Sneddon doesn't solve the mystery behind the punch (and dismisses any claim of a fix), he vividly recreates the social upheavals that brought the most glamorous contest in boxing to the northeastern hinterlands of the nation. * Publishers Weekly * ' this book was not one that tried to sway readers one way or the other, especially those that already have their minds made up. Instead, it seemed that the target audience would be for readers like me who have never seen the punch or the films of it and instead wanted to learn about this controversy. For this goal, the book hits its mark and is an excellent account of a heavyweight championship fight that will be talked about as long as boxing remains a sport. ' * The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books * Sneddon's book will be in demand in collections devoted to works on Ali, and it should have strong regional appeal. * Library Journal *

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Rob Sneddon is a contributing editor at Down East magazine and a sports historian. In addition to the four major sports, he has written about everything from candlepin bowling to the Daytona 500. He has ridden across America on a bicycle and flown around the world on a record-setting flight aboard the Concorde. He lives with his wife and son in New Hampshire.

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