Cassius Clay prepares to fight Henry Cooper and plans to be the next World Heavyweight Champion.
In London to cover the Wembley games, an annual GAA tournament held on 1 June 1963, for RTÉ, Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin gets the chance to meet the 21 year old American boxer Cassius Clay.
Cassius Clay is in London to fight British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper at the Empire Stadium, Wembley on 18 June 1963.
At his training camp at Bellingham just outside Wembley Cassius Clay predicts the fight with Henry Cooper will not go beyond five rounds but,
If he beats me I’ll retire.
Cassius Clay likes to make predictions,
That’s part of the Clay psychology and also part of the Clay greatness.
He sees himself winning the world heavyweight title by beating current champion Sonny Liston in eight rounds. Although Sonny Liston is a tough fighter, Cassius Clay will prepare for him as he would any other boxer,
To me all of them are bums.
He predicts his fight with Sonny Liston will take place three months after Liston annihilates Floyd Patterson.
Sonny Liston knocked out Floyd Patterson on 22 July 22 1963. However it is not until 25 February 1964 that Sonny Liston is matched with Cassius Clay. Cassius Clay deposes Sonny Liston in a seventh-round technical knockout to take the World Heavyweight Champion title.
On 6 March 1964 Cassius Clay takes the name Muhammad Ali.
This episode of 'Sports Desk’ was broadcast on 7 June 1963. The reporter is Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin.
