62 years ago

Date: 10th February 1962

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

Title: 10 Round Heavyweight Contest

Cassius Clay
( 10 - 0 - 0 )
Weight: 194 1/2 lbs

Sonny Banks
( 10 - 2 - 0 )
Weight: 191 1/4 lbs

The 20-year-old Clay, having his 11th professional bout, faced Birmingham, Mississippi's 21-year-old Banks at the world-famous Madison Square Garden, New York.

Banks became the first man to knock down Clay as a professional when he dropped Clay on his backside with a fast left hook in the 1st round. Clay returned the favour in the 2nd round and eventually forced referee Ruby Goldstein to stop the action at 0:26 of the 4th round.

After the fight Clay said "That was my first time knocked down as a professional. I had to get up to take care of things after that because it was rather embarrassing, me on the floor. As you know, I think that I'm the greatest and I'm not supposed to be on the floor, so I had to get up and put him on out, in four as I predicted."