Retrospective: Cassius Clay defeated Sonny Liston 50 years ago today to become heavyweight champion

Muhammad Ali is one of the most well-known and presumably the greatest boxer of all-time, but the former heavyweight champion of the world was first introduced to the world as Cassius Clay. 

Despite winning the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and compiling a 19-0 record early in his career, Clay wasn't prominent until a highly touted match against Charles L. "Sonny" Liston. 

Liston dominated the ring throughout the early 1960s, especially Floyd Patterson. Patterson was the well-deserved champion until Liston completely annihilated the heavyweight, sending him to the mat six times before eventually winning the bout only two minutes and five seconds into the match. After defeating Patterson for a second time, the champion accepted a fight against a noteworthy challenger, Cassisus Clay. 

On February 25, 1964, the world experienced the greatness of the soon-to-be Muhammad Ali. Prior to the championship fight, Clay treated the boxing world to an array of entertaining press conferences and eccentric antics directed towards Liston, including Clay predicting that "somebody would die at ringside from shock." 

Prior to the fight Clay was listed as a 7-1 underdog to defeat Liston, and numerous spectators at the Miami Beach Convention Hall were shocked at the result. 

Today marks the 50th anniversary in which Clay "shook up the world", after defeating Liston in only six rounds to become the new heavyweight champion of the world. 

"I don't have a mark on my face. I upset Sonny Liston. I just turned 22. I must be the greatest. I shook up the world! I shook up the world! I shook up the world!".