Most famous sports photo of all time turns 60 years old

An iconic photo, regarded by many as the most famous sports photo of all time, was taken exactly 60 years ago on 25 May.

On 25 May 1965, Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston fought for the heavyweight title in Lewiston, Maine, USA. It was their second bout, after Ali had surprisingly taken the title from Liston on 24 February 1964.

After 1 minute and 44 seconds in the first round, Ali landed a powerful right and Liston fell to the canvas. Ali stood over his opponent and is said to have shouted: "Get up and fight, sucker!" At that moment, Neil Leifer, a 22-year-old freelance photographer working for Sports Illustrated, pressed the shutter of his camera.

His photo of Ali standing over the defeated Liston lying on the ground is now, exactly 60 years later, considered by many to be the greatest sports photo ever taken.

Not even on the cover

That photo never made it to the cover of the famous American sports magazine, but it gradually grew in fame. In an interview with the New York Times, the photographer offers an explanation for how the photo's reputation has grown: "This is a young Ali, in the ring, looking as good as he ever looked. And he was a handsome devil. Such a charismatic character, this confident, terrific fighter, this great human being. It’s the way people want to remember Ali."

For the record: Muhammad Ali won the fight by knockout in the first round. In his professional boxing career, he won 56 out of 61 fights, 37 by knockout. For his successes in the ring, he paid a heavy price: in 1984, he revealed that he suffered from Parkinson's disease. He died in 2016 at the age of 74.

(PP with DC - Source: Wikipedia, NYT - Picture: © picture-alliance / United Archives/TopFoto | 91050/United_Archives/TopFoto)