On May 16, 1965, one of the greatest heavyweight boxing matches in history took place at Lewiston, Maine. The fight was between the reigning world heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), and the former champion, Sonny Liston.

The first fight between the two had taken place a year earlier, with Ali winning by a technical knockout in the seventh round. However, the rematch was highly anticipated, as many believed that Liston had not been at his best in the first fight due to a shoulder injury.

The rematch was originally scheduled to take place in Boston, but it was moved to the small town of Lewiston due to concerns about organized crime. The fight was held at the Central Maine Youth Center, which had a seating capacity of only 4,280.

The fight itself was one of the shortest and most controversial in boxing history. Just over a minute into the first round, Ali threw a quick right-hand punch that seemed to barely graze Liston's head. However, Liston went down and rolled around on the canvas, seemingly unable to get up. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former heavyweight champion himself, counted Liston out, and Ali was declared the winner by knockout.

The fight was immediately surrounded by controversy, with many people believing that Liston had taken a dive. Some claimed that they had seen Liston wink at Ali after going down, while others suggested that he may have been threatened by the Nation of Islam, with whom Ali was associated at the time.

Despite the controversy, the fight remains a significant moment in sports history. It cemented Ali's status as one of the greatest boxers of all time and added to his growing legend. It also marked the end of Liston's career, as he would fight only twice more before retiring in 1970.