You know the one.
Muhammad Ali is standing over a crumpled Sonny Liston, his right arm cocked like he’s ready to throw another one, his face twisted in what looks like a roar of triumph. It is, quite literally, the most famous sports photograph ever taken.
But here’s the thing.
When Neil Leifer snapped that shutter in 1965, almost nobody liked the photo. Honestly, it wasn't even on the cover of Sports Illustrated. It was buried on page four. It took a decade—ten whole years—before the world decided this was "The Greatest."
And if you look closer at the crowd’s faces in the background, they don't look amazed. They look confused. Some look bored. Most of them are just trying to figure out what the heck just happened because they didn't even see the punch.
The "Phantom Punch" and a Tiny Town in Maine
The fight didn't even happen in Vegas or New York. It happened in Lewiston, Maine. Why? Because the original fight in Boston got scrapped. People were scared of mob hits and the Nation of Islam, so they moved the whole circus to a tiny hockey rink in a mill town.
It was May 25, 1965.
The match lasted less than two minutes. 104 seconds, to be exact.
Ali threw a short, chopping right hand. Liston went down like a sack of bricks. Because the punch was so fast and so short, people started calling it the "phantom punch." They thought the fight was fixed. They thought Liston took a dive for the mob. Even today, people argue about it at bars.
But Neil Leifer? He didn't care about the politics. He was just 22 years old and sitting in the "lucky seat."
Why One Photographer Went Home Crying
Photography is 90% luck. Seriously.
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Leifer was sitting on one side of the ring. His colleague, Herb Scharfman, was sitting directly opposite him. In the famous shot, you can actually see Scharfman between Ali’s legs.
From Scharfman’s perspective, all he saw was Muhammad Ali’s backside. He missed the shot of a lifetime because he was literally two feet in the wrong direction.
Leifer had a Rolleiflex camera. He had one chance. Back then, strobes (the big overhead lights) took forever to recharge—like several seconds. If he had clicked the shutter a half-second too early when Ali was still moving into position, he would have had a blurry mess and a dead flash for the actual moment.
He waited. He saw Ali tower over Liston. He saw the snarl.
Click.
What Ali Was Actually Screaming
Most people look at the muhammad ali famous pic and see a warrior celebrating.
He wasn't celebrating.
He was furious.
He was actually screaming, "Get up and fight, sucker!"
Ali knew the crowd was going to think the fight was a fake. He wanted Liston to get back up so he could prove he actually beat him. He was terrified that his big win was going to be overshadowed by "fix" rumors. He was right, by the way. Those rumors followed him for years.
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The Secret Sauce: Smoke and Lights
Have you ever noticed how the background looks almost like a studio?
The ring at St. Dominic’s Arena was filled with thick clouds of cigar smoke. It was the 60s; everybody was smoking. When Leifer’s overhead strobes fired, the light hit that smoke and created a weird, moody blue haze.
It turned a gritty boxing match into high art.
If that room had been well-ventilated, the photo might have looked like any other sports snap. But that smoke gave it depth. It made Ali look like he was standing in the middle of a dream—or a nightmare, depending on if you were Liston.
The Technical Bits That Made It Work
For the nerds out there: Leifer was using 2 1/4 inch square color slide film. He had the camera pre-focused on the center of the ring. He was shooting at 1/500th of a second.
That’s fast.
Fast enough to freeze the sweat flying off Ali's body.
But even with all that tech, Leifer still says his favorite photo isn't this one. He prefers the overhead shot of Ali vs. Cleveland Williams from 1966. That one is perfectly symmetrical, shot from 80 feet up in the air.
But the world doesn't care about symmetry. We care about the "Get up and fight, sucker" energy.
Why This Image Still Matters in 2026
We live in a world of 4K video and AI-generated everything. You can fake a photo of Ali fighting a dinosaur if you want.
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But you can't fake the raw, primal reality of that moment in Maine.
The image represents the peak of Ali's "The Greatest" persona. It was the moment he stopped being Cassius Clay in the eyes of the public and became the icon we know today.
It’s a study in contrasts. You have the vertical power of Ali versus the horizontal defeat of Liston. You have the bright white trunks against the dark, smoky background. It's basically a Renaissance painting with boxing gloves.
Things You Might Have Missed
Look at the photo again. Really look.
- The Referee: Jersey Joe Walcott is in the background, looking completely lost. He didn't even start the count properly.
- Liston’s Eyes: They aren't closed. He’s looking up at Ali. He’s conscious.
- The Fist: Ali’s right hand is still curled, showing the tension in his forearm.
The photo didn't win any major awards the year it was taken. Not one. The "University of Missouri Pictures of the Year" contest didn't even give it an honorable mention.
It’s a reminder that greatness isn't always recognized in the moment. Sometimes it takes time for the world to catch up to a masterpiece.
How to Appreciate the Legacy Today
If you want to dive deeper into why this photo is so massive, here are a few things you can actually do:
- Watch the 104 Seconds: Go to YouTube and watch the actual footage of the 1965 fight. It's jarring. The punch happens so fast you’ll probably have to rewind it three times. It helps you realize just how incredible Leifer’s timing was.
- Compare the "Other" Shot: Look up John Rooney’s photo of the same moment. He was an AP photographer standing right near Leifer. His shot is in black and white and taken from a slightly different angle. It’s great, but it lacks the "theatrical" lighting that makes Leifer’s version so haunting.
- Read the SI Archive: If you can find the June 7, 1965 issue of Sports Illustrated, read Tex Maule's account. He was one of the few who defended the punch, explaining the physics of how Ali’s speed could drop a man like Liston with such a short movement.
This photo isn't just about boxing. It’s about being ready when luck shows up at your door. Neil Leifer was in the right seat, but more importantly, he didn't miss.