Cassius Clay vs Tunney Hunsaker (partially found footage of boxing match; 1960): Difference between revisions
m (Add featured tag) |
mNo edit summary |
||
| (3 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span> | |status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span> | ||
}} | }} | ||
On 29th October 1960, Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) faced Tunney Hunsaker in a professional heavyweight boxing match. Occurring in front of 6,180 at the Freedom Hall in Louisville, '''it was Clay's first professional fight, with him winning the six-round encounter via a unanimous decision'''. | |||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Even before his first ranked fight, Cassius Clay had already gained boxing accolades.<ref name="espn">[https://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/story/_/id/13999218/muhammad-ali-vs-tunney-hunsaker-first-fight-greatest ''ESPN'' summarising the bout and noting its brutality.] Retrieved | Even before his first ranked fight, Cassius Clay had already gained boxing accolades.<ref name="espn">[https://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/story/_/id/13999218/muhammad-ali-vs-tunney-hunsaker-first-fight-greatest ''ESPN'' summarising the bout and noting its brutality.] Retrieved 24 Jan '23</ref><ref name="herald">[https://www.heraldscotland.com/default_content/12450276.archive-cassius-clay/ ''The Herald Scotland'' summarising the encounter and Hunsaker's recollection of it.] Retrieved 24 Jan '23</ref><ref name="alilife">[https://archive.org/details/muhammadalihisli00haus/page/30/mode/2up? ''Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times'' detailing the bout and Hunsaker's full comments surrounding it.] Retrieved 24 Jan '23</ref><ref name="alirec">[https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/180 ''BoxRec'' detailing Ali's fight record.] Retrieved 24 Jan '23</ref> At the 1960 Summer Olympics, he defeated Poland's Zbigniew Pietrzykowski to win gold in the light heavyweight division.<ref name="espn"/><ref name="herald"/> In contrast, Tunney Hunsaker, a 30-year-old who was the Fayetteville, West Virginia police chief, had suffered a poor run of form, losing six consecutive fights including against then-world title contenders Tom McNeeley and Ernie Terrell.<ref name="hunsakerrec">[https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/9362 ''BoxRec'' detailing Hunsaker's fight record.] Retrieved 24 Jan '23</ref><ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/><ref name="alilife"/> According to ''BoxRec'', his professional fight record was at 17-9-1 prior to this clash.<ref name="hunsakerrec"/> Nevertheless, while Clay was considered the favourite going in, Hunsaker maintained that he still believed he had a chance of winning, stating "I heard he won the Olympics, so I knew I was fighting a tough bird, but I don't think there was ever a fighter - not a good one anyway - who went in the ring thinking he was gonna get beat. I know I never did."<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/> All net revenue generated from the encounter would be directed to the Kosair Crippled Children's Hospital.<ref>[https://sports.ha.com/itm/boxing/1960-cassius-clay-muhammad-ali-vs-tunney-hunsaker-only-known-fight-poster-professional-debut-/a/50057-53004.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515 Fight poster sold on ''Heritage Auctions''.] Retrieved 24 Jan '23</ref> Hunsaker also recalled that he and Clay met at a sports store to promote the fight, noting that while Clay was messing around with a basketball, he displayed signs of nervousness and apprehension.<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/> | ||
==The Fight== | ==The Fight== | ||
The bout took place at the Freedom Hall with around 6,180 in attendance.<ref name="espn"/> Considering Clay's later career, it perhaps came as no surprise when the 18-year-old proceeded to dominate throughout the encounter.<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/> Hunsaker recalled that Clay proved incredibly agile for his size, praising him as a heavyweight with the speed of a middleweight.<ref name="espn"/><ref name="alilife"/> Hunsaker harnessed a variety of maneuverers and techniques to try and unbalance the younger boxer.<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/> However, this only intensified Clay, enhancing his overall performance.<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/> From every position, he was able to land blows without sustaining hits himself. By the third round, several Clay blows inflicted a nosebleed, with Hunsaker suffering a cut to his right eye in the fourth.<ref name="espn"/> Despite the match's brutality, Hunsaker held on for all six rounds, sustaining swollen and near-shut eyes by the time the fight ended.<ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/> Clay won all six rounds and achieved victory via a unanimous decision.<ref name="espn"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="alilife"/><ref name="alirec"/><ref name="hunsakerrec"/> | The bout took place at the Freedom Hall with around 6,180 in attendance.<ref name="espn"/> Considering Clay's later career, it perhaps came as no surprise when the 18-year-old proceeded to dominate throughout the encounter.<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/> Hunsaker recalled that Clay proved incredibly agile for his size, praising him as a heavyweight with the speed of a middleweight.<ref name="espn"/><ref name="alilife"/> Hunsaker harnessed a variety of maneuverers and techniques to try and unbalance the younger boxer.<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/> However, this only intensified Clay, enhancing his overall performance.<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/> From every position, he was able to land blows without sustaining hits himself. By the third round, several Clay blows inflicted a nosebleed, with Hunsaker suffering a cut to his right eye in the fourth.<ref name="espn"/> Despite the match's brutality, Hunsaker held on for all six rounds, sustaining swollen and near-shut eyes by the time the fight ended.<ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/> Clay won all six rounds and achieved victory via a unanimous decision.<ref name="espn"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="alilife"/><ref name="alirec"/><ref name="hunsakerrec"/> | ||
Post-bout, Hunsaker predicted Clay would be a future world champion.<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/> This proved true when on 25th February 1964, Clay defeated Sonny Liston to win the World Heavyweight Championship.<ref name="history">[https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/clay-knocks-out-liston ''History'' detailing Clay's win over Liston for the World Heavyweight Championship.] Retrieved | Post-bout, Hunsaker predicted Clay would be a future world champion.<ref name="alilife"/><ref name="herald"/> This proved true when on 25th February 1964, Clay defeated Sonny Liston to win the World Heavyweight Championship.<ref name="history">[https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/clay-knocks-out-liston ''History'' detailing Clay's win over Liston for the World Heavyweight Championship.] Retrieved 24 Jan '23</ref><ref name="espn"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="alirec"/> Muhammad Ali has since been declared as one of the greatest boxers of all-time, with a professional record of 56-5.<ref name="history"/><ref name="espn"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="alirec"/> Hunsaker meanwhile competed until a KO loss to Joe Shelton on 6th April 1962 caused him to suffer a brain hemorrhage and require two subsequent brain operations, forcing his retirement from the ring.<ref name="espn"/><ref name="herald"/><ref name="hunsakerrec"/> Nevertheless, Hunsaker and Ali remained in touch, the latter even appearing at the police chief's retirement party in 1992.<ref name="herald"/><ref name="espn"/> | ||
==Availability== | ==Availability== | ||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
=== | ===Image=== | ||
<gallery mode=packed heights=300px> | |||
Cassiusclayvstunneyhunsaker2.jpg|Newspaper clipping reporting on the-then upcoming bout. | |||
</gallery> | |||
===Footage=== | |||
{{Video|perrow =2 | {{Video|perrow =2 | ||
|service1 =youtube | |service1 =youtube | ||
| Line 28: | Line 32: | ||
|description2 =Uncut HD footage of the bout. | |description2 =Uncut HD footage of the bout. | ||
}} | }} | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
| Line 64: | Line 63: | ||
[[Category:Partially found media]] | [[Category:Partially found media]] | ||
[[Category:Historic]] | [[Category:Historic]] | ||
Latest revision as of 08:09, 23 April 2023
Program promoting the bout.
Status: Partially Found
On 29th October 1960, Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) faced Tunney Hunsaker in a professional heavyweight boxing match. Occurring in front of 6,180 at the Freedom Hall in Louisville, it was Clay's first professional fight, with him winning the six-round encounter via a unanimous decision.
Background
Even before his first ranked fight, Cassius Clay had already gained boxing accolades.[1][2][3][4] At the 1960 Summer Olympics, he defeated Poland's Zbigniew Pietrzykowski to win gold in the light heavyweight division.[1][2] In contrast, Tunney Hunsaker, a 30-year-old who was the Fayetteville, West Virginia police chief, had suffered a poor run of form, losing six consecutive fights including against then-world title contenders Tom McNeeley and Ernie Terrell.[5][2][1][3] According to BoxRec, his professional fight record was at 17-9-1 prior to this clash.[5] Nevertheless, while Clay was considered the favourite going in, Hunsaker maintained that he still believed he had a chance of winning, stating "I heard he won the Olympics, so I knew I was fighting a tough bird, but I don't think there was ever a fighter - not a good one anyway - who went in the ring thinking he was gonna get beat. I know I never did."[3][2] All net revenue generated from the encounter would be directed to the Kosair Crippled Children's Hospital.[6] Hunsaker also recalled that he and Clay met at a sports store to promote the fight, noting that while Clay was messing around with a basketball, he displayed signs of nervousness and apprehension.[3][2]
The Fight
The bout took place at the Freedom Hall with around 6,180 in attendance.[1] Considering Clay's later career, it perhaps came as no surprise when the 18-year-old proceeded to dominate throughout the encounter.[3][2][1] Hunsaker recalled that Clay proved incredibly agile for his size, praising him as a heavyweight with the speed of a middleweight.[1][3] Hunsaker harnessed a variety of maneuverers and techniques to try and unbalance the younger boxer.[3][2][1] However, this only intensified Clay, enhancing his overall performance.[3][2][1] From every position, he was able to land blows without sustaining hits himself. By the third round, several Clay blows inflicted a nosebleed, with Hunsaker suffering a cut to his right eye in the fourth.[1] Despite the match's brutality, Hunsaker held on for all six rounds, sustaining swollen and near-shut eyes by the time the fight ended.[2][1] Clay won all six rounds and achieved victory via a unanimous decision.[1][2][3][4][5]
Post-bout, Hunsaker predicted Clay would be a future world champion.[3][2] This proved true when on 25th February 1964, Clay defeated Sonny Liston to win the World Heavyweight Championship.[7][1][2][4] Muhammad Ali has since been declared as one of the greatest boxers of all-time, with a professional record of 56-5.[7][1][2][4] Hunsaker meanwhile competed until a KO loss to Joe Shelton on 6th April 1962 caused him to suffer a brain hemorrhage and require two subsequent brain operations, forcing his retirement from the ring.[1][2][5] Nevertheless, Hunsaker and Ali remained in touch, the latter even appearing at the police chief's retirement party in 1992.[2][1]
Availability
A cameraman was present during the Clay-Hunsaker fight, with a newsreel showcasing some in-ring action and Clay's hand being raised upon being declared the victor. However, as the recording was intended for a newsreel with a limited runtime, most footage of the six-round event was cut from the final product. Thus, only key highlights of Clay's first-ever professional bout is publicly available with the uncut tape's fate remaining unknown.
Gallery
Image
Newspaper clipping reporting on the-then upcoming bout.
Footage
See Also
- Barbara Buttrick vs Gloria Adams (lost radio coverage of boxing match; 1959)
- Bill Lewis vs Freddie Baxter and Archie Sexton vs Laurie Raiteri (lost television coverage of boxing matches; 1933)
- Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph (partially found early boxing film; 1894)
- England vs Ireland (lost television coverage of boxing matches; 1937)
- Evander Holyfield Championship Boxing (lost build of cancelled Game.com boxing game; 1999)
- Exhibition Boxing Bouts (lost early television coverage of boxing matches; 1931-1932)
- The Fighting Marine (lost Gene Tunney drama film serial; 1926)
- Gene Tunney vs Jack Dempsey (lost radio coverage of boxing match; 1926)
- Gene Tunney vs Jack Dempsey (partially lost radio coverage of "The Long Count Fight"; 1927)
- Georges Carpentier vs Ted "Kid" Lewis (lost radio coverage of boxing match; 1922)
- Heavyweight Champ (lost SEGA arcade boxing game; 1976)
- Jack Dempsey vs Billy Miske (lost radio report of boxing match; 1920)
- Jack Dempsey vs Georges Carpentier (lost radio coverage of boxing match; 1921)
- Jo-Ann Hagen vs Barbara Buttrick (lost radio and television coverage of boxing match; 1954)
- Johnny Ray vs Johnny Dundee (lost radio coverage of boxing match; 1921)
- Len Harvey vs Jock McAvoy (partially found footage of boxing match; 1938)
- Leonard-Cushing Fight (partially found early boxing film; 1894)
- Marcel Cerdan vs Lavern Roach (lost footage of boxing match; 1948)
- Rocky (lost deleted scenes of boxing drama film; 1976)
- Super Punch-Out!! (lost beta builds of SNES boxing puzzle game; 1994)
- Title Defense (lost build of cancelled boxing simulation game; 2000-2001)
- Uncle Slam and Uncle Slam Vice Squad (lost iOS presidential boxing games; 2011)
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 ESPN summarising the bout and noting its brutality. Retrieved 24 Jan '23
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 The Herald Scotland summarising the encounter and Hunsaker's recollection of it. Retrieved 24 Jan '23
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times detailing the bout and Hunsaker's full comments surrounding it. Retrieved 24 Jan '23
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 BoxRec detailing Ali's fight record. Retrieved 24 Jan '23
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 BoxRec detailing Hunsaker's fight record. Retrieved 24 Jan '23
- ↑ Fight poster sold on Heritage Auctions. Retrieved 24 Jan '23
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 History detailing Clay's win over Liston for the World Heavyweight Championship. Retrieved 24 Jan '23