Cassius Clay vs. Duke Sabedong

Cassius Clay vs. Duke Sabedong was a professional boxing match contested on June 26, 1961.^[1]

Cassius Clay vs. Duke Sabedong

Date	June 26, 1961
Venue	Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tale of the tape
Boxer Cassius Clay Duke Sabedong Nickname "The Louisville Lip" "Kolo" Hometown Louisville, Kentucky Hilo, Hawaii Pre-fight record 6–0 (5 KO) 15–11–1 (10 KO) Age 19 years, 5 months 30 years, 11 months Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) Weight 194 lb (88 kg) 225 lb (102 kg) Style Orthodox Orthodox Recognition 1960 Olympic light heavyweight Gold Medallist
Result
Clay won in 10 rounds by unanimous decision

Background

Clay along with matchmaker Mel "Red" Greb, gave a local radio interview in hopes of drumming up interest for his Las Vegas debut.^[2]

The fight

The fight went the full distance with Clay winning comfortably on points, despite Sabedong's usage of roughhouse tactics.^{[note 1]}

Aftermath

The fight's special significance rests on Clay's interactions with Gorgeous George during the pre-match promotional activities related to the Clay-Sabedong bout, and also just after the fight. These interactions would shape Clay's behavior and mannerisms, particularly while promoting his future fights, for the rest of his boxing career.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Undercard

Confirmed bouts:^[11]

Notes

1. Sabedong was penalized twice and warned thrice during this fight for using tactics like throwing low blows and hitting after the break.^[3][4]