Cassius Clay vs. Tony Esperti

Cassius Clay vs. Tony Esperti was a professional boxing match contested on January 17, 1961.^[1]

Cassius Clay vs. Tony Esperti

Date	January 17, 1961
Venue	Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida
Tale of the tape
Boxer Cassius Clay Tony Esperti Nickname "The Louisville Lip" "Big Tony" Hometown Louisville, Kentucky Baltimore, Maryland Pre-fight record 2–0 (1 KO) 9–5–2 (5 KO) Age 19 years Unknown Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) Weight 195 lb (88 kg) 197 lb (89 kg) Style Orthodox Orthodox Recognition 1960 Olympic light heavyweight Gold Medallist
Result
Clay won by TKO in 3rd round (1:30)

Background

The fight took place on Clay's 19th birthday and was part of the undercard to Gomeo Brennan vs. Cecil Shorts. Esperti was making his first appearance inside the ring in 6 years.

The fight

Clay won the bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the third round after Esparti's left eye had been cut by Clay's jabs.

Aftermath

Esperti was later convicted of first degree murder for gunning down mafia boss Thomas Altamura, a member of the Gambino crime family.^[2][3][4][5]

Undercard

Confirmed bouts:^[6]