Listen now: History of the Heavyweight Championship, 1962

Welcome to the history of the heavyweight championship of the world.

Yahoo Sport will release a podcast led by legend Steve Bunce for each year of the golden age of boxing; the 1960s.

This podcast covers 1962, as Sonny Liston was finally granted his wish of a title fight against Floyd Patterson, after three years of waiting, despite the objection of Patterson’s manager, Cus D’Amato. Of the fight, D’Amato said summed it up, saying: ‘boxing is war’.

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What followed was, some believed, the very possible death of boxing, or even ‘some kind of apocalypse’.

Muhammad Ali – then known as Cassius Clay – continued to claim victories and make enemies, while in England, Henry Cooper put his British title on the line with three fights in the year.