Sonny Liston vs. Albert Westphal
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Sonny Liston 212 lbs beat Albert Westphal 195 lbs by KO at 1:58 in round 1 of 10
- Date: 1961-12-04
- Location: Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Referee: Zach Clayton
- Judge: Nick Spano
- Judge: Jim Mina
Notes
- Liston vs. Westphal was the opening match of boxing's first-ever closed circuit doubleheader. In the other fight, World Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson knocked out Tom McNeeley in Toronto.
- 500,000 seats were available at 150 theaters and other locations in the United States and Canada.
- A crowd of 4,000 at Philadelphia's Convention Hall paid $25,000 to see Liston vs. Westphal live.
- Liston made $75,000, and Westphal got $12,000.
- Liston was a 10-1 favorite.
- The fight was delayed because the gloves provided for Liston were too small for his hands.
- Liston put Westphal down for the count with a right to the jaw. It was the first time Westphal was ever floored.
- "Do you think your performance tonight scared Patterson?" a reporter asked Liston. "How long have I been the No. 1 challenger?" Liston asked. "About a year and a half," someone volunteered. "That's how long he's been scared of me," Liston said.