In Tuneup for Liston, Clay Was Only Ordinary

The legend of Cassius Clay-Muhammad Ali nearly jumped the tracks 36 years ago tonight.

Before his 1964 shocker, when as a 7-1 underdog he took Sonny Liston’s heavyweight title, there was a highly unimpressive decision over Doug Jones.

In 1963, Americans were fascinated with this mouthy 21-year-old who had won 17 consecutive fights since turning pro shortly after winning a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.

And one of the reasons he was a 7-1 shot against Liston was his performance against the rugged Jones, a 26-year-old, 188-pound battler who stood up to Clay for 10 rounds. The match attracted the first Madison Square Garden sellout in six years, 18,732, and the crowd was nearly riotous when the decision was announced.

The deafening boos were followed by trash sailing into the ring. Jones had rocked Clay with a straight right one minute into the fight, seemed to fare no worse than even in most exchanges, was busier throughout and was fresh at the finish.

Two judges called it 5-4-1 for Clay and the referee had it 8-1-1. The Associated Press card had Jones a 5-4-1 winner. In a ringside poll of boxing writers, 7 of 12 had Clay the winner.

The live gate came to $104,943 and closed-circuit theater sales across the country brought in an additional $200,000. Clay earned $90,000, Jones $75,000.

Said a dejected Jones afterward: “I thought I won it no worse than 6-3-1. He never hurt me. I don’t think much of him.”

One ringside observer who was also unimpressed was Liston, the champion.

“If they make me fight him, I’ll get locked up for murder,” he said.

Also on this date: In 1963, Notre Dame football Coach Joe Kuharich resigned after four nonwinning seasons and freshman coach Hugh Devore was named interim coach. . . . In 1979, USC basketball Coach Bob Boyd resigned after 13 seasons to take an administrative job. . . . In 1961, Floyd Patterson beat Ingemar Johansson for the second time, on a sixth-round knockout, despite having been decked twice in the first round. In 1959, the Swede had shocked the boxing world with a third-round knock of Patterson, but Patterson regained his title in a rematch. . . . In 1948, in a track meet at Long Beach Wilson High School, Jamaican Lloyd La Beach tied the world record for 100 yards, running 9.4.