I count myself as fortunate to possess a collection of boxing magazines dating back to the 1920s – though, admittedly, I have only a couple of that vintage. Those magazines open a window on what contemporary writers and fans thought of fighters who are legendary today. Or, as is more often the case, forgotten.
So, let’s look into the window of the October 1961 issue of Boxing Illustrated. That month’s “Rings Around the World” compilation of fight reports includes an account of a 10-round match between Cassius Clay and Alonzo Johnson. Clay, of course, would later become known as Muhammad Ali. At the time of the report, though, he was a first-year professional, and the Johnson bout was only his eighth foray in the punch-for-pay ranks after winning a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics. Johnson was an 18-7 veteran who had gone the distance with rated contenders like Eddie Machen, Zora Folley and Willie Pastrano. It was a good “learning”-type matchup for young Cassius. But the writer of the report was less than impressed.
“LOUISVILLE – Louisville’s fast-talking Cassius Clay won the decision over seemingly disinterested Alonzo Johnson in then yawn-provoking rounds; but despite his victory, Clay looked nothing like the great fighter he was cracked up to be. As a matter of fact, BOXING ILLUSTRATED was so disappointed at Clay’s performance, that we apologize for touting him in the past.
For the first seven rounds, Johnson stalked the former Olympic champ, while Clay, who fights like an atomic pogo-stick with eleven arms, just bounced around throwing meaningless lefts, meaningless rights, switching southpaw, switching back – and repeating the process over and over again. But alas, in the eighth, Clay seemed to tire. So Alonzo, who had been down twice without a count, obligingly slowed down himself. The best round was the tenth, when hometowner Clay found his second wind and chugged home to grab the decision.
The impatient winner, who expects to send Floyd Patterson into bloody retirement next year, had better do some serious soul-searching – in a hurry. For, if he fights Alex Miteff next month, as proposed, bouncy Cassius may be bounced into retirement, and, at 19, he may be looking for a job.”
Clay’s next opponent after Johnson was, indeed, Miteff, a fading slugger from Argentina. Contrary to Boxing Illustrated’s dire prediction, Clay won handily, stopping Miteff in the sixth round. Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali and became the first three-time heavyweight king and, arguably, “The Greatest.”
Alonzo’ Johnson’s career went straight downhill after his bout with Ali, as he lost far more fights than he won. At the age of 40, Alonzo was one of the opponents in the infamous “Foreman vs. Five” exhibition in 1975, which was George Foreman’s first appearance in the ring after Ali had taken Foreman’s heavyweight crown in the “Rumble in the Jungle” the previous year.
I was a teenager in 1961, and I watched the Clay-Johnson fight on black-and-white TV. As I remember, Ali’s performance didn’t impress me, either – although I did not in any way picture him as an “atomic pogo-stick with eleven arms.” I don’t believe any boxer has been described that way before or since.
