Cassius Clay (soon Muhammad Ali) fought Duke Sabedong in a ten-round boxing match in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

on June 26, 1961. The fight went the full distance with Clay winning comfortably on points, despite Sabedong's usage of roughhouse tactics. The fight's special significance rests on Clay's interactions with

Gorgeous George George Raymond Wagner (March 23, 1915 – December 26, 1963) was an American professional wrestler known by his ring name Gorgeous George. In the United States, during the First Golden Age of Professional Wrestling in the 1940s–1950s, Gorgeous ...

during the pre-match promotional activities related to the Clay-Sabedong bout, and also just after the fight. These interactions would shape Clay's behavior and mannerisms, particularly while promoting his future fights, for the rest of his boxing career.

Notes

References

1961 in boxing June 1961 sports events in the United States 1961 in sports in Nevada Boxing matches in the Las Vegas Valley Sabedong {{boxing-stub