Floyd Patterson vs. Sonny Liston was a professional boxing match contested on September 25, 1962, for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

Aside from the fact that D’Amato believed Patterson's chances were low, he also denounced Liston's connections with gangsters (including his management), an issue that the public shared.

[9] Patterson immediately faced difficulty with Liston's larger size, particularly his seven foot long reach and powerful jab.

Patterson bravely attempted to close the distance with the challenger by using his faster hand speed and head movement, but soon began to take powerful hooks and combinations from Liston both at long and short range.

Just two minutes into the first round, a hurt Patterson found himself up against the ropes, and took two powerful left hooks to the jaw, knocking him out.