About Sonny Banks

Born Lucien Banks
June 29, 1940 in Birmingham Ridge, MS
Died May 13, 1965
Career record: 18 wins (14 KO), 7 defeats (5 KO)

Best known as the first fighter to drop Cassius Clay, Banks was an employee of the Ford Motor Company who boxed to bring in extra income. Early on, he was a sparring partner for Sonny Liston. When Banks fought Clay in 1962, he knocked him down for a count, but ultimately lost the fight. Prior to the match, Clay announced, "the man must fall in the round I call, in fact Banks must fall in four". Clay won by TKO in the fourth round. Banks was injured in a nine-round bout against Leotis Martin in 1965, and died from a blood clot to the brain three days after the fight.

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