Rhames Starring as Sonny Liston

Time to relive the 'Phantom Punch'

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Tuesday, October 30th 2007 at 6:28 AM

Ving Rhames is set to traverse biopic land, this time the project centers on boxer Sonny Liston and is called Phantom Punch. Robert Townsend is set to direct the film from a Ryan Combs script. The film is being independently produced by Hassain Zaidi and Marek Posival.

The film will chronicle Liston's rise to fame as a boxer and the single "phantom punch" he took at the hands of Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) that many believe led to the demise of his career. The Hollywood Reporter talks about how Liston was prone to violence, served time in prison and had ties to the mob, but as a boxer he is best remembered for the incident that took place just two minutes into the 1965 bout with Ali. Liston had seldom been knocked to his feet, but went down from what was long debated as a felonious punch, which culminated in the picture you have all seen above.

Townsend told THR, "The thing is that certain people are born to play certain roles and Ving has always gravitated toward Sonny Liston's story. This is his baby and he's giving birth to it. He's already playing the character at so many levels."

You can check out the phantom punch just below…

…and here's the whole fight… All 2 minutes of it…