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Muhammad Ali's defeat of Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine was a knockout for the ages

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Muhammad Ali's defeat of Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine was a knockout for the ages


What was the most iconic sports action photo of the 20th century? Was it Babe Ruth’s called shot? Willie Mays’ catch? Michael Jordan’s “the shot”? Does it matter?

It certainly matters for Lewiston, Maine. On May 25, 1965, a beguiling, perfectly timed photo of boxing legend Muhammad Ali was taken there at a small, remote stadium.

It is still a seminal image that some pundits believe is the greatest sports photo of all time. Sports photographer Neil Leifer captured the young champion in raging full color, his right arm cocked over the fallen slugger Sonny Liston. It radiates the emotional energy of the era’s most compelling athlete, appropriately known as “the Greatest.” The speedy, outspoken newcomer had not only toppled the sullen, plodding puncher Liston, he symbolized the whole 1960s decade of anger, protest and change, all captured by Leifer’s camera.

Even so, the greatness of the photo needed time to ripen. It was not on the Sports Illustrated cover, and it didn’t win any official awards at the time. But it did propel the photographer’s career and led to a plethora of accolades, including the Lucie Award for Achievement in Sports Photography.

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Lewiston’s 15 minutes of Ali fame linked it to sports history for nearly 50 years. Then, on Oct. 25, 2023, a much grimmer brush with fate left 18 dead from a shocking mass shooting. With that, the town’s identity was tragically reduced to a single name with new meaning: Lewiston. Hijacked by the unthinkable, the town is now more connected to Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, Tree of Life, Uvalde, and Highland Park than it is to Ali. At least for now.

Lewiston is a picturesque community of 37,000 nestled not far from Portland. Its Ali-Liston match was one of the more significant sporting events of the 20th century. Ali, who would soon be the most famous human on earth for his international matches and political activism, had delivered a sudden, pervasive blow to both Liston and the establishment. Could the specter of Ali’s pivotal moment eventually decouple Lewiston from its more tragic identity?

Ali vs. Liston, over in less than two minutes

Ali began as a brash, outspoken challenger, then surprised the world when he won the title, converted to Islam, and dropped his given name Cassius Clay. He immediately rankled the sports world with his uncompromising wit, criticism and protests. Every Ali title fight became an extravaganza. Ali actually defeated the heavy-fisted Liston twice, first in Miami Beach on Feb. 25, 1964, followed by the Lewiston rematch in 1965. Ali stunned the sports world both times.

Even fate played a role. Fight promoters originally planned the highly anticipated rematch for Boston, but criticism of Ali for his Black Muslim connections was growing, plus Liston had his own issues with the law stemming from alleged connections to organized crime. Boston’s Suffolk County district attorney sought to block the fight, so its backers pulled the match from Boston just 18 days before the scheduled bout.

Maine Gov. John Reed quickly offered Lewiston. Less than 150 miles from Boston, it was home to the Central Maine Youth Center that could seat up to 4,500 people on short notice. With the fight back on, the media and onlookers flooded Lewiston. But it took under two minutes for Ali to knock Liston out.

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The image of Ali’s taunting was captured by two different photographers. One of them, Leifer, took his photo in color. The Lewiston arena even added to the photo’s mood. Boxing attracted legions of cigar-smoking fans in those days, so given the small stadium, a smoky bluish haze added a mystical aura over Ali. Experts consider composition, timing, subject matter, lighting, emotion and narrative in evaluating a photograph. Ali at Lewiston nailed them all.

Lewiston’s shooting tragedy promptly cast a pall over the town’s charm, solitude and link to Ali. America has almost become numb to frequent mass shootings at multiple towns, schools, clubs and synagogues. Columbine will always be the dark Columbine, Sandy Hook the tragic Sandy Hook, and the July 4, 2022 parade attack in Highland Park, Illinois, will always trigger a local Independence Day sadness. (That one took place in my own neck of the woods.)

Since I represented Ali once in 1990 and spent a two-hour lunch with him at Chicago’s Gene & Georgetti’s steak house, I can attest to his timeless charisma. So there is still hope for Lewiston. If a community was famous to begin with, it might overcome the stain of a mass shooting. In Las Vegas, its gaudy image has survived tragedy. Can Lewiston reclaim its Ali glory? It can. But for most of America, being famous for a shooting, rather than in spite of one, is becoming a uniquely grim burden.

Eldon Ham is a member of the faculty at IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law, teaching sports, law and justice. He is the author of five books on the role of sports history in America.

The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines.

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The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Chicago Sun-Times or any of its affiliates.





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This Classic New England-Style Cottage in Maine Has 200 Feet of Atlantic Ocean Frontage

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This Classic New England-Style Cottage in Maine Has 200 Feet of Atlantic Ocean Frontage


A waterfront home with open ocean views on the coast of Maine came to market Tuesday asking $4 million. 

Built in 1978, the three-bedroom cottage is at the southern point of Cape Elizabeth, less than 10 miles from downtown Portland. The 1.1-acre property on Sunny Bank Road features 200 feet of south-facing water frontage on the wide open Atlantic. 

It is bordered by a rocky sea wall that’s about 28 feet high, according to listing agent Sam Michaud Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty

“The views are like a Monet painting,” he said via email. “The water sparkles and the waves are endless.”

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MORE: Laid-Back Costa Rica Is Getting a $7 Million Mega-Penthouse

The 3,364-square-foot home was built in classic New England style, with shingle siding, a single sloped roofline and large windows—complemented by white-washed walls, exposed-beam ceilings and wide-plank flooring on the interiors. 

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The main common area features cathedral ceilings with a step-down between the living and dining room, and a partial wall divides the dining room from the kitchen. There is also a wood-paneled family room off the kitchen, a gym and a covered porch. 

The sellers purchased the property in 2010 for $1.562 million, according to property records accessed through PropertyShark. They could not immediately be reached for comment. 

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“I have received quite a few inquiries since hitting the market two days ago,” Michaud said. “Buyers understand that this is a golden opportunity to own over an acre with 200 feet of bold oceanfront in Cape Elizabeth.”

MORE: Iranian Strikes on Dubai Put the City’s Roaring Real Estate Market to the Test

There are currently just seven three-bedroom homes available for sale in Cape Elizabeth and fewer than five waterfront properties, according to Sotheby’s and Zillow data. It is also the most expensive listing in the town, with another waterfront property on a tiny lot just south of Portland coming in a close second, according to Zillow. 

Michaud sold the former Cape Elizabeth home of Bette Davis this past summer for $13.4 million, the priciest sale on the cape in at least a decade—and even those views can’t compare. They’re “just magical,” he said. 



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NECEC conservation plan will not protect Maine’s mature forests | Opinion

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NECEC conservation plan will not protect Maine’s mature forests | Opinion


Robert Bryan is a licensed forester from Harpswell and author or co-author of numerous publications on managing forests for wildlife. Paul Larrivee is a licensed forester from New Gloucester who manages both private and public lands, and a former Maine Forest Service forester.

In November 2025, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved a conservation plan and forest management plan as mitigation for impacts from the NECEC transmission corridor that runs from the Quebec border 53 miles to central Maine.

As professional foresters, we were astonished by the lack of scientific credibility in the definition of “mature forest habitat” that was approved by DEP, and the business-as-usual commercial forestry proposed for over 80% of the conservation area.

The DEP’s approval requires NECEC to establish and protect 50,000 acres to be managed for mature-forest wildlife species and wildlife travel corridors along riparian areas and between mature forest habitats. The conservation plan will establish an area adjacent to the new transmission corridor to be protected under a conservation easement held by the state. Under this plan, 50% of the area will be managed as mature forest habitat.

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Under the forest management plan, a typical even-aged stand will qualify as “mature forest habitat” once 50 feet tall, which is only about 50 years old. These stands will lack large trees that provide wildlife denning and nesting sites, multiple vegetation layers that mature-forest birds use for nesting and feeding habitats and large decaying trees and downed logs that provide habitat for insects, fungi and small mammals, which in turn benefit larger predators.

Another major concern is that contrary to the earlier DEP order, the final approval allows standard sustainable forestry operations on the 84% of the forest located outside the stream buffers and special habitats. These stands may be harvested as soon as they achieve the “mature forest habitat” definition, as long as 50% of the conserved land is maintained as “mature.”

After the mature forest goal is reached, clearcutting or other heavy harvesting could occur on thousands of acres every 10 years. Because the landowner — Weyerhaeuser — owns several hundred thousand acres in the vicinity, any reductions in harvesting within the conservation area can simply be offset by cutting more heavily nearby. As a result, the net
mature-forest benefit of the conservation area will be close to zero.

Third, because some mature stands will be cut before the 50% mature forest goal is reached, it will take 40 years — longer than necessary — to reach the goal.

In the near future the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) will consider an appeal from environmental organizations of the plan approval. To ensure that ecologically mature forest develops in a manner that meets the intent of the DEP/BEP orders, several things need to change.

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First and most important, to ensure that characteristics of mature forest habitat have time to develop it is critical that the definition include clear requirements for the minimum number of large-diameter (hence more mature) trees, adjusted by forest type. At least half the stocking of an area of mature forest habitat should be in trees at least 10 inches in diameter, and at least 20% of stands beyond the riparian buffers should have half the stocking in trees greater than or equal to 16 inches in diameter.

Current research as well as guidelines for defining ecologically mature forests, such as those in Maine Audubon’s Forestry for Maine Birds, should be followed.

Second, limits should be placed on the size and distribution of clearcut or “shelterwood” harvest patches so that even-aged harvests are similar in size to those created by typical natural forest disturbance patterns. These changes will help ensure that the mature-forest block and connectivity requirements of the orders are met.

Third, because the forest impacts have already occurred, no cutting should be allowed in the few stands that meet or exceed the DEP-approved definition — which needs to be revised as described above — until the 50% or greater mature-forest goal is reached.

If allowed to stand, the definitions and management described in the forest management plan would set a terrible precedent for conserving mature forests in Maine. The BEP should uphold the appeal and establish standards for truly mature forest habitat.

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Rage Room in Portland, Maine, Developing ‘Scream Room’ Addition

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Rage Room in Portland, Maine, Developing ‘Scream Room’ Addition


For a lot of people throughout Maine, there’s some built up frustration that they’ve just been keeping inside.

That frustration can come in a lot of different forms. From finances to relationships to the world around you.

So it makes plenty of sense that a rage room opened in Portland, Maine, where people can let some of that frustration out.

It’s called Mayhem and people have been piling in to smash, crush and do dastardly things to inanimate objects that had no idea what was coming.

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But Mayhem has realized not everyone is down with swinging a sledgehammer. So they’ve decided to cook up something new.

Mayhem Creating ‘Scream Room’ at Their Space in Portland, Maine

Perhaps the thought of swinging a baseball bat and destroying a glass vase brings you joy. The thought of how sore your body will be after that moment makes you less excited.

Mayhem Portland has heard you loud and clear and is developing a new way to get the rage out. By just screaming.

Mayhem is working on opening their very first scream room. It’s exactly what you think it is, a safe place to spend some time just screaming all of the frustration out.

There isn’t an official opening date set yet but it’s coming soon along with pricing.

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Mayhem in Portland, Maine, Will Still Offer Rage Rooms and Paint Splatter

While a scream room is on the way, you can still experience a good time at Mayhem with one of their rage rooms or a paint splatter room.

Both can be experienced in either 20-minute or 30-minute sessions.

All the details including some age and attire requirements can be found here.

TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Things to do in Portland, Maine

Looking for fun things to do in Portland, ME? Here is what the reviewers on TripAdvisor say are the 10 best attractions.

This list was updated in March of 2026

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Gallery Credit: Chris Sedenka

Top 15 of The Most Powerful People in Maine

Ever wonder who the most powerful players are in Maine? I’ve got a list!

Gallery Credit: Getty Images





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