May 16, 1962 - Heavyweight Cassius Clay’s oratorical tendencies came to life again today as he described himself as “the forthcoming youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history.” On Saturday night, Cassius has a 10-round bout in St. Nicholas Arena with Billy Daniels, 24, a New York fighter undefeated in 16 fights, with 7 knockouts. Cassius has won 13 of his 13 starts, with 10 knockouts. The bout will be the last fight of any significance to be held at St. Nick’s. The country’s oldest fight club is to be torn down in June. Sharing steaks with his opponent at a fighters-writers lunch in Gilhuly’s, the unbashful Cassius predicted that Daniels would be through in five rounds. “The fight game is more interesting when the fighters talk a little,” said Cassius. “I’ll fight anyone — Patterson, Liston, Machen, any of them. Patterson became heavyweight champion when he was one month short of 22. I’m only 20, and I’m ahead of schedule. Daniels will go down inside of five. That’s my prediction, and after that, if I lose the fight, I will have to leave the country.” Daniels said he was not a man given to predictions. “This fight is a big break for me,” he said, “and it will be a good one. If I fall in five rounds, I’ll fall. But we’ll see.”
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