Lewiston will soon raise a new 10-foot tall statue on Main Street in honor of boxer Muhammad Ali.
The design is based on an iconic photo taken of him in 1965, when Ali fought Sonny Liston in a heavyweight championship rematch at what is now the Lewiston Colisée, after a deal with the Boston Garden fell through. In a legendary moment in sports, Ali knocked Liston out in the first round, generating controversy at the time over whether the fight was fixed, and birthing the legend of the "phantom punch."
Ali returned to Lewiston in 1995 on the 30th anniversary of the fight.
The statue will be unveiled in May 2025, per the Bangor Daily News, around the 60-year anniversary of Ali's win.