Sonny Banks

Sonny Banks
BornJune 29, 1940
Birmingham, Mississippi, US
DiedMay 13, 1965(1965-05-13) (aged 24)
Statistics
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights25
Wins18
Wins by KO14
Losses7

Lucien "Sonny" Banks (June 29, 1940 – May 13, 1965) was a mid-20th Century American boxer who is primarily remembered for being the first boxer to ever knock down Cassius Clay (later "Muhammad Ali") in a professional match. In the early 1960s Banks was regarded in the sport as rising prospect known for a lightning fast left hook, but his career was cut short when he died from injuries sustained in the ring in 1965.