Some found it hard to believe that the punch could have floored a man like Liston. Hall of Fame announcer Don Dunphy said, "Here was a guy who was in prison and the guards used to beat him over the head with clubs and couldn't knock him down." But others contend he just wasn't the same Liston. Dave Anderson of the "New York Times" said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. Liston's handlers secretly paid sparring partner Amos Lincoln an extra $100 to take it easy on him. Arthur Daley of the "New York Times" wrote that Liston's handlers knew he "didn't have it anymore." These comments don't accord with the fact that Liston easily beat Amos Lincoln three years later in 1968, knocking him out inside two rounds.