033. Lewiston's Heavyweight

Continuing our look at statues of famous sports figures we travel to Maine and an infamous squared circle.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to another episode of the New England on a Pedestal podcast. I am your host, Doug Farquharson.  If you have returned after listening to previous episodes, thanks for sticking with us! We purposefully design each episode of our podcast to be a stand-alone chapter in the story of New England as told through its many and varied statues, sculptures, memorials, and monuments. And we hope that once you have heard one of our episodes, you’ll be inspired to take a listen to our other ones. If you like what you hear, please subscribe to us through your favorite podcast platform and consider leaving a review for us. It will help us reach more listeners and expand our audience. Thank you!

In earlier episodes we explored several different local pro sports figures around Boston, Massachusetts. Baseball, hockey, and basketball stars who played for New England teams. Since then, a new statue has been unveiled in Foxboro, Mass. If you don’t know who it is, I’ll bet you can guess! Haha. Well, I discovered that there is an internationally well-known professional athlete recently honored with his own statue in one of the northern New England states. 

So, in this episode, we find ourselves visiting Lewiston, Maine, which is in Androscoggin County. According to the 2020 US Census, Lewiston has the second largest population in the state at just a bit over 37,000 residents. It sits between Portland and Bangor as far as the population counts. Geographically, it is in the south-west quadrant of the state. Auburn sits across the Androscoggin River to the west, while the towns of Greene, Sabattis, and Lisbon form its other borders.  It is between Portland, the state's largest city and cultural center where we have previously covered The Maine Lobsterman, and the state capital of Augusta.

While the statue itself is relatively new, we need to go back sixty or so years to discover the events that led up to its commissioning and dedication. In February of 1964, Muhammad Ali had squared off against boxer and World Heavyweight Champion, Sonny Liston in Miami, Florida. Actually, at that time Ali was still known as Cassius Clay. Liston was heavily favored to win the fight. However, Ali’s speed, footwork, and movement overwhelmed his opponent who was unable to respond to the opening bell of the seventh round, giving Ali the surprise victory and his first reign as champion. The WBC, or World Boxing Council, the governing body for the sport, demanded an immediate rematch. That bout would play out in Lewiston, Maine on May 25, 1965 at the Central Maine Youth Center, a youth hockey arena. In the year plus timeframe between the two bouts, a lot happened in both boxers’ lives. And a lot of it was controversial. Liston had been arrested on a multitude of charges including numerous motor vehicle violations, and weapons charges. Cassius Clay had joined the Black Muslims and changed his name to Cassius X. Not long afterwards, Elijah Muhammad who was the leader of the Nation of Islam renamed him Muhammad Ali. This too created a lot of controversy and drew condemnation from several quarters. Contract irregularities were also discovered. All this led to a lot of hype over the rematch. As it turns out, the bout didn’t last long at all. Only about two minutes officially. Many spectators hadn’t even taken their seats yet. Liston jabbed. Ali counter punched. Some called it a phantom punch because they didn’t see it land. It went down as one of the quickest knock outs in heavyweight boxing history. There was a lot of arguing in the press over whether the fight had been fixed or not. I’m sure we all have seen the iconic photograph taken by Niel Leifer for Sports Illustrated of Ali standing over the fallen Liston at some point in our lives.

Flash forward to 2025, famed Philadelphia sculptor Zenus Frudikas helped unveil his ten-foot-tall statue of Ali, the tallest such statue of Ali in the world on June 3rd. To many, the statue doesn’t just represent the famous boxer or his infamous boxing match in their city. It represents resilience and a fighting spirit. Lewiston has had its ups and downs economically over the years. It was the scene of a horrible mass shooting in 2023. People here have taken their share of hard times. But like true Mainers, they keep getting back up. Local artist Charlie Hewitt co-initiated the project with architect and developer Tom Platz. They emphasize the monument’s symbol of resilience, transformation, and dignity. Hewitt is quoted on Frudikas’s website as saying "Ali didn’t win every round but he got up and fought every round — and that’s how he became arguably the best athlete of the 20th century. The people of Lewiston get up every morning and fight every round for their families and their communities. They will not be knocked down. That is what we celebrate." Frudikas himself stated “This sculpture reflects Ali’s grace, strength, and moral courage. He was a true original—a man who stood firm in his convictions and inspired the world through his words and actions as much as his fists. It’s not about whether you get knocked down—it’s about whether you get back up.”

Several dignitaries were on hand for the unveiling and dedication of the statue. Many are quoted on the sculptor’s website. Here a few that stood out to me.

Lewiston City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath said the statue speaks to Lewiston’s enduring spirit. “This is more than bronze and steel. It’s a testament to the idea that greatness can emerge in the most unexpected of places—right here in Lewiston. Ali was not only a champion in the ring, but also a global force for justice, dignity, and peace.”

Mayor Carl Sheline called the unveiling a moment of shared purpose. “We don’t just honor a legend. We recognize a legacy of grit, heart, and the unshakable belief that where you come from doesn’t define your destiny—what you fight for does.”

Governor Janet Mills reflected on Ali’s timeless message. She said “When Ali stood over Sonny Liston yelling ‘Get up and fight,’ he wasn’t just talking to his opponent. He was speaking to all of us. And that’s what Maine and Lewiston have done—we get up and fight. We'll never get knocked out. We'll never get knocked down. We're still getting up and fighting every day. This is a city that is strong, loud and proud in a state that is strong, loud and proud.”

Zenus Frudikas has been working for many decades and has produced over 125 pieces found both in public and private collections. A few of his major works include Philadelphia’s Freedom Sculpture, the US Air Force Memorial Honor Guard at the Arlington National Cemetery and Payne Stewart in Pinehurst, NC.

You can view the statue yourself at the entrance to Bates Mill No. 5 at 10 Mill St., near the Androscoggin River’s Auburn Bridge. Once you’ve seen the statue, walk a little further down Mill St to the Baxter Brewing Company. Their pub is located right next to the brewery in the Lewiston Bates Mill. My wife and I were there with some good friends and let me tell you, it was fantastic. Great atmosphere, fantastic food, awesome staff, and wicked pissa beers. Definitely worth the trip.

As we mentioned before, the concept behind New England on a Pedestal is rather simple. Travel around our six-state area, find some interesting statues, and discuss them. We have an ever-growing database of statues, monuments, memorials, and sculptures that we will be covering over time, but we certainly do not know all of them. That is where you can assist us. Shoot us an email at newenglandonapedestal@farqie.com and tell us about a favorite or unique or odd statue you know. If you have additional information or maybe a correction about something we have already shared, please send it our way and perhaps we will add an addendum to a later episode.

We would love to hear from you. Let us know what you think. What are we doing right? What can we do better? Let us know of a statue with a story near and dear to you. We can be reached via email at newenglandonapedestal@farqie.com. That’s New England on a Pedestal all one word at F A R Q I E dot com.  Go to Facebook and like the New England on a Pedestal page. Follow us on Instagram. We post photos and links on those social media platforms from time to time. You can now find a fan mail link in the description of each episode to send a message to us. There is also a voicemail and text line where you can reach out to us. Call or text (857) 410-0464. If you’re calling from outside the United States, remember to add the +1-country code. 

As always, I want to thank Jason, Jake, Sam, and Bekka for their artistic and technical help in producing this podcast and Steffani for her administrative assistance. But, most importantly, I want to thank you, the listener, for tuning in and sticking with us. Without you, there is no podcast!

Join us next episode when we venture to another New England town and dig into some local history there. Until then, be safe, be well, be kind and keep discovering. Thanks for listening!