Read the excerpt from The Greatest Mahammad Ali. The crowd was going wild. It was clear that
Clay was in trouble. But still, Liston couldn't finish him
off. The round ended, and Clay stumbled back to his
corner. His cornermen worked feverishly on his eyes,
trying to wash out whatever it was that was blinding
Clay.
By the middle of the sixth round, the stinging
in Clay's eyes subsided. So far he had survived half-
blind in the ring with the man who had crushed some
of the best heavyweights in the country.
What is happening in this passage?