Sonny Liston vrs Chuck Wepner(June.29.1970)

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 15 Mar 2008, 16:42

Anyone know the story behind the fight footage that survived from that fight?
It sure looks shakey and shot from a distance ,like bootleg footage filmed from an air duct vent or something in the Jersey City Armory.

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 15 Mar 2008, 17:30

I never even knew film existed of it. I seen only pictures, which are just about some of the most horrid and disgusting things I've ever seen in the history of the sport.

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 15 Mar 2008, 18:18

According to Chuck Wepner(in Nick Tosches book),after the fifth round Liston started the damage,by closing one of his eyes,breaking his nose and left cheekbone.
After the fight Wepner required 72 stitches and had to be iced down for two days because he was in shock.

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 15 Mar 2008, 20:31

You can't fight Sonny Liston without thinking defense. Very very bad plan. A bit like throwing yourself into a wood chipper/shredder head first.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 15 Mar 2008, 21:02

The reason the fight went on and on was because Liston had lost his punch.
But he was an excellent boxer and he hit Wepner continually.
Notice that Ali didn't have the punch to stop Wepner (before the 15th round) but an old tired Liston did.

The news media creeps have their mantra that Liston was illiterate, mean, etc. When in reality Liston was a lot brighter than they were.

After this fight, Liston was asked if Wepner was "the bravest" fighter he had ever fought

Liston said, "No. But his manager was."

Syntax Error · Post by **Syntax Error** » 16 Mar 2008, 05:12

In the UK, a collector series called BOXERS was available in about 1996 on VHS video tape. The Sonny Liston tape had the Wepner fight on it.

The BOXERS series was recently reissued on DVD over here, but strangely, the Wepner fight was not on the Liston DVD!

Goodnight, Irene · Post by **Goodnight, Irene** » 16 Mar 2008, 05:21

I have a number of casettes from the Boxers series. Wasn't bad.

Syntax Error · Post by **Syntax Error** » 16 Mar 2008, 05:43

Goodnight, Irene wrote:I have a number of casettes from the Boxers series. Wasn't bad.

It was a lot better than the recent DVD re-issue.

There were a lot more fighters & of the fighters that appeared on both sets, there seemed to be more fights on the original VHS video series.

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 16 Mar 2008, 12:33

granberry wrote:The reason the fight went on and on was because Liston had lost his punch.
But he was an excellent boxer and he hit Wepner continually.
Notice that Ali didn't have the punch to stop Wepner (before the 15th round) but an old tired Liston did.

The news media creeps have their mantra that Liston was illiterate, mean, etc. When in reality Liston was a lot brighter than they were.

After this fight, Liston was asked if Wepner was "the bravest" fighter he had ever fought

Liston said, "No. But his manager was."

The fact that a non prime Liston could take out a tough chinned opponent with little if any defense where Ali could not do the same feat should be surprising to us? In what way?

ringsider · Post by **ringsider** » 16 Mar 2008, 12:56

The fact that a non prime Liston could take out a tough chinned opponent with little if any defense where Ali could not do the same feat should be surprising to us? In what way?

In the granberry way.

Robinson · Post by **Robinson** » 16 Mar 2008, 19:33

I have seen footage of it.

It was on that Marshall and Cavendash series 'Boxers'.

I think it was or is on YouTube, atleast parts of it.

Kym

Collins2000 · Post by **Collins2000** » 16 Mar 2008, 22:02

Robinson wrote:I have seen footage of it.

It was on that Marshall and Cavendash series 'Boxers'.

I think it was or is on YouTube, atleast parts of it.

Kym

It's just a fuzzy b/w blur as I recall.

No way could you tell who it was unless someone told you.

Perhaps the "Ali industry" got hold of the original and distorted as a final insult to Liston. Like some gimp on here said last week "You can never rule anything out.".

Brutu · Post by **Brutu** » 22 Mar 2008, 19:26

It looks to me like it was shot with an 8 mm camera without sound.
Looks like the camera was hidden from view,at one point you can see like a ragged border at bottom of frame.
You can tell for sure its Liston with that monster jab.
I strongly suspect that someone from Wepner's camp secretly filmed it.
Muhhammad Ali was at that fight.
This is a real historic piece.
It looks like it was edited and marketed to collectors on either 8mm or 16mm film before the video tape revoulution in the early 1980's.

Robinson · Post by **Robinson** » 22 Mar 2008, 20:51

It does look like crap quality.

You would think that at tha at stage, and with Liston a former champ in the ring you would have a decent production on it