Which great name had his last fight 50yrs ago today..?

[n1ebf]

no prizes I'm sorry who is it then???

[Gazmac81]

Cassius Clay ?

[n1ebf]

Cassius Clay ?

go to the top of the class

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/the ... 23739.html

good one

[edgey2009]

His last fight wasnt 50 years ago. it was 50 years ago he won the heavyweight championship of the world for the first time wasnt it?

[milpool]

His last fight wasnt 50 years ago. it was 50 years ago he won the heavyweight championship of the world for the first time wasnt it?

Yes, but that was the last time he fought as Cassius Clay.

[edgey2009]

His last fight wasnt 50 years ago. it was 50 years ago he won the heavyweight championship of the world for the first time wasnt it?

Sorry finally understood what you meant. My mistake.

[stevedoc]

His last fight wasnt 50 years ago. it was 50 years ago he won the heavyweight championship of the world for the first time wasnt it?

i think he means as clay before he became Ali

[n1ebf]

correct guys, I have to admit I edited the title because technically of course, it was not Clay's last fight, he just changed his name. Interestingly a quick search of the date on Boxrec shows that Sonny Liston L RTD to Muhammad Ali, even though he entered the ring (in fact wearing a robe wasn't he??) with Casius Clay on it.
50years is still always a great anniversary

[Gazmac81]

i knew it would be something to do with Ali and was going trawl for other fighters on that bill but then had a little brain wave 8)

[bennie]

Too fast, too big, too brave for Liston.

[thepocketrocket]

I read somewhere that Liston was actually over the hill by the time he fought undersized Patterson for the title, and that he had been a lot better when he was younger, but was frozen out.

No idea if that is true or not

[JimStone]

On his day Liston could've beaten any of them. Huge reach, great jab, devastating left-hook. Who knows how old he really was when he fought Clay.

[lefty]

Too fast, too big, too brave for Liston.

Doesnt sound good. Not that it's anything completely new http://www.BS.com/fbi-suspecte ... xed--75035

[Gazmac81]

See Ricky Burns Vs Nicky Cook

also Curtis couldve offered hamilton a large some off money knowing his bet comes in

these things can always be thrown out there without any real evidence

Too fast, too big, too brave for Liston.

Doesnt sound good. Not that it's anything completely new http://www.BS.com/fbi-suspecte ... xed--75035

[lefty]

See Ricky Burns Vs Nicky Cook

also Curtis couldve offered hamilton a large some off money knowing his bet comes in

these things can always be thrown out there without any real evidence

Too fast, too big, too brave for Liston.

Doesnt sound good. Not that it's anything completely new http://www.BS.com/fbi-suspecte ... xed--75035

True but if the FBI strongly suspected it, there must of been some decent evidence there. That on top of the fact that Liston had mob links.

[Gazmac81]

yea i know mate and i wouldnt be surprised , more so back in those days
you basically do what the mob tell you , a loss isnt that big a deal if the cash is right or the Debt is paid back

i like to think its not true though and to be honest Clay was just a little bit off a decent fighter to be fair

Edit - are the talking about the first fight or the Phantom punch fight ?

[n1ebf]

yea i know mate and i wouldnt be surprised , more so back in those days
you basically do what the mob tell you , a loss isnt that big a deal if the cash is right or the Debt is paid back

i like to think its not true though and to be honest Clay was just a little bit off a decent fighter to be fair

Edit - are the talking about the first fight or the Phantom punch fight ?

the article states it was referring to the first fight.. I imagine it was very difficy=ult to escape the mob back then. Bucnh of cowardly gun-toting cants. Liston was found dead in unusual circumstances anyway wasn't he?? Spanish hotel room wasn't it? I wonder what made him go there..

Boxrec states that Liston lost RTD 6th, on his stool. I imagine prior to round 7, and not round 8 as in the link provided above. I'll check my books.

[Gazmac81]

i think his wiki page says he was found in his las vegas house, with traces off herion sunstance in him

although again they reckon the police were paid to make this cause of death story

[n1ebf]

i thought I read that he died in a hotel room in Madrid......in an Ali book. Seems a weird thing to imagine. Shrouded in mystery....drugs/ murder/ suicide. I thought he'd been killed..

[n1ebf]

Too fast, too big, too brave for Liston.

Doesnt sound good. Not that it's anything completely new http://www.BS.com/fbi-suspecte ... xed--75035

it was actually the 7th round Liston didn't come out for, not the 8th as it says in this.

[lefty]

Too fast, too big, too brave for Liston.

Doesnt sound good. Not that it's anything completely new http://www.BS.com/fbi-suspecte ... xed--75035

it was actually the 7th round Liston didn't come out for, not the 8th as it says in this.

I didnt write the article mate lol

[bennie]

The sight of Liston looking up at Clay at the referee's instructions is etched in the memory. Liston looked in a state of semi-shock.

[n1ebf]

Front page of the Times today, big photo! Wasn't expecting that sort of coverage lol. It is a brilliant photo to be fair, great move by the newspaper. I'd carry a picture of Ali on the front page each week..

[n1ebf]

Doesnt sound good. Not that it's anything completely new http://www.BS.com/fbi-suspecte ... xed--75035

it was actually the 7th round Liston didn't come out for, not the 8th as it says in this.

I didnt write the article mate lol

No you didn't but you were happy to share it D ...(relax Bluewater Kid, I'm having a joke wit ya! )


Right....question.......who is this boxer who was found dead in a Madrid hotel room?? If it weren't American Sonny Liston (to avoid confusion with his Dutch couterpart) it must have been someone! I can even picture the book with Ali on the cover that I read it in. Think it was When We Were Kings, though I confess I've not read it cover to cover.

[bennie]

It sounds like Basque strongman Jose Urtain, former European heavyweight champion.