Sonny Liston ~ "The Excuse Tour"

[BoxBuzz]

This is quite shocking. Are you saying that the first fight was fraudulent? AND that Sonny was not interested in his belt or proud of his standing as the HW champion of the world? AND that he was only interested in making a quick buck and moving on?

AND that Clay's group and Sonny's group sat down ahead of time, and quietly and happily worked out the terms of the "sham"....So that everyone could make a bunch of money? Pride, bragging rights, personal ego's were humbly checked at the door of the negotiations? And Liston was a happy participant of just moving the title on, all in the spirit of being cooperative with the bigger "team" whom he had entrusted to make him a bunch of money? And Clay was also part and parcel to the money making aspirations, regardless of any integrity? Money is the single and only motivating factor in the entire discussion. All simple one dimensional finance centered?

If you say so, that's good enough for me!

[BoxBuzz]

Only 100%? My confidence is eroding......

[yancey]

Wednesday ~ February 26, 1964

Miami Beach, Florida

The day after the 'sham', now ex-Champion - Sonny Liston is trying to explain what happened.

Sonny Boy >
'I heard a pop in the 1st-Round. I swung with big-sweeping left-hook and I heard 'snap'. At first I thought
I had broken my shoulder. My arm went completely numb.'

Jack Nilon {Manager} >
'That is correct. I hard that 'snapping sound' all the way across the Ring to where I was sitting behind the
Ring Post.'

'At first, I thought somebody broke a chair next to me. It sounded like a 2" x 4" snapping. I looked around and
didn't know what it was. When I looked back in the Ring I saw Sonny came walking back across the Ring with
a pained look on his face, I said "Oh No".

Might be an interesting story for a reporter to track down Glenn Chelo (the young kid in the photo) to see what he recalls about that day.

There is also a youtube video of Sonny mock sparring with a young kid prior to the first Patterson. It no doubt made the kid's week and good on Sonny for taking time out for him.