Leotis Martin ~ "Boxing Career 1956 thu 1970"

[BoxBuzz]

And Leotis and his trainer were getting along pretty well at the time. Hard to separate that out.

[raylawpc]

Aging Before Your Eyes

On 'National Television', you could see Sonny Liston aging right in front of your eyes at the {1:30 Mark} of Round 8.

Flat-footed and stationary, and only using a slow left-jab.

. . . and he was already so old and decrepit when he lost to Cassius Clay . . . according to you . . .

[BoxBuzz]

Man Joe just missed getting derailed.

Yancey....Now that this allegation has been proven. Now what you got to say?


ALSO: Sonny was PAID to ruin Leotis's eye, and the money came from Joe's camp.

THEN he was also paid by Leotis's camp to take a dive.

Sonny was true to both funding mechanisms. AND he got paid for that fight.

Sonny was financial wiz.

[yancey]

Man Joe just missed getting derailed.

Yancey....Now that this allegation has been proven. Now what you got to say?


ALSO: Sonny was PAID to ruin Leotis's eye, and the money came from Joe's camp.

THEN he was also paid by Leotis's camp to take a dive.

Sonny was true to both funding mechanisms. AND he got paid for that fight.

Sonny was financial wiz.

What can I say, you guys have cracked the case.

Hell, maybe Ali threw the FOTC. Quarry and Ellis might have been in on things, too.

Could Joe fight at all?

My life is ruined.

[dempseyfire]

Martin was a very solid all-around fighter but a Frazier fight wouldn't have lasted too long. Martin could've hurt Frazier early like Joe did in several fights but once Frazier got smokin' the rather bean-polish Leotis is getting flattened. He wouldn't have seen the 8th round.

That said, Martin would be easily the number 1 contender today. He'd flatten the likes of Fury and Povetkin without a doubt.

[yancey]

Leotis and this Pinny dude probably saw a fight with Frazier as a good payday.

Understandable.

Just don't try to tell me that Leotis actually had the goods to handle Frazier.

[bodyblow999]

True Facts

Yank Durham was the '1st' Trainer for Leotis Martin, from January 1962 thru December 1965.

William 'Pinny' Schaefer hired Yank Durham to be the Trainer for both of his fighters > Bennie Briscoe and Leotis Martin.

'Bad Blood' developed between 'William 'Pinny' Schaefer and Yank Durham, following a loss Bennie Briscoe suffered to
Stanley Hayward at the Philadelphia Arena on December 5, 1965.

Soon after, 'Pinny' Schaefer 'fired' Yank Durham. That led to a personal feud between the 'two' that lasted for years.

Yank Durahm swore, that he would never give Leotis Martin a chance at fighting 'Smokin Joe' from mid-1966 and on........
as he felt he was 'stabbed' in the back and was 'bad-mouthed' by 'Pinny' Schaefer.

Yeah I read that Ring article also. See, you arent the only one who can use google: http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/1224 ... in-the-end

[bodyblow999]

Hey BodyBlow999,

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... NMmfZJTrQQ

***FORUM RULES***


2. No hyperlinks without a summary. Please post an abstract of your article and allow people to decide if it's worth clicking on your link.

[yancey]

February 1970

'Yank Durham ~ We Will Never Give Leotis Martin A Chance'

World Ratings

#1.... Joe Frazier
#2.... Leotis Martin
#3.... Jimmy Ellis
#4.... Mac Foster
#5.... Oscar Bonavena
#6.... Sonny Liston
#7.... Jerry Quarry
#8.... George Chuvalo
#9.... Al Jones
#10.. Henry Cooper

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... oJaZYirlXg

"Joe would kill him (Martin) anyway and I don't want to see the kid get hurt."

Yank Durham

[yancey]

Philadelphia Reporting

Yank Durham >
Did finally acknowledge Leotis Martin, yet 'chirped' at him getting killed by Joe Frazier, after Leotis was
forced to retire in April 1970.

Doctors advised Leotis to 'not' return to the Ring, as the right-eye would not be able to withstand any severe
blows, which would render him blind.

Leotis Martin >
"My only regret was in 'not' getting a chance for a World Championship. I would have loved to get Jimmy Ellis
back in the Ring again. But Jimmy got tied up in '3' other bouts in 1969, and they all fell apart. I was right there
waiting for him, but Chris Dundee kept hiding Jimmy in Louisville."

"Aw, Joe Frazier could have fought me. But his Manager {Yank Durham} smartly kept him away from me and my
right-hand. If I was such an easy mark, they would have fought me. C'mon they took on Dave Zyglewicz instead
of me. That's all you need to know."

So BOTH the Ellis and Frazier camps were ducking Leotis, eh?

He must have been a phenomenal force.

[yancey]

Leotis Martin

See............. Sonny Banks
See............. Thad Spencer
See............. Wendell 'Fig' Newton
See............. Sonny Liston

Hey, you forgot the Jimmy Ellis fight.

Didn't Leotis also fight Bonavena?

Refresh our memories on those results, please.

[yancey]

Martin was a very solid all-around fighter but a Frazier fight wouldn't have lasted too long. Martin could've hurt Frazier early like Joe did in several fights but once Frazier got smokin' the rather bean-polish Leotis is getting flattened. He wouldn't have seen the 8th round.

That said, Martin would be easily the number 1 contender today. He'd flatten the likes of Fury and Povetkin without a doubt.

Agree with all this.

[scorpio83]

I would please like to know how good Leotis Martin was? What was his style, how good was his skills, left jab, left hook, right hand, power punch, speed, body attack, strength, stamina, durability, footwork, ring general, defense and chin?

[yancey]

Leotis Martin

See............. Sonny Banks
See............. Thad Spencer
See............. Wendell 'Fig' Newton
See............. Sonny Liston

Hey, you forgot the Jimmy Ellis fight.

Didn't Leotis also fight Bonavena?

Refresh our memories on those results, please.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Leotis Martin got a 'last-minute call' to enter the WBA Elimination Tournament, he did so with damaged right-knee
and back problems.

* Leotis was in St. Joseph's Hospital {In Traction} on July 7, 1967.
* After getting released from Hospital, Leotis tore ligaments in his right-knee when he fell in a Pot-Hole while doing Roadwork on July 17th.

* With a need for money, The Leotis Martin Team accepted the 'slot' in the WBA Tournament for August 5th, 1967.

* His Manager - William 'Pinny' Schaefer took the bout on 'short notice' because of the MONEY {Fight Purse; $22,560}.
* Leotis previous highest fight purse was $2500.

Lets not forget, that Jimmy Eliis went 'all-out' in the 1st-Round in an attempt to catch Leotis cold. He nearly did and
rocked Leotis badly. Jimmy hit him with everything he had and couldn't put him down.

* Leotis slowly came back in Round 2, and was starting to come on when he got his lip split wide-open in Round 3.
* The lip got progressively worse, and the bout had to be stopped.

The fight had to be stopped because of damage to Leotis' lip, not because he was battered. By most accounts, if it
wasn't for the sliced-lip, Leotis may have won by a last Round TKO as Jimmy was gassed.

Duce,

Your memory is excellent. I was glued to the TV set for that Astrodome double-header and your description of that Ellis-Martin fight is accurate.

I have no doubt that Leotis was an excellent heavyweight. Had he gotten by Jimmy, he probably would have had as good a chance as anyone to win the tournament.

Leotis was just not in the class of someone like Frazier. That is all I'm trying to say.

[yancey]

p.s. It shouldn't be so, but I wonder if Martin's speech issue in any way effected his marketability as a boxer?

I'm not quite sure what the problem was, but I clearly remember Cosell saying something about it during the Ellis-Martin telecast.

[yancey]

Leotis Martin

According to Leotis,

Yank Durham was his Trainer from 1962 thru 1965 >

But once Joe Frazier turned Professional in August 1965 > Yank turned his attention strictly to Joe, as he was
both Frazier's Manager and Trainer.

Leotis Martin >
"I felt that I was getting pushed aside. Here, I had been a Professional for 3 1/2 Years {since January 1962}
and was 15-1-0 {8 KO's} and regarded as a future Heavyweight threat despite being {Age; 26 years old}. And
now Yank was getting on the Frazier Bandwagon."

"I was just coming off the 'Tragic Bout' with Sonny Banks {May 10, 1965}, and my Manager ~ William 'Pinny' Schaefer
wanted me to take '5-Months' off to clear my mind before fighting again. Instead, I was to 'only' be a sparring partner for
Joe for a few months, to help him get ready for his Pro Debut {August 16, 1965} at Convention Hall, and help him for
his first few bouts in the Fall of 1965."

"Yes, I started sparring with Joe in June 1965. In the first few sessions, I was nailing him with right-hands and rocking
him on his heels. But after a few sessions, Yank Durham told me to take it easy on him in, as Joe was just getting started.
He did not want me to bust him up."

"I was {Age; 26 years, 3 months} and Joe was {Age; 21 years, 5 months}. I'm 6' 1" tall and 186 lbs., and Joe was 5' 11"
and 205 lbs. ~ I have to say though, that Joe was stocky and strong as a 'Bull'. But I had a longer Reach {76" to 73"} and
was much quicker."

"People forget that I was a sparring-partner for Sonny Liston. I sparred with him from January 1962 thru May 1965. So I
could handle myself in any sparring-session situation."

Yank saw Joe as a potential great and Joe became Yank's #1 priority.

Understandable.

Leotis was hurt and felt slighted by Yank's action. Therefore the continual public campaigning for a fight with Joe and revenge.

Understandable.

[Controversial]

Leotis Martin

Nickname.... "Toledo Slim" and 'Two Guns"

Born............ March 10, 1939
Height......... 6' 1"
Reach.......... 76"

Stance.......... Orthodox
Style............. Boxer/Puncher {Upright Stance}
Skills............. Very Good
Left Jab......... Very Good
Left Hook....... Good
Right Hand..... Very Good
Power............ Excellent {Grade A-}
Speed............ Average
Body Attack.... Fair {Grade C-}
Strength......... Very Good
Stamina......... Very Good {Grade A-}
Durability....... Very Good
Footwork........ Fair {Grade B-}
Ring General... Good
Defense......... Fair {Grade C}
Chin.............. Very Good

* Leotis Martin was an upright fighter who fought tall.
* A straight ahead puncher/boxer.
* Liked to fight slow-and-steady, and come on strong late in the bout.
* Was a very game fighter, who absorbed a lot of punches. Hence, he was 'too game'.
* Deadly right-hand power.
* Injury prone throughout career. {Suffered injuries to his; Back, Knee, Lip, Right Eye {Detached Retina}.

Out of interest Il Duce if you had to do this list for Muhammad Ali what would your list look like?

[yancey]

Leotis Martin

Nickname.... "Toledo Slim" and 'Two Guns"

Born............ March 10, 1939
Height......... 6' 1"
Reach.......... 76"

Stance.......... Orthodox
Style............. Boxer/Puncher {Upright Stance}
Skills............. Very Good
Left Jab......... Very Good
Left Hook....... Good
Right Hand..... Very Good
Power............ Excellent {Grade A-}
Speed............ Average
Body Attack.... Fair {Grade C-}
Strength......... Very Good
Stamina......... Very Good {Grade A-}
Durability....... Very Good
Footwork........ Fair {Grade B-}
Ring General... Good
Defense......... Fair {Grade C}
Chin.............. Very Good

* Leotis Martin was an upright fighter who fought tall.
* A straight ahead puncher/boxer.
* Liked to fight slow-and-steady, and come on strong late in the bout.
* Was a very game fighter, who absorbed a lot of punches. Hence, he was 'too game'.
* Deadly right-hand power.
* Injury prone throughout career. {Suffered injuries to his; Back, Knee, Lip, Right Eye {Detached Retina}.

Out of interest Il Duce if you had to do this list for Muhammad Ali what would your list look like?

Duce, if you comply with the above request, please be sure to rate Ali's mouth.

[BoxBuzz]

Leotis Martin

1961 {April 27th thru June 12th}

According to Leotis, he won all '16' of his bouts {including '9' by Knockout} during the Middle Atlantic AAU Team Tour
of the Middle East and Africa >
* United Arab Republic
* Sudan
* Ethiopia
* Uganda
* Kenya
* Tangayuka
* Rhodesia
* Nyasaland

After returning home in June 1961, Leotis took 7-Weeks off, before competing in an early-August 1961 Regional AAU Tournament,
which he won, by scoring '3-Wins', including a {KO 2} in the Championship Final.

Leotis had now compiled a record of 122-9 {60 KO's}.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leotis took the next {2+} Months off, before getting an opportunity to travel to Europe {United Kingdom and Ireland} with the
National AAU Team.

During the {2+ Month} break, Leotis did little 'Gym Sparring', as the Tour to Europe was quickly put togther in mid-October.

In the last weekend of October, Leotis had to meet up with the Team in New York to travel to Europe on Monday, October 30th.

Leotis Martin >
"I had been taking it easy since the Regional AAU Tournament in early-August 1961, so I had not been sparring in the Gym.
Then in mid-late October, the Toledo AAU Chairman {Arthur G. Morse} called me, and told me that we were going to England
and Ireland. I only had about a 'week' to get in shape in Toledo, and then I had to meet up with the Team in New York on
Saturday, October 28th in New York.'

"I only had 2-Days of good sparring in New York City over the weekend. Our flight was on Monday, October 30th and our Team
arrived in London. We needed a day to rest, and then we did some light work-outs on Tuesday and Wednesday."

"Our '1st-Match' was set for the Wembley Indoor Arena on Thursday Night, November 2nd. There were about 4200 Brits
cheering for their Boxing Team, which had some of their best Amateur Boxers in Britain.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* {65 Kg} Middleweight Bout
* Leotis Martin vs. Johnny Fisher {Scotland}

Leotis Martin >
"I got off to a good start in the 1st-Round, as I patiently waited to counter. I caught Fisher with a couple of solid left-jabs
and rocked him with a hard counter 'left-right' just past the mid-way point in Round 1."

"Late in the 1st-Round he started to get aggressive, but I waited for my openings and caught him nicely with some sharp
one-two punches to the face to take the Round."

"After the 1st-Round, my corner {Bert 'Red' Taylor and Buddy Carr} told me that he would be coming out aggressive, and
that I should look to counter and watch is hooks."

"In Round 2, he did just that. He came out swinging with big hooks. I laid back and countered with left-jabs into his face.
But he was strong and kept boring in. He drove me to the Ropes and kept punching. After the half-way point, I moved out
to Center-Ring and peppered him with jabs. Then I made the mistake of trying to trade with him, and he caught me with
a big left-hook that spun me sideways."

"Wembley Arena went crazy with 'roars' as I was seeing the 'place spin' as I was dazed. I went back to the Ropes where he
pummeled me with big hooks. I thought that the Referee was going to issue me a 'Standing 8-Count' as he stepped in, but
he let Fisher rake me with a bunch of solid punches over the last 30-Seconds. I just made it until the Bell ending Round 2."

"When I came out for Round 3, I was still in a 'fog'. Fisher went right after me, and landed a bunch of punches driving me
into the Corner. After taking several solid blows to the head, the Referee stopped the bout at the {0:23 Mark}."

"It was the first time that I had ever been stopped in my career of '132-Bouts' in 6+ Years of competition."

This of course only tells us that Fisher was very very good, took ol' Leotis out in a jiffy!

[scartissue]

1960 Olympic Trials

Semi-Finals > May 19, 1960

Robert 'Bob' Conrad 'upsets' Leotis Martin by a 'close' Decision.

The 25 year-old 5' 8" {163 lb.} Los-Angeles-based Chicagoan used a 'Jake Lamotta' style in Rounds 1 and 2,
and bulled Leotis to the Ropes where he scored with hard 'left-right' punches into the body.

Conrad just swarmed and mauled Leotis, and gave him no room to punch.

Behind on points, 21 year-old 6' 1" {164 lb.} Leotis came out in Round 3 looking to end it all with 'one-punch',
but Robert 'Bob' Conrad smartly stayed inside and close, and smothered Leotis' attack with mauling.

Late in the Final Round, Leotis was finally able to land one 'wicked' right-hand at the {2:25 Mark} which stiffened
Conrad, but the stocky and muscular Conrad grabbed and held until the Final Bell.

Il Duce, I believe this is a case of mistaken identity that has gotten a bit out of hand and its gained legs. The fighter who fought Leotis Martin was a Bob Conrad (sometimes I've seen it as Conard), but he was out of Dallas representing the U.S. Army. This Conrad beat Martin, lost to Bob Foster, lost to Ray Phillips and apparently went to Rome in '60 as an alternate. While all the trials were taking place, Robert Conrad, the actor, was on location filming Hawaiian Eye and was very well known nationally and internationally. This would have been all over the news of a well known actor taking part in a national tournament to represent the US. And again, an impossibility of being in 2 places at the same time. Don't know anymore about Conrad/Conard the fighter or what ever became of him.

[BoxBuzz]

Dr. Box Buzz

-Do I Have To Educate You Again-

This was 'big news' back in November 1961.

The 1961 United States Boxing Team {with '5' National AAU Champions} visited Ye Olde England.

In their 'first' Match on Thursday - November 2, 1961

They got their 'Coolies' wiped out, as they lost all '10' Boxing Matches.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... SUrzJlrW_w

Huh? I'm tellin' you that Fisher was good.....and your comeback is this?

What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?

[El Gallo]

1960 Olympic Trials

Semi-Finals > May 19, 1960

Robert 'Bob' Conrad 'upsets' Leotis Martin by a 'close' Decision.

The 25 year-old 5' 8" {163 lb.} Los-Angeles-based Chicagoan used a 'Jake Lamotta' style in Rounds 1 and 2,
and bulled Leotis to the Ropes where he scored with hard 'left-right' punches into the body.

Conrad just swarmed and mauled Leotis, and gave him no room to punch.

Behind on points, 21 year-old 6' 1" {164 lb.} Leotis came out in Round 3 looking to end it all with 'one-punch',
but Robert 'Bob' Conrad smartly stayed inside and close, and smothered Leotis' attack with mauling.

Late in the Final Round, Leotis was finally able to land one 'wicked' right-hand at the {2:25 Mark} which stiffened
Conrad, but the stocky and muscular Conrad grabbed and held until the Final Bell.

What a bunch of crap! Not true!

[BoxBuzz]

Is that what El Gallo is really taking issue with?

[DaveyMac]

Pathetic Duce.

I don't know why they let you stay on this board. All you do is make stuff up. It's an embarrassment to everyone here. None of your "facts" are facts. You do a disservice to every man who ever climbed in a ring with nonsense like this. You are taking their lives, their story and just mishmashing it altogether with a lot of bs to fit the story you want to tell. This is just morally wrong. These people are real people, Fred Lewis, Bob Conrad, Bunny Akin, Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, all the people you make up interviews with and facts about they were real people. I can't believe that you don't realize how wrong it is for you just to publicly distort their story.

[Giancarlo]

Pathetic Duce.

I don't know why they let you stay on this board. All you do is make stuff up. It's an embarrassment to everyone here. None of your "facts" are facts. You do a disservice to every man who ever climbed in a ring with nonsense like this. You are taking their lives, their story and just mishmashing it altogether with a lot of bs to fit the story you want to tell. This is just morally wrong. These people are real people, Fred Lewis, Bob Conrad, Bunny Akin, Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, all the people you make up interviews with and facts about they were real people. I can't believe that you don't realize how wrong it is for you just to publicly distort their story.

Apparently we are in the minority in this forum Davey.

It seems his total disrespect for fighters is welcome here.

Personally, I think he's a racist bullsh1tting twat who should be booted like he has been from every other boxing forum.