Sonny Liston/Boxing Exhibitions/England

[Brutu]

I know that Sonny Liston toured England in September 1963 to do some boxing exhibitions there when he was the
Heavyweight Champion of the World.
But did he do any boxing exhibitions in England in 1966 -1967,
when he was fighting professional bouts in Sweden?

[granberry]

I know that Sonny Liston toured England in September 1963 to do some boxing exhibitions there when he was the
Heavyweight Champion of the World.
But did he do any boxing exhibitions in England in 1966 -1967,
when he was fighting professional bouts in Sweden?

Probably not, because that was after his two fakes with Ali.

[john2345]

I don't think he appeared in england after his first time there in 63.

J

[KOJOE90]

I know that Sonny Liston toured England in September 1963 to do some boxing exhibitions there when he was the
Heavyweight Champion of the World.

I can't answer your question I am afraid but Sonny did box an exhibition in 1963 on the undercard of Walker v Prescott and also on the bill pictured below.

[Brutu]

According to the book THE DEVIL AND SONNY LISTON by Nick Tosches.
Liston did an exhibition at Wembley Stadium England. Sept.1963 a three round exhibition with Foneda Cox his regular sparring partner from St. Louis days,
he also skipped rope to the tune of "Night Train".
From what I remember he also went to Glasgow,Scotland.
I cant read the small print on the poster there,but if Liston did
box two opponents perhaps the other was Howard King,who was also
a Liston sparring partner around that time.

[Randineous]

The only exhibition fight in Sweden that I've ever been aware of in regards to Liston was the one against Joe Bygraves in May of 1966, I think it was, but that one ended up being cancelled at the last minute (the day of) when the BBBC refused to allow Bygraves to go through with things on that occasion, stating that Bygraves wasn't given permission by them.

Then again, that could very well have only been an excuse for the BBBC to pull the plug on that matchup, as they had a bone to pick with Liston ever since that exhibition tour in 1963 when Liston cut everyones plans short and left the country before the exhibition tour was near completed. That breach of contract earned Liston a suspension (possibly lifetime) from the BBBC, as well as saw him being threatened with lawsuits by the British, although Im not sure what became of that suit, if anything.

The BBBC also pursuaded the members of the EBU to honour that suspension of Liston for awhile too (at least in the month after the Bygraves cancellation), although that was obviously lifted eventually, and that happened in late June of 1966, just a bit before the fight with Zech.

Here's one statement from the BBBC in regards to Liston, as reported in an AP report out of London and which was published in a number of sources dated April 21st, 1967;

"An application has been recieved for Sonny Liston to engage in a contest in this country. The emergency committee of the Board, having considered this request, have recommended to the Board that the application be refused."

Foneda Cox may have very well been one of the exhibition opponents during the 1963 British tour, as Cox did at least accompany Liston on the trip.

[Brutu]

Foneda Cox was one of the main sources of information
for Nick Tosches book.
Liston also went to Newcastle-on-Tyne.
I have seen publicity photographs of Sonny Liston in a kilt and blowing bagpipes when he went to Scotland.

[Brutu]

Foneda Cox and Jesse Bowdry had been Liston's sparring partners while training in Las Vegas for the first fight with Ali in Miami Florida in 1964.
Liston's sparring partners for the rematch with Muhammad Ali at Lewiston Maine, reportly had been Wendell Newton,Thad Spencer and
Amos"Big Train"Lincoln,who was also later an opponent in Liston's comeback.

[Brutu]

Reportly Sonny Liston cut his exhibition tour short and left London England September 18th 1963,the reason because he was really upset over about hearing of the Sixteenth Street Church bombing in Birmingham Alabama that killed the four little girls.

[Brutu]

Some names of other of liston's sparring partners from around 1963-1965,were
Lee Williams
Dorsey Lay
Ray Schoeninger
and of course Leotis Martin(because he fought like Floyd Patterson)
You know the going rate to have been a sparring partner of
Sonny Liston's back then?
$50.00 a day.
Some thought there face was worth a whole lot more so,Liston got a lot of mediocre sparring partners.

[Brutu]

As far as Liston's 1963 Boxing exhibition/tour of England goes.
His last exhibition had been at Leicester.
Later that evening he went to a local nightclub in Leicester and apparently there was some trouble involving some floozies or as they use to call them in England back in the day"Good Time Girls".
"I didnt order em!
Liston left early and backed out and left before the scheduled exhibitions in Birmingham England and Blackpool(where apparently he was supposed to spar with Brian London,or at least London offerd himself as a sparmate )
Later just before the rematch with Muhammad Ali in Lweiston Maine.
An English promoter from Blackpool who got stiffed from Liston backing out of the scheduled exhibition and had to refund thousands of pounds from a sell out crown ,tried to have a Main judge hold back 30 percent of Liston's live gate from the Lewistone fight a few days before that fight happened.
I dont hink they were succesful.
So that is why Liston did not return to England after that.

[Brutu]

While he was in England, Liston was also paid 500 British pounds to appear at the opening of the
Kray brothers club The Cambridge Rooms at New Malden a suburb of London.
Yeah ,it seems that after he returned from England in1963,ole Sonny never ever smiled quite the same way again .

here some rare film footage of Liston in England attending the Variety club.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=43627

[Brutu]

Here is a link to a rare photograph of Sonny Liston with the notorius
Kray Brothers at launch party of their nightclub ,the Cambridge Arms & Rooms
in New Malden September 1963,that was near the Kingston bypass, SW London.

http://www.myspace.com/ronaldreginaldkr ... s/33577793

[orbtastic]

He definitely went to Scotland, there is a press photo of him in a kilt, doing a highland dance. It's quite surreal.

[Brutu]

Liston also had visited Belfast,Northern Ireland earlier in the tour.
here are a couple of pics from September 1963,
when he was in Glasgow Scotland.
Looks like Liston may have taken some
non- prescribed pharmasuiticals earlier that day to me.

http://books.google.com/books?id=d8EDAA ... pg=PA32&dq

[Brutu]

Here is a recent pic of the Kray's night club the Cambridge Arms& Rooms at
New Malden from 2009.
http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/news/ ... e_departs/

[Brutu]

Liston a few months later wanted to go on an exhibition tour in South Africa,but it never happened.

[Flump]

Here is a recent pic of the Kray's night club the Cambridge Arms& Rooms at
New Malden from 2009.
http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/news/ ... e_departs/

Wow, this used to be my local back in the early 90's, had no idea that the Kray's used to own it, much less that Liston had been there. It was a pretty good place to watch a fight, I remember watching a few Nigel Benn fights, Holmes - Mercer, even Moorer - Bonecrusher Smith. Good times.

[evrenb]

Eerily familiar thread....

[Caractacus]

Check out this 'newly discovered" footage too.
Where does it look like it was taken?perhaps Blackpool?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuaQS3paAWQ

[oldgringo]

I may be a little late to catch anyone on this thread...interesting bit of history. As recall, the reason Liston cut short his exhibition tour in England was the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama. It's nice to see confirmation that his exhibition tour was in September of 1963 (the church was bombed Sept. 15) and that his departure was rather sudden. I'm wondering if anyone has a recollection of or an idea where I might find a reference to the reason Liston gave for his quick departure -- I was a reporter then, and among those who met Liston in Denver when he stormed off the plane, scowling, swinging a shillelagh, and saying not a word. Does anybody here have a memory good enough to fill in the fuzziness? Thanks.

[Caractacus]

from what I remember,Liston cut his exhibition tour short in England due to some incident after a night out in Leiscester.
( and if you noticed,he never ever did quite smile the same as he had done before that ).

[oldgringo]

Thanks. I don't doubt your memory of an "incident" in Leiscester. Liston's life was perpetual incident. As for the scowl, I don't think there were many who remember what might be called "the smiling face of Sonny Liston." A troubled man. What's always been interesting to contemplate, however, is whether his departure was actually a display of sympathy or sensitivity to the horror of a racist church bombing that killed four little girls, or a simple departure from yet another unpleasant personal disagreement. We were always inclined to believe the latter.

[Caractacus]

There was a another longer thread with a lot more sources regarding this,but I think it
was started and had many additions and links by Il Duece and was "vapourized".
The incident in Leicester (if I remember the town correctly)
happened a day before the Church Bombing wich no doubt also affected Sonny Liston.

[APerno]

I may be a little late to catch anyone on this thread...interesting bit of history. As recall, the reason Liston cut short his exhibition tour in England was the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama. It's nice to see confirmation that his exhibition tour was in September of 1963 (the church was bombed Sept. 15) and that his departure was rather sudden. I'm wondering if anyone has a recollection of or an idea where I might find a reference to the reason Liston gave for his quick departure -- I was a reporter then, and among those who met Liston in Denver when he stormed off the plane, scowling, swinging a shillelagh, and saying not a word. Does anybody here have a memory good enough to fill in the fuzziness? Thanks.

Sorry this does not answer your question but I thought you might find it an interesting distraction. (Christmas 1963)