BoxRec

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Liston disrespects the Brits . . . Johansson . . . Clay . . . shares his values: 'a new car with his name on it' . . . scheduled to skip rope (great work if you can get it)

Maybe a Cooper left hook could change his mind.

I doubt it... Patterson had a much better and harder left hook and it couldn't even change Liston's expression...kind of a baleful glare he gave Patterson.

Patterson knocked Cooper out cold and when he woke up the Brit was astonished... "Blimey ... What a corker!!" he remarked

At that point Liston could have stopped the top 3 or 4 Brit HWs in one night in under 10 rds imo.

Probably so.

True story this. In 1963 Liston came over to the UK and toured around some of the major cities engaging in a number of exhibition bouts. Reg Gutteridge, who went on to become ITV boxing commentator, spent a lot of time with him. Reg got sick and tired of listening to Liston deriding British heavyweights and British people in general. He finally snapped at a dinner show when he was sat alongside Liston and, after hearing Liston saying that British people were all pussies, Reg picked up a steak knife and plunged it straight through his leg. He didn't even blink as he looked Liston in the eye and said "so, we're all pussies are we?". Liston was struck dumb. What Sonny didn't know, and what most people today probably don't know, is that Reg had an artificial leg having been badly wounded in the second world war. To the best of my knowledge Sonny never did get to understand properly what he had seen and he certainly showed Reg Gutteridge considerable respect from that day on.

prewarboxing wrote:True story this. In 1963 Liston came over to the UK and toured around some of the major cities engaging in a number of exhibition bouts. Reg Gutteridge, who went on to become ITV boxing commentator, spent a lot of time with him. Reg got sick and tired of listening to Liston deriding British heavyweights and British people in general. He finally snapped at a dinner show when he was sat alongside Liston and, after hearing Liston saying that British people were all pussies, Reg picked up a steak knife and plunged it straight through his leg. He didn't even blink as he looked Liston in the eye and said "so, we're all pussies are we?". Liston was struck dumb. What Sonny didn't know, and what most people today probably don't know, is that Reg had an artificial leg having been badly wounded in the second world war. To the best of my knowledge Sonny never did get to understand properly what he had seen and he certainly showed Reg Gutteridge considerable respect from that day on.

I heard the same story except that it was a fork, and that Reg revealed the truth about his leg pretty quickly and that they were all then laughing about it for the rest of the night. There was a more jovial tone to the whole situation generally too I dunno.

I think that article may be BS myself,because from what I remember back in the day,
Liston was usually mono-sylibillic when he ever anwered questions.
Sounds more like his manager talking.

Didn't Sonny have a run -in with one of the Krays?

Caractacus wrote:I think that article may be BS myself,because from what I remember back in the day,
Liston was usually mono-sylibillic when he ever anwered questions.
Sounds more like his manager talking.

HyacinthusTurnipseed wrote:

prewarboxing wrote:True story this. In 1963 Liston came over to the UK and toured around some of the major cities engaging in a number of exhibition bouts. Reg Gutteridge, who went on to become ITV boxing commentator, spent a lot of time with him. Reg got sick and tired of listening to Liston deriding British heavyweights and British people in general. He finally snapped at a dinner show when he was sat alongside Liston and, after hearing Liston saying that British people were all pussies, Reg picked up a steak knife and plunged it straight through his leg. He didn't even blink as he looked Liston in the eye and said "so, we're all pussies are we?". Liston was struck dumb. What Sonny didn't know, and what most people today probably don't know, is that Reg had an artificial leg having been badly wounded in the second world war. To the best of my knowledge Sonny never did get to understand properly what he had seen and he certainly showed Reg Gutteridge considerable respect from that day on.

I heard the same story except that it was a fork, and that Reg revealed the truth about his leg pretty quickly and that they were all then laughing about it for the rest of the night. There was a more jovial tone to the whole situation generally too I dunno.

You're right... Every time I've heard that story it was a fork and Reg was joking around.. He let Liston in on it right away.. Liston was a big kidder and practical joker himself.. Once he was in Vegas shooting craps.. He heard Clay was going to invade the casino with his hangers on to harass him..

Liston was on a winning streak and getting cheered. He told the bettors and bystanders. "Listen up folks.. Cassius Clay is going to barge in here with his thugs, looking for everybody's attention. We're all going to play a joke on him. Don't look at Clay or pay him any attention.. He'll get louder and louder and start going crazy the more everybody ignores him. I've got this gun here and it's loaded with blanks. When Clay becomes really loud and overbearing I'll pretend I'm going to kill him. That should scare him to death."

Clay came in shouting "Where's that big ugly bear" Liston kept grinning and laughing, shooting dice and ignored Clay. Most of the people in the casino passed the word around and ignored Clay.. And just as Liston predicted Clay got louder and louder shouting to get everybody's attention.. Everybody kept ignoring Clay, but a couple almost ruined it by busting out laughing.. Clay started jumping up and down to get attention, virtually screaming at Liston "I'll fight you right now you big monkey." Liston who hadn't even looked at Clay, turned on Clay all of a sudden and pulled out his gun, "I'm going to KILL you FAGGGOT!! DIE NOW AZZ-HOLE" and started shooting.. Clay panicked horrifically.. He jumped over tables scattering chips all over the place and ran off... it took Clay a few minutes to realize he hadn't been shot and had been played by Liston -- who laughed his ass off for 20 minutes and couldn't play anymore. He cashed in.