Leotis Martin/Helping to Define Liston
Posted: 26 Dec 2007, 17:41
There is a contributor here that has stated that everyone was afraid of Sonny during those tournament days...however a former sparring partner, a fella who knew his weaknesses showed no fear, (even with a compromised eye already in progress) and signed on the line with confidence and a smile on his face. (Granted a year and a half after the tourney.)
Leotis ko'd Thad Spencer, who I have a film of somewhere, crossing a right hand over and dropping Terrell in the WBA Tournament (but couldnt' put him away...Thad lacked that big KO punch don't ya know!) and also beating a rough and tough Doug Jones. I think I have the Martin VS Ellis fight too, Where Jimmy's hustle busted up Leotis' lip and was the writing on the wall....as Ellis got annoyed and put Leotis away. (Sonny could not manage the same feat! Imagine that!)
Hard to imagine Liston being put to sleep by his former sparring partner Leotis. This certainly tells us at least a little bit about Sonny, a guy who couldn't always turn in a good performance when the chips were really down. He had his good days for sure especially with the china chinned Floyd, but those bad days ....well they were bad days.
Leotis performed a "Foremanectomy" on Liston...vaguely mirroring How Foreman defeated Moorer....literally losing the fight until his man was lulled into a sort of trance of confidence and then one of the most violent KO's in HW history explodes not from the scary Sonny (who had his man down earlier), but from his humble sparring partner Leotis Martin. Not exactly the heaviest hitter out there but enought to put Sonny deeply into DREAMLAND.
However he did pay for his insolence with a detached retina....one that was already in big trouble based on an earlier fight. I'm sure the bout with Sonny did not help it in the least. But this fight would be Leotis last fight and Sonny's second to last.
Bad Days....even Liston had 'em. Two other guys gave him bad days....fella named Clay and this other fella named Ali.
Leotis ko'd Thad Spencer, who I have a film of somewhere, crossing a right hand over and dropping Terrell in the WBA Tournament (but couldnt' put him away...Thad lacked that big KO punch don't ya know!) and also beating a rough and tough Doug Jones. I think I have the Martin VS Ellis fight too, Where Jimmy's hustle busted up Leotis' lip and was the writing on the wall....as Ellis got annoyed and put Leotis away. (Sonny could not manage the same feat! Imagine that!)
Hard to imagine Liston being put to sleep by his former sparring partner Leotis. This certainly tells us at least a little bit about Sonny, a guy who couldn't always turn in a good performance when the chips were really down. He had his good days for sure especially with the china chinned Floyd, but those bad days ....well they were bad days.
Leotis performed a "Foremanectomy" on Liston...vaguely mirroring How Foreman defeated Moorer....literally losing the fight until his man was lulled into a sort of trance of confidence and then one of the most violent KO's in HW history explodes not from the scary Sonny (who had his man down earlier), but from his humble sparring partner Leotis Martin. Not exactly the heaviest hitter out there but enought to put Sonny deeply into DREAMLAND.
However he did pay for his insolence with a detached retina....one that was already in big trouble based on an earlier fight. I'm sure the bout with Sonny did not help it in the least. But this fight would be Leotis last fight and Sonny's second to last.
Bad Days....even Liston had 'em. Two other guys gave him bad days....fella named Clay and this other fella named Ali.