What They Said About Sonny...

[red cobra]

Originally Posted by Senor Pepe'

1962

Cleveland Williams,

'Sonny is a good a guy, as long as you don't touch his Cadillac, his Scotch and
his Women,,,,,,and if you do, you better run,,,,,,because if you don't, you're gonna be one dead motherfucker.'

He must have messed with Sonny's Cadillac, scotch and women before both fights between them.

[Senor Pepe']

Originally Posted by red cobra

He must have messed with Sonny's Cadillac, scotch and women before both fights between them.

Excellent response..........


July 1961

Father Alois Stevens,

'Boxing has done nothing for Sonny Liston,,,,,,,,other than introduce him to a lot of high-class hoods'.

[Joe E]

Originally Posted by Il Duce

All quotes were made after the September 1962 fight with Floyd Patterson.

It seems New York State had a big problem with Sonny Liston, or really his
associates.
Yet, suprisingly, Sonny had his training camp at The Pines Resort, in the Catskills of
New York, during the summer of 1962.


Ezzard Charles;

'The fight game is in trouble, as the small-club venues are starting to fail in the
east. It will be big money fights from now on. Hopefully, Sonny may restore
some interest, either as the hero or the one people want to see lose. America
loves an underdog, and Sonny has been an underdog his whole life outside of the ring.
Just maybe, he can turn that into a positive. I know him, and he really wants to be
liked, and if he needs my help, I'll be here for him.'

Ezzard Charles, pure class.

[Saintpat]

Awesome thread.

Thanks.

This puts into perspective for me in a way that nothing before every did to exactly how Sonny -- and Sonny as champion -- was perceived at the time.

I knew he had a thuggish background, I know he wasn't regarded fondly, but I had no idea that so many important and prominent boxing people looked at him as being so bad for the fight game.

[red cobra]

Originally Posted by Senor Pepe'

Excellent response..........


July 1961

Father Alois Stevens,

'Boxing has done nothing for Sonny Liston,,,,,,,,other than introduce him to a lot of high-class hoods'.

[red cobra]

Originally Posted by Joe E

Ezzard Charles, pure class.

He sure was! Both as a man and as a fighter.

[punchy]

This is the thing with boxing if you are good enough you can be champ doesn't matter who you are.

[Senor Pepe']

Floyd Patterson, 1961 before fighting Sonny Liston,

"He's had a pretty rough life. I think Liston will realize the responsibility he has
to the boys of America if he wins the Championship."


Tom McNeeley, Heavyweight Boxer, 1961

"Sonny is like a 'hot potato', he's way too hot to handle. He has every right to
fight for the Championship, but don't get too close or you'll get burned."

[Senor Pepe']

Don't mess with this car, or Sonny will bust your ass!!!!

1962 Cadillac 6200 Series, Six-Window Sedan

[Legend X]

Why was Sonny and his criminal past seen as such a threat ?

His contemporary contenders Eddie Machen and Cleveland Williams had similar backgrounds or unpredictable behaviours.
Champs like Rocky Graziano and even Archie Moore had started out as criminal delinquents.

Is it because Sonny was good enough to be champion ? Or because his criminal acitivities and associations were thought to be ongoing ?
Or was it just an unfortunate journalistic angle that was in-step with the times ?

[TIGEREDGE]

Originally Posted by Il Duce

June 1962,,After his Knock-Out win over Floyd Patterson

Jack Dempsey;
"I picked Liston to win, but I hoped I was wrong. Nobody respects a tough
guy. But if he reforms, I could respect him.'

Jess Willard;
'Anybody has the right to be champion if he's good enough. But this deal
doesn't please me very much at all.'

Max Schmeling;
'Any man that wants to fight the champion as much as Liston did should
be good for boxing.'

Rocky Marciano;
'I know Liston's got a past but with a little direction he could be become a hero. The fight crowd likes a banger.'

Jersey Joe Walcott;
'Liston is not lily-white, but then I'm no Holy-Joe. He may make more
under-privileged guys on the other side of the tracks think about trying it.
I think he'll develop into a fighting champion, but then he may set us all
back 50 years in the boxing game.'

dumb statement from Jack dempsey

[Senor Pepe']

1961

Joe Louis

'What boxing needs is another Harry Wills. In Sonny, I see that talent.'

'Look, everybody has a Black Cat or two in their closet. I know Sonny has a couple,
but I don't want to open that door and find a whole cluster of them in there.'

[Seamus]

Originally Posted by Il Duce

June 1962,,After his Knock-Out win over Floyd Patterson

Jack Dempsey;
"I picked Liston to win, but I hoped I was wrong. Nobody respects a tough
guy. But if he reforms, I could respect him.'

Pretty high on his pulpit for a slacker and a pimp.

[Legend X]

Originally Posted by Seamus

Pretty high on his pulpit for a slacker and a pimp.

Yeah, Dempsey's showing some of that 'reformed bad guy syndrome'.

Looks like he was making a little bit too much effort to pin his colours on the 'good guys' mast, and make some distance between himself and the new 'bad guy' of boxing.