Sonny Liston vs. Henry Clark

January 5, 1970
'The Fighting Marine they call Macarthur'
writer; Martin Kane
Sports Illustrated

Gil Sanchez confirmed this about a week before the Liston-Clark fight with the ABC representatives, who wanted to make sure Liston was up for the fight, and not damaged goods entering the ring.
Sanchez told them, that Sonny was hurt and out for a couple of seconds.
But, he resumed training the next day, and showed no apparent lingering effects.

This happened on Saturday, June 15, 1968.
At, the New Oakland Boxing Club, off Franklin Street and 12th Avenue, in Oakland, California.

The Sonny Liston vs. Henry Clark, ABC-TV fight was originally schedued for Sunday, June 23, but was pushed back to Saturday, July 6.

 

turpin,

It all could have been fabricated to build up Mac Foster, who was a hot commodity on the west coast, and needed a little bit 'ink'.
But, the fight with Henry Clark was pushed back, and rescheduled from June 23 to
July 6.
Even possibly, to build up the interest in the Henry Clark fight, as
Clark was from San Francisco.

The Oakland Tribune has some articles on this, as they had a pretty good boxing
section in their paper.
They didn't knock Sonny, but did state the he was 'ripe' for the taking, and he had seen better days.

 

I was a boxing researcher for Putnam Publishing.
I have a massive file on Sonny Liston.
Mostly put into my own 'verbage'.

I am in the process of writing a detailed and accurate 'boxing life' on Sonny Liston.
Not the typical trash thats been written.
Interesting 'stuff' thats never been published before.
Accurate details on the contracts, managers, trainers, and fights and opponents.

More of a 'great fighter, surrounded by evil men'

 

I'm trying to describe it as a 'verbal picture'.

As opposed to just saying, "Sonny knocked the guy out''

Its more interesting when you add, the who's, what's, where's, when's and why's.

 

Bob Mee, excellent book,
Wasn't crazy about the title though,
'Liston and Ali, The Ugly Bear and the Boy Who Would Be King'

Also, Nick Tosches, sheds a different light on Sonny Liston
'The Devil and Sonny Liston'

Mine will be a pictorial book 11" x 13" and 300 pages.
A year-by-year view of Sonny Listons life, within the aspects of boxing.

Amazing photo's that no one has ever seen before.
I will not use a word like 'ugly bear' or 'devil' in describing Sonny Liston.
It is too easy to put a man down, when he cannot defend himself.
You can criticize him, but you cannot judge him unless you lived his life.

My Sonny Liston boxing history/pictorial book will be titled 'Sonny Liston'

 

British Journalist, Rob Steen
'Sonny Liston, His Life, Strife and the Phantom Punch'

233 pages of information we already knew.
If you are familiar with Sonny Liston, it didn't open any new doors.
He kind of just 'massaged' alot of old information.

McG,,I have over 150 photos of Sonny Liston, just at The Pines Resort
in South Fallsburg, New York, downtown in the village, and up at
Loch Sheldrake, from the summer of 1962.

 

Once the book is out, you use them as you wish:good

I do have several favorites, in town in South Fallsburg.
Also, a classic. In the outside boxing ring, at The Pines Hotel.
One sparring session with Jim Robinson.
Photo of Sonny hitting Robinson with a left uppercut to the body, and
lifting his sparring partner up in the air, with both feet an easy 10" off the mat.
A Teddy King photo that I got in 1962.

 

After this fight, 7/6/68,,,,,,,,
Sonny Liston was very close to signing a fight agreement with promoter
Jim Pusateri, in setting up a fight with Jerry Quarry at The Olympic, in Los Angeles.
Jerry Quarry had just lost to Jimmy Ellis, in April, in a battle for the vacant WBA Heavyweight Championship.
Quarry was Ranked #2 by the WBA.
Both Liston and Quarry did a little light sparring together in May, in Los Angeles, while Sonny was prepping for Billy Joiner.
They did discuss a possible fight.

But, Jerry Quarry was in the hospital, recovering from a water skiing accident.

Popular and young California heavyweight prospect Joey Orbillo was offered up as
an alternate.
The 21 year-old, 6' 0" 195 lb. 12-3-1 (7 KO's) hard-puncher, had just fought
and lost a tough close battle with Sonny Listons's sparring partner Amos Lincoln.
Amos Lincoln informed Dick Saddler and Liston, that this kid from California was tough
and was not to be taken lightly.
Dick Saddler turned Orbillo down.

An August 8th fight with Tony Doyle was agreed upon instead, to be held at
The Olympic.
But Sonny Liston pulled out 5-days before the fight, citing an injured shoulder.

Sonny Liston would not start training again until September 28, 1968, in Las Vegas.
In preparation for his upcoming bout in Phoenix, Arizona on October 14.