Sonny Liston vs. Willis Earls (Bull Ring in Mexico)

It happened,
Sunday, November 3, 1968.

Fight billed as 'The Bull' vs. 'The Matador'
Sonny Liston (las Vegas, Nevada) vs. Willis Earls (Austin, Texas)

In a 'Bull Ring'.
The Monumental Bull Ring, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico

Sponsored by 'Superior Beer', and co-promoted by Al Zenn, Phoenix, Arizona fight promoter.

Scheduled for Sunday Afternoon, November 3, 1968.
The Monumental Bull Ring was a beautiful circular outdoor arena, with stucco facing, and a seating capacity of 17,000.

Just south-west of the Rio Grande River, and a short drive from El Paso, Texas.

It was the home of Sunday Afternoon Bull Fights.
But the Bull Fighting season, which ran from April thru September was over,
and the arena was not being used on Sundays.

Boxing matches were held their on Sundays, back in the late-50's and
up thru September 1962 (the last fight held their).
A local promoter had the idea of bringing back one more fight.

With the help of Al Zenn, the Phoenix, Arizona fight promoter, who put together Sonny Listons fight
in Phoenix, Arizona, 3-weeks earlier, a deal was struck.
'Superior Beer', Mexico's largest selling beer company at the time would sponsor the fight.

The ex-champ Sonny Liston was the main headliner.
Also accompanying the card, Listons stable-mate #10 Ranked Welterweight Charlie Shipes.
Included, would be several local Mexican Flyweight prospects facing each other in the preliminaries.

Also appearing, to bolster the local 'ticket sales', 1968 Olympic Gold Medal Winner, Ricardo Delgado.
Delgado was Mexico's Flyweight 112 lb. Champion, at Mexico City, just 6 weeks earlier.
The amateur sensation would box a 3-round exhibition.

 

Is that it?:huh

 

No,,,,I'll add more later.

The information that travels up from Ciudad Juarez, just got here.
I requested it back on November 4, 1968.

Must be the 'Donkey Express':roll:

 

I enjoy reading your articles on these Liston fights.Appreciate your efforts.

 

A week before the scheduled fight, Dick Saddler and Charlie Shipes hooked up with
Sonny Liston in Las Vegas,
Liston, Dick Saddler, Charlie Shipes, Asst. trainer Allen Moore and Willie Crawford would head down to El Paso, together, in 2 cars.
A 12-hour drive, to their Holiday Inn Hotel.

Once their, Sonny Liston worked out half-sparingly. This was a nothing fight against a nothing opponent.
Simply money. Another day at work.
The El Paso Times, boxing reporter attempted to due an article on Liston, but once the questions started to revolve around his past, Liston cut the reporter off.
The article later printed, mentioned Liston as a 'Son-of-a-Psycho'

(2) local television stations Channel 7 and Channel 9, each put together a snip-it of the
upcoming fight in the Bull Ring, across the border in Mexico.
Sonny Liston was labeled as the 'The Big Bear' goes to 'The Big Bull'

Sonny Liston would spend his time, before the fight, between the Holiday Inn in-ground pool and a local boxing gym on
Mesa Street.
Same routine everyday. An early morning 4-mile run at 5:30 AM, breakfast, relax by the pool for a couple of hours.
Then head to the boxing gym at 1:30 PM, for a 3-hour workout. Then back to the Holiday Inn pool.

 

On Sunday Morning, November 3, 1968.
The Sonny Liston entourage headed down Route 20 in El Paso, on their way to
the toll bridge, heading into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

A good crowd was anticipated for the fight. The weather service had reported a clear sky for the day,
and temperature levels at a near perfect 68*. A perfect setting for the outdoor arena.
It was expected, that many boxing fans from El Paso, western Texas, and southern New Mexico would come
over to watch the fights, along with the Ciudad Juarez locals.

Typically, on Sunday afternoons, when Bull-Fighting season was on, the Monumental
Bull Ring was filled with college kids from El Paso,Texas, who would come over and watch
the 'Bull' fights while stoned on 'pot' or hallucinating on 'acid trips'.

Just how many of the college kids would come over 'stoned' to watch this massacre,
would be an inside joke between Sonny Liston and his 'compadre' Wille Crawford.

 

Upon arriving at 'the Monumental Bull Ring', a suprisingly good crowd was already their.
It was later announed that nearly 10,000 attended the venue.

Tickets were fairly priced in U.S. Dollars.
Ringside;,,,,,,,,,,,,, $10.00
Ring Perimeter;,,,,,, $4.00
General Admission;, $2.00

The preliminary 6-Round Flyweight bouts were first.

Then #10 World Rated Welterweight Charlie Shipes 35-3-3 (17 KO's), took on local kid Jesus Guerrero in a 10-Round Welterweight bout.
Jesus Guerrero 6-2-0 (3 KO's) was a last-minute replacement, for another fighter who did not show up.
Charlie Shipes blasted the young Guerrero out in 2:02 of the 1st Round.

Next up, was the highlight for the local fans, as Olympic Gold Medal winner, Flyweight Ricardo Delgado fought a 3-Round exhibition, to the delight of the local fare.

 

Next up, the 'Main Event'.

Sonny Liston; Las Vegas, Nevada; 42-3-0 (32 KO's), 36 years old, 223 lbs. #6 WBA Ranked Heavyweight
vs.
Willis Earls; Austin, Texas; 4-7-1 (3 KO's), 28 years old, 189 lbs. (hard-punching Texas club-fighter)


Sonny Liston, still listed at 36, and was a little bulkier at 223 lbs.
Finally rated #6 WBA, he was trying to stay active, in quest for another TV fight.
Obviously though, he was not training as much at an older age.

His opponent, Willis Earls.
A hard-punching club fighter out of Austin, Texas.
The 28 year-old Earls did not pose any danger.
At 6' 0" and 189 lbs., he would be out-weighed by Liston, by some 34 lbs.

With a record of 4-7-1 (3 KO's), he wasn't beating anybody. In fact, he had been knocked out in 5 of his last 6 fights.
He was brought in as the 'matador', to be slaughtered by "the Big Bear turned Bull'.

 

Upon entering the Bull Ring Arena, Sonny Liston was met with mixed cheers, from the near 10,000 attending.
His walk from the Matador Entrance, through the Bull Ring and to the boxing ring,
took about 2 minutes.
Liston was in his typical plain robe with 'Sonny Liston' lettered on the back.
Under the robe, his normal towel wrap.

His opponent, Willis Earls waited for him in the ring.
After exchanging a few scowls, both fighters met in the center ring, with Referee
Young Amado, who handled many of the fights in Ciudad Juarez.

Sonny Liston looked massive at 223 lbs., compared to the muscular 189 lb. Earls.
More like an NFL Linebacker, meeting a small running back.

After returning to their respective corners, both waited for the bell.
Amazingly at the bell, Willis Earls flew across the boxing ring, and attemtped to
flatten Liston with a wild overhand right.
He landed the punch.

 

The 'Punch' as witnesses say bounced off Liston's chin, and drove him back into the corner.
Earls tried to follow up, but Sonny slipped in his corner, and went down to the canvas.
The 'Monumental Bull Ring' fans let out a roar.
Referee Young Amado ruled it a slip.

Willis Earls would later claim that he floored Sonny Liston.
Regardless, Liston got up furious, and proceeded to chase down Earls, nailing him with thunderous jabs.
Later in the 1st Round, Liston caught the fleeing Austin, Texas club-fighter with hard right hand to the body, which dropped him.
Up at 7, Earls then tried in vain to grab and hold the ex-Champion.
Liston then pushed Willis Earls to the canvas.

Referee Amado, then said 'No, no campeon', and made Liston move back.

Sonny Liston then stalked the under-sized Earls, like a 'hawk following an injured bird'.
With 20-seconds left in the round, Liston landed another thudding right, which wobbled Earls.
Suprisingly, Liston backed off the hurting Texan, so Willis wouldn't have the distinction of being
embarrassed as a First Round Knock-out victim.

 

Round 2,

Sonny Liston, now aware of the possibility of Earls flying across the ring to sneak in a punch., mocked the Texan before the bell rang for Round 2, by putting his gloves up in front of his face.
That drew a laugh from the Ringside ticket holders.

As the round opened, Sonny Liston moved slowly towards the erratic Earls, and lunged with heavy slow jabs.
Sonny continued to stalk, and Earls continued to flee.
Earls kept back-tracking, looking for a 'one-in-million' chance to unload his big overhand right.

The opening never came, as the burly 36 year-old pushed his way into Earls, and swarmed all over the 4-7-1 fighter.
Un-loading heavy half-hooks and half-uppercuts, Willis Earls was forced to take a knee.

Up at the 8-count, he was met by more of the same, but was able to hold Sonny Liston
off, by spinning behind the 'The Big Bull', in his first proper 'Matador' move.

After getting re-arranged by referee Amado, Liston went back to work with 2 heavy straight lefts, which
snapped Willis Earls had back, which left him open for the 'Bull Horn Hook'.
Then Sonny unloaded a booming left hook, which came from the general admission seating section of the Bull Ring.
The punch landed squarely on Earls unprotected jaw, and dropped the 189 lb. Texan fighter like a rock.

As Willis Earls crashed, the 'The Monumental Bull Ring' crowd of nearly 10,000 went OOH!

Sonny Liston then just dropped his hands by his side, and walked calmy back to his corner.

There was no need for Mexican Referee Young Amado to count.
The fight was over at 1:52 of the 2nd round.

Willis Earls was out for several minutes.

 

nice story

 

Quality fight description, thanks for posting.

Was this bout filmed?

 

As far as I got with this fight, was that both El Paso television stations
KTSM NBC-TV Channel 9 and KVIA ABC-TV Channel 7 sent 2-team remote crews to film this fight.
Highlights were broadcast in the local El Paso area that night, Sunday
November 3, 1968 only.
The only footage that I've seen on American television, was (2)
15-second segments.

A Mexican film crew out of the Chihuahua Broadcast Region, filmed the whole days event, in black & white only.
They wanted film of Olympic Gold Medal Winner, Ricardo Delgado, who
got the biggest applause at the 'Monumental Bull Ring'

 

Tito TKO,

On the 'live gate' and fight purse distribution.
Of course, the Mexican local promoter, Arizona promoter and 'Superior Beer'
did not offer those numbers up.

But I did find out the $$$ numbers.

Attendance; 10,000 (approximate)
Live gate; $27,000 (approximate)


Fight Purses;
Sonny Liston: $12,000 (Paid in Cash)
Willie Crawford brought it back in a 'suitacse'
$12,000 Breakdown (Sonny Liston $8500, Dick Sadler $2000, Allen Moore $750, Willie Crawford $750)

Willis Earls: $1250
Charlie Shipes; $1000.