Leotis Martin KO 9 Sonny Liston

I.E. Ike Williams

 

Duo,

Leotis Martin, first became one of Sonny Listons sparring partners in July 1963, when he was prepping for the
Liston-Patterson II (rematch).

Leotis Martin was Sonny's sparring partner for the end of 1963 and early-1964.
Helping Liston prepare for the Cassius Clay Title Fight.
At the time, he was a 175 lb. Light Heavyweight prospect.

He gave Sonny Liston fits, even back in February 1964 at the Surfside Community
Center in Florida, while prepping for the first Liston-Clay fight.

Leotis also, sparred with Sonny briefly, in Denver, in the summer (July/August) of 1964.
But was not asked to stay as part of Liston's regular sparring group.
He did not accompany Liston to Massachusetts, for the Ali-Liston II (rematch).

Leotis also sparred with Sonny Liston in Sweden, back in March/April 1967.
When Sonny returned for a second-tour.
Leotis then was a solid 195 lb. fighter.
Thats where Leotis got the better of Sonny.

 

Thanks for the info ID. (For some reason, I want to call you "Benito," "Benny," or just "Ben.") I wasn't sure about the chronology.

What do you know about Liston and Clay sparring prior to Liston-Patterson I? I read an article about it complete with a black and white photograph of the two sparring in headgear years ago (possibly in Boxing Illustrated), but have never located either the photograph or the article on-line in the decades since. (For those of you youngsters who don't know the story already, Sonny sparred with him because Clay would imitate the lowered peek a boo style of his then idol Patterson, which interested Liston and afforded him the opportunity to practice swinging downward at a low target. In a televised interview not long after, Cassius said with uncharacteristic modesty that Liston was a "rugged boy" who he wouldn't care to take on in competition just then, first laughing it off after he was asked about the prospect of such a match. He knew he wasn't nearly ready yet. There is some footage of Liston being introduced to a crowd as the reigning champion prior to an early Clay fight before he became a serious contender, and they are respectful and cordial in greeting each other.)

 

Mr. Duo,

You can call me 'Benito',,,,,,,,,,its all in fun anyway,,or 'Comando Supremo'.

I'll check my files, on the Liston-Clay 'in the ring together' information.

Sonny was up at The Pines (where I was) in South Fallsbrug, NY during the summer of 1962.
Cassius Clay was up their a few times, but he stayed at Grossingers and then Brown's.

 

I don't think the word great is appropriate when referring to a ring tragedy.
I was ringside when Martin fought Thad Spencer, dropping him twice in the UK Fight of the Year

 

Mr. Duo,

Cassius Clay may have been in the ring with Sonny Liston in May/June 1962 up in the Catskills, New York.
He also was at Kutsher's Country Club.

Or, when Sonny was finishing up his training at Aurora Hills, Illinois, in September 1962.

It may have been in the Catskills, NY, because Cassius Clay was up there before
his bout in New York City with Billy Daniels, in 1962.

 

Very interesting, I've never heard anything about this. And Clay's encounters with Liston have been covered ad naseuem. Very strange that this episode has seemed to have slipped the notice of the accepted body of material used by the Ali biographers. Amazing really.
Clay was calling Liston out as far back as 1962, and apparently seriously from the Archie Moore victory onwards.
These sparring sessions are certainly something that needs further investigation.
Thanks for the tip-off.

:good

 

REALLY I RESPECT SONNY AND I LIKE HIM, BUT IT IS NO EXCUSE... MARTIN WAS A COMPLETE BUM.... AND HE WEIGHED 190 POUNDS.... OLD FOREMAN WOULD MAKE MARTIN HIS ***** IN 2-3 ROUNDS, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.(PLEASE ANYONE SHOULD TRY TO DEBATE IT, I WANT TO LAUGH). OLD FOREMAN TOOK SHOTS FROM guys like morrison, prime holyfield, shanon briggs,bert cooper,gerry cooney, michael moorer,alext stewart.. the age is not matter, he had better chin, end of the history.

 

MR. DUO,

It must have been in Miami Beach, Florida,,,,,,,,January/February/March 1961.

Sonny Liston was fighting Howard King their, in March 61'. (3/8/61)

Cassius Cay was training at the 5th Street Gym, and had a bout their in February 61'. (2/20/61)
Clay was training their for all his early bouts in 1961.

 

combates, you're a solid (if controversial) poster but what the hell is with bringing foreman into every damn post?

foreman was also physically blessed and no other fighter is likely EVER going to be able to do what he did at an advanced age. but this is about liston...

 

yes i know, it was an example..simply with other old fighter... i wanted say that the age is not matter, he was ko by a bum who weighed 190 pounds, it was my point.

 

Leotis Martin started out as a 160 lb. Middleweight back in 1960/1961.
But grew into a pretty good Heavyweight 199 lbs.
6' 1' +.

He got lazy sometimes, but he did have suprising power, especially in later rounds when guys got tired.

Muhammad Ali didn't want him in 1967, and Joe Frazier avoided him in Philadelphia.
Zora Folley stayed away from him too (before Ali and after Ali)

Bum, no way.

 

:deal

,

martin is not top 50 hardest punchers...
,

honestly... do you think that it has any credibility? ali faced sonny liston twice, foreman, quarry, norton 3 times, chuvalo, wiliams,cooper,lyle,bugner,young.. ali faced every style of the boxing and he faced 1500 fighters better than martin. joe frazier faced george foreman twice , everybody know that george was his worst match. he faced bonavena,chuvalo,machen,mathis,stander, ellis. JOE FRAZIER NEVER AVOIDED NOBODY. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. LIKE HE SAID." i will face any man in any place".

yes, he was a bum, he was an average fighter, probably guys like frank bruno or ruddock would destroy martin, simple.

 

combat,

Leotis Martin in 1960/1961, was a 160 lb. Amateur.
And one of the Top Amateur Middleweights in the United States.
1960 and 1961 National A.A.U. Champion.
1960 Golden Gloves Champion

He turned Pro in 1962, as a Middleweight.

In 1967, Muhammad Ali chose (Cleveland Williams and Zora Folley) both old guys over a young 27 year-old Philadelphia fighter.

Leotis tried in vain, to get Joe Frazier to fight him, but their paths just did not cross.
Joe Frazier may have not completely avoided him, but he sure didn't go looking for him in 1967.

He does have several quality wins,,,,,,,,,more than Brian London.

 

I haven't been able to relocate the old magazine with that article for years. It's not the sort of thing I would ever throw out, but maybe a family member did when my back was turned, unless it is buried very deep in storage. The photograph taken of the two of them sparring clinched the validity of the story.

While living in retirement during the 1970s, Jack Sharkey was nicknamed, "The Squire of Epping" (New Hampshire), and this was mentioned on national network television newscasts in connection with a witty comment he made then about life in Epping. Yet, I cannot find that quote of Sharkey's anywhere on the internet, and I'm the only source on Google currently providing a nickname known to millions of nightly news viewers in America during the 1970s. No matter how big the internet gets, the extremely severe limitations of cyberspace remain increasingly astounding to me. (All anybody needs to do to get a slight idea of how much is not anywhere on-line is visit a used book store or library, and even those places don't even begin to tell the story. Perhaps the biggest lie in modern culture is, "If it exists, you can find it on-line.")

Somebody else may be able to produce that article and photograph before too long. Shortly after I joined here in April 2007, I mentioned seeing footage and telecasts of several famous and legendary bouts which others didn't believe existed, such as a welterweight Robinson against Fusari and Docusen, fights which later did turn up on youtube.