It could have never happened. Only '2' Boxing Commissions in the United States would give Sonny Liston a license,,,,,, Maine and Alaska. No other state would sanction a bout. And every other country that had a Boxing Federation would not give Sonny Liston a license. The only possibility, would have been Sweden, with the help of Ingemar Johansson. If Sonny had won (and that was never going to happen), the only fight that had the slightest chance to be made, was versus George Chuvalo in Portland, Maine in late-1965, or as a back-up, Anchorage, Alaska. It is possible, that maybe, Toronto, Canada would have sanctioned a Sonny Liston bout, if he agreed to fight George Chuvalo in Toronto. In truth, Sonny Liston was done, as he was unmarketable as a Heavyweight Champion.
No matter what anybody said, Las Vegas wanted the next bout, and in the late-Fall. The problem, The Nevada State Boxing Commission would not sanction a Sonny Liston bout. Do you see where this is going,,,,,,,,,,, The Las Vegas Hotel & Casino owners were pulling the strings, behind the curtains.
Tito,,,,,,, Money,,,,, A Liston vs. Chuvalo fight does,,,,,,,,,, $400,000........Tops. Ali vs. Patterson in Las Vegas did,,,,,,,,,,$4,500,000,,,what was reported.
Wouldn't Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto be the best place for a Liston-Chuvalo fight ? (That's where Terrell and Ali ended up in 1965/'66 fighting George)
Speaking of chuvalo it shows both Liston clay bouts were fixes by how many times a b level fight could hit clay in their 66 bout.
I don't know if that proves the Liston fights were fixes, but it's remarkable how many people will tell you Ali was virtually "untouchable" in his 1966-'67 defenses. Actually, he got hit enough by Chuvalo, Cooper and Mildenberger. They close down distance on him quite a bit too. His abilities to dance for 15 rounds and stay off the ropes and never get hit are greatly exaggerated.
This is true, i still rate Peak Ali ('65 Patterson to '67 Folley) as #1 H2H, however it's ridiculous when people claim nonsense such as: "Peak Frazier wouldn't be able to catch him."
In actuality, Sam Michael the local promoter for the Lewiston, Maine fight was guaranteed (so what) by I-C-P to get the Liston Vs. Chuvalo fight if it happened. Though a Toronto fight sounds good, Sonny Liston was not licensed in the Ontario Province, and or the Toronto Boxing Commission would not sanction a bout with Liston involved. I-C-P (and Sonny Liston) made more money promoting the Ali vs. Patterson fight. A Liston vs. Chuvalo fight would lose money for the promoters, not enough money to be made on this bout. I think the Ali vs. Chuvalo fight only pulled in $260,000 Gross, and Main Bouts, Inc, lost about $150,000 on the promotion. Muhammad Ali's fight purse was only $60,000. No way Sonny Liston would have fought George Chuvalo for a mere $60,000.
I still pick 86-88 Tyson and a peak Frazier to take that version of Ali I feel the younger Ali was easier to knock down than in his later years and especially with Tysons finishing he would have done the job.
T-N-T, The 'live gate' for the Ali vs. Chuvalo fight was $150,000. Attendance was 13,540 in Toronto, at the Maple Leafs Garden. The fight was a 'flop' at the closed circuit theatre buys. Most of the theatres would not carry the fight, as it was a 'no interest event'.
John, It could never happen,,,,,,not with the behind the scene dealings, but,,,,,, If, lets say it was a legitimate win,,, George Chuvalo would have been the logical choice, $ wise. Nothing else worth any decent money on the horizon.
