Ali v Liston 2 LA Times article (some good info)

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Longhhorn71, Jan 17, 2019.



  1. Longhhorn71

    Longhhorn71 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Ali v Liston 2 LA Times article (some good info)

    http://articles.latimes.com/1990-05-25/sports/sp-253_1_sonny-liston

    http://articles.latimes.com/1990-05-25/sports/sp-253_1_sonny-liston/2

    Extra:
    https://www.si.com/boxing/2015/09/24/muhammad-ali-sonny-liston-ii-phantom-punch


    Example:
    "Many people," Kram reported, "failed to see the short, fast right to the jaw that nailed Liston, and among them were numerous reporters. . . . (There is) no shred of evidence or plausibility to support the suggestion that this was anything but an honest fight.

    "The knockout punch itself was thrown with the amazing speed that makes Clay different from any other heavyweight. He leaned away from one of Liston's pawing, ponderous jabs, planted himself solidly and whipped his right arm over Liston's left arm and into the side of Liston's jaw."

    Kram also reported that Amos Lincoln, a sparring partner of Liston's, had been "carefully coached" to be "well battered" at Liston's Poland Spring Hotel camp in the days before the fight. For several weeks before that, he had routinely connected with Liston's head with right crosses, according to Kram.

    Wrote the New York Times' Arthur Daley of the knockout punch: "The punch looked good, but not great. Certainly, it didn't appear thunderous enough to fell the oak-thewed Sonny."

    Daley also commented on a report in a Boston newspaper afterward that Lincoln had been paid an extra $100 to let Liston batter him in final sparring sessions. "He gave Lincoln a pretty good thumping, but his camp followers were not misled," Daley wrote. "They knew in their hearts the old man didn't have it any more."
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2019
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  2. KasimirKid

    KasimirKid Well-Known Member Full Member

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  3. KasimirKid

    KasimirKid Well-Known Member Full Member

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    This has always pretty much been my take on the fight. To me, Liston's neck flexed noticeably on impact. If we had the camera angles we enjoy with today's technology, I think we would have seen a short, quick punch that landed flush.

    According to the LA Times article cited first, Jim Murray, the esteemed columnist who carried no torch for either fighter, had a better angle than the camera. Murray said, "I saw the punch, and it was a good one. But the point is, Sonny was old and out of shape--I don't think he could've beaten a 10 count if he'd tripped over his shoelaces."

    I like Angelo's observation in that LA Times article, too: "He got him with a solid punch. Look at the film. Sonny's left foot jumps off the canvas just as Ali hits him. It was a flash right hand. Ali hurt a lot of guys with it. And he (Ali) was not backing up when he hit him, like so many guys wrote. He was sliding laterally. One thing about boxing, it's the shots you never see that hurt you the most."

    I encourage doubters to look at the film, and to look at Sonny's neck and left foot when the punch lands.

    The Sports Illustrated article is right on, a great analysis.

    I know I'm in the minority here based on previous threads to this forum which I have read, one to which I have contributed. We'll never know for sure, but for me it's nice to see some respected sources which agree with me.
     
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