Eddie Machen vs. Dave Bailey "Winner To Get Sonny"

November 30, 1963

'Fast Eddie' Machen, the 31 year-old veteran Heavyweight from the
'Northwest' (Redding, California) was back on the march towards a rematch
with Champion - Sonny Liston.

Eddie, who was the #2 Heavyweight in September 1962, had been out
of boxing for 1-year, before returning in September 1963.

Since returning to the ring from some personal issues, Eddie had looked impressive,
by scoring '3-straight' knockout wins in his comeback run.

Riding a record of 45-4-2 (27 KO's), and now ranked as the #6 Heavyweight,
'Fast Eddie' was in Reno, Nevada to take on 'Dangerous' Dave Bailey.

A 'war of words' started between 'Fast Eddie' and the Champion in Reno, Nevada
- with Sonny stating that Dave Bailey would knock Eddie out.

Eddie, at 31, looked good at 6' 0" and 192 lbs., and also had been working
with his 'protoge' Thad Spencer, to sharpen his skills.

 

Eddie Machen's opponent,

'Dangerous' Dave Bailey,

The 30 year-old Philadelphia Heavyweight is regarded as
a 'professional trial-horse', with a hard right hand.

The 6' 2" 200 lb. 'banger', usually employed as a sparring partner
for the Top Heavyweights, brings in a deceiving record of 14-9-3 (9 KO's).

Jim DePiano, Bailey's Manager stated, 'None of the eastern managers want
to put their boy in the ring with Dave, because of his explosive right hand.
If we beat Machen, we have a guaranteed National Television fight lined up
next, and then Sonny Liston.'

Jim DePiano, 'After we knockout Machen, we're off to Ohio to fight Pete Rademacher,
then Sonny Liston on Valentine's Day.'

In Dave Bailey's' most recent bout, he lost a 'hometown' Split-Decision
to Sonny Banks in Detroit, despite flooring Banks in the 2nd-Round.

And earlier in November 1962, Dave was beating Top-Ranked Heavyweight
Cleveland Williams, before he suffered a broken nose, and the bout was
stopped by his manager in Round 5.

 

Eddie Machen

'Sonny Liston is a big bully, both in the ring and outside the ring. I'd enjoy
nothing more than punching him in the face. I hate bullies.'

Sonny Liston who will attend tonights fight program said, 'Eddie shouldn't be
worrying so much about me. I predict Dave Bailey will knock him out within
'5-Rounds'.

Tonights bout, a United Fund Benefit will take place at University of Nevada Gymnasium.
4000 spectators are expected to attend, including the Champion - Sonny Liston.

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Al Silvani, Trainer for Eddie Machen,

'Sonny Liston is not invincible. He's too heavy, and is so slow. Eddie fought a bad fight
against him in 1960, and almost beat him.'

'I pray that Liston is 212 lbs. again when we fight him. I hope he eats good, because Eddie
will just ping-pong that big lug with jabs, then snap off a right hand, and move away.'


Walter Minskoff, Manager for Eddie Machen,

'I don't know what Sonny will do against Clay. All I know is that we will be fighting for a
Heavyweight Championship in the fall of 1964.'

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Eddie Machen stopped {KO 8} Dave Bailey.

Eddie scored with everything in the book - left jabs, right crosses and combinations
through the first 5-Rounds, sweeping them all.

In Round 6, a 'frustrated' Dave Dailey started to get a little rough inside, and Eddie in
retaliation 'knee'd Bailey in the groin'.

It was an 'intentional foul', as Bailey fell to canvas.

Referee, Jimmy Oilvas penalized Machen, and awarded Round 6 to Dave Bailey. Also, Bailey
was given a 6-minute rest period.

But in Round 8, Eddie opened up with a vicious combination that dropped Bailey for a '9-count',
and then finished him with a flurry, dropping him for the full-count at 2:35 of Round 8.

Referee, Jimmy Olivas had to pull Eddie off a prostrate Bailey, who was laying on canvas in
a defenseless position.

The Nevada State Boxing Commission fined Eddie Machen after the bout.

 

Sometimes Eddie Machen would go a little bit 'bad' in fights.

Not a dirty fighter, but more a of 'massaging the rules'.

Dave Bailey, did have the distinction of flooring Cassius Clay in January 1964,
in a sparring session at the '5th Street Gym'.

Dave Bailey, also sparred with Sonny Liston while he was in Sweden, and later
fought him a sanctioned bout.