'Six Gun' Sonny Banks

May 1964

Sonny Banks

'One more tune-up, and I'll be ready for a rematch with the Champion - Cassius Clay.'

'I was the first fighter to drop him, and that is worth big points. I'm ranked as the #17
Heavyweight, and after I defeat Don Warner on May 18 (1964) at The Arena in
Philadelphia, I should be an approved challenger.'

'My Manager, Ted Ewald has put up posters everywhere of me flooring Cassius at
Madison Square Garden.'
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May 18, 1964 (The Arena, Philadelphia)

'Six Gun' Sonny Banks, does it again in Philadelphia, by scoring a knockout (KO 1) over
200 lb. Knockout-Artist - Don 'KO' Warner.

The 199 lb. Banks landed a hard left hook to floor Warner moments into the bout,
and then finished him with a hard left-right to score a stoppage at 1:41 of the
1st-Round.

Sonny Banks is one of the 'hardest' hitting Heavyweights out there today.

'Six Gun' now improves to 24-5-0 (19 KO's), and now has won 8 of 9 bouts.

 

Tuesday Night - July 21, 1964

Houston, Texas

'The Big Cat, Cleveland Williams Batters Sonny Banks'

Cleveland Williams, the #4 Heavyweight battered Detroit Heavyweight Sonny Banks
with hard punches to the head from the opeing bell, hurting the smaller man with
nearly every punch he landed.

Williams at 6' 3" and 217 lbs., floored the 199 lb. - Sonny Banks in Rounds 4 and 5, with
left hooks to the head and body. Banks was also pounded with hard punches to head
thoughout Round 5, leaving the fighter staggering at the end of the round.

In Round 6, Williams was relentless, as he pounded the under-sized Banks with
tremendously hard punches to the head and body, before the Referee halted the bout
at 0:45 of the Round.

Cleveland Williams improves to 60-5-1, and now looks to fight either Ernie Terrell or
Floyd Patterson for the WBA Heavyweight Championship.

Sonny Banks, the 24 year-old from Detroit drops to 24-6-0, and was hoping for a
victory to push him into a Heavyweight Elimination circle.


Cleveland Williams, 'I hit Sonny with some of the hardest punches I have ever thrown.
They should have stopped it the 5th Round. I thought I was going to kill him. Why
would they send him out for the 6th Round, when he was battered like that. I'll never
understand Managers, who care so little for their fighters.'

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August 1964

Sonny Banks, following his brutal beating at the hands of Cleveland Williams,
resulting in a 'Knockout Loss in the 6th Round', it was recommended by the
Houston Boxing Commission, who reported to the Michigan Boxing Commission,
that Sonny's boxing license be suspended for 6-months, or until January 1965.

Ted Ewald, Sonny Banks manager, files an appeal, but loses at a hearing held in
September 1964.

 

Monday Night - May 10, 1965

The Arena - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Heavyweight - Leotis Martin, 26 year-old, 6' 1" 182 lbs. - with a record of 14-1-0 (7 KO's)

vs.

Detroit Heavyweight - 'Six Gun' Sonny Banks, 24 1/2 year-old, 6' 2" 207 lbs. - with a record of 24-6-0 (19 KO's).
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The Philadelphia prospect has moved up to the Heavyweight Division, and brings his hard right hand, and good
hand-speed with him.

The Detroit Heavyweight, a former prospect and one-time #17 Heavyweight, is coming back after his devastating
'knockout-loss' (L KO 6) to Cleveland Williams, 10-months earlier in July 1964.
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The Fight

In a 'brutal' battle between 'two' fringe Heavyweights, Philadelphia's Leotis Martin came back from on the verge of
being stopped, to score a 'vicious' knockout (KO 9) over Detroit's - Sonny Banks.

The 182 lb. Martin, out-weighed by 25 lbs., out-sped the hard-punching 207 lb. Sonny Banks over the early
portions of the scheduled 10-Round bout. But, by Round 4, the left-hook 'specialist' started to get through
Leotis Martin's guard, and bloodied Martin's mouth in Round 5, and had his nose bleeding in Round 6.

In Round 8, both fighters exchanged 'brutally hard punches', but the smaller Martin edged out the round by
landing more punches, to 'Even' the bout on the scorecards (4-4-0).

In Round 9, again both boys started to slug away, and Leotis who was getting pummeled, slipped to the canvas,
but the fall was 'not' ruled a knockdown. Upon continuing, Sonny Banks started to 'batter' Martin with both
hands, and had the Philly Fighter nearly out on his feet, when out of nowhere, Martin uncorked a wide left
hook that 'stunned' the Detroit Heavyweight, and Leotis then fired a text-book straight right hand to the
left side of Sonny's head, near his ear and jaw-hinge.

Sonny Banks than 'crashed' to the canvas hard, and struck his head on the canvas floor with a loud thud,
that sounded like concrete.

Referee - Joe Sweeney counted out Sonny Banks, at 2:59 of the Round.

Sonny Banks then fell unconscious for 20-minutes, while the Ringside Physician - Dr. Alfred Ayella Jr.
immediately administered comfort.

Sonny Banks was then brought to the Presbyterian Hospital, where he fell in and out of consciusness,
occasionally asking for a cup of water. Emergency surgery was required, as a 'blood cot' developed
on Mr. Banks brain, and Chief Neurosurgeon Dr. Robert S. Andre performed the surgery.

3-days later, on May 13, 1965 at 4:35 AM, Sonny Banks died as a result of injuries to the brain.

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Good Stuff McVey.........

A very good bout between 'two' up-and-coming boys.

'Six Gun' Sonny Banks, a good banger, and a nice left-hook 'specialist'.

He was a 'good prospect', but he did have a weakness with defense. Both
Sonny Banks and Leotis Martin were sparring partners for Sonny Liston in
late-1963 and early-1964.

Trained by Johnny Summerlin, and Managed by Ted Ewald.