(3) fighters from the mid-to-late 60's who just never could be in the right place at the right time. Each caught a bad break, and were never able to capitalize on an opportunity. Spencer at one time, the #1 rated Heavyweight, and was again at one time a superbly conditioned fighter at 5' 11" 195 lbs. Lincoln, a dangerous tall and lanky fighter, who could not only box, but could punch. Martin, a quick-fisted fighter, with a great straight right hand bomb. 6' 1" 195 lbs.
An old friend of mine sparred with Lincoln and Spencer. His opinion was they weren't top notch. Spencer went on to promote a bit and ran into a bit of trouble. Martin had the makings of something really good, though. Pity the eye.
quarry took spencer out pretty easy,to bad about martin getting a eye injury.don't think he ever fought after the liston fight.i kno lincoln was a sparring partner for chuvalo at 1 point in the 60's
I met Amos "Big Train" Lincoln yrs ago back home in Los Angeles.... Hell, he was still shy of 50 then and senile as a mother of ducks... He ate too many shots in his day... He used to rant about how Ali was always afraid of him.... A kool dude, but way off his rocker...... Is he still alive? I am clueless there........ MR.BILL
Good question,,,,if the 'Big Train' is on this planet. Does have a reputation of giving Sonny Liston a couple of beatings in Denver, Colorado back in the fall of 1964, in preparation of the Ali-Liston re-match set for Boston in November, before the cancellation. He should have been on the Ali Carousel of Contenders back in late 66' or 67'.
I never saw Amos fight... I heard he was good, but not close to being great... He was rumored to be very tuff in the gym... Skillwise? I don't know... He had bad management---I suppose.... He had issues when I met him 28 yrs ago....... Poor dude could hardly put a sentence together without killing the English language.... MR.BILL
The only I saw him fight (live) was in Madison Square Garden, 1966. He got pecked to death by Johnny Persol, a Light Heavyweight who was moving up. I think Amos was rated #3 or #4 at the time. Tall and lanky, he fought like a 'marmaluke'. This was the guy that supposedly beat-up Sonny Liston,,,,,,,,, No wonder why he lost to Ali.
Amos did believe in himself.... He over-hyped his own abilities... He did that even after his ring nights were long over... Back in the early 80s, when Amos spoke / slurred about boxing, he thought he was the best heavyweight out there... He had dementia all over him.... MR.BILL
I just checked... Amos Lincoln (1936-1995) died at age 59... His health was bad by the 1990s... MR.BILL
Too bad,,,,Another one of the good mid-60's Heavyweights gone. Now I remember, Amos Lincoln and Thad Spencer fought on the Ali-Patterson top-undercard fight out in Las Vegas in 1965. The winner was supposed to get a shot at the title of the Ali-Patterson Championship. Both Lincoln and Spencer were rated in the Top 5. Lincoln won the decision, and never forgave Ali, who stiffed him.
Both Lincoln and Spencer had weird managers, etc....... Neither guy ever went as far as he was suppose to.... MR.BILL
Amos may have gotten stuck in that 'sparring partner mentallity'. Afraid to let shots go. He was right there though 1964/1965/1966. At the end of 1965 he was the #6 Heavyweight. Maybe the money as Sonny's sparring partner was too good to resist.
I had a criminal justice instructor (and ex-cop) in junior college (Cerritos College) that told the class how he crossed paths with a fighter named Amos Lincoln back in Los Angeles sometime in the 1960's. My instructor said that Lincoln's family owned a drug store/pharmacy back then and that Amos would often times hang out there. Well, one day the cops were called on some dispute involving Lincoln. My instructor showed up, confronted Lincoln, and tried to either calm him down or arrest him. Lincoln supposedly said that it was going to take a hell of a lot more cops to take him in than just one. My instructor said the guy was real beligerent and aggressive. So, my instructor radioed for back-up and him and a whole group of LAPD officers ended up subduing Lincoln and taking him in..........My instructor said Lincoln was a big, scary dude who was in and out of trouble all the time. The fact that he was a professional fighter made him all the more intimidating......I heard this story back in 1992. I never heard of Lincoln prior to that time!!!
Anthony, That sounds like the dude. Pounded J & B with Sonny Liston big-time at the Dedham, Mass. training site, before the cancelled Boston Garden re-match. He may have helped Sonny in the ring, but hurt him outside the ring. He knew where all the liquor/package stores were on Washington Street, in Dedham.
