'The Sonny Liston Train Wreck'

This may have been one of the most bizarre situtations.

In Denver, August 1965.
Sonny Liston shows his friend, who works at a restaruant, a two-headed nickel.
The friend Ira Martin, asks Liston if he wants to sell it.
Sonny tells him yes.
A week later, Ira Martin tells Liston he found buyer for the coin.
Sonny, gives the coin to his friend, who tries to sell it.
Several days later, Sonny meets up with Ira Martin, to get his money or the coin.
Ira Martin tells, Liston, he lost the coin.
Liston then threatens to kill Martin.

Ira Martin goes to court, to get a restraining order issued againt Liston.
Martin never found the coin.
Two-months later Sonny moved to Las Vegas.

 

April 1964,

'Backers Get Money, Liston Left Holding The Bag'

Although a congressional boxing probe showed that ex-heavyweight boxing
champion Sonny Liston was taken for a pile of loot by backers and associates,
the Internal Revenue Service is releasing some of his impounded fight recepits.

The liens being lifted, are the ones filed against the promotional agency and an
advertising firm, and amount to $1,800,000. Another lien, for 868,000, against
Liston and his wife Geraldine, remain in force.

Sonny Liston was to receive $868,000 as a fight purse for his title defense,
plus an additional $500,000+ of the promotional agencies fee.
Mr. Listons contract is filled with numerous % cuts and advisor fee's. It looks
as if a mathematician from M.I.T. will be required, to decipher his several contracts.

Other service contracts on Sonny Liston have surfaced, and it appears that Mr. Liston
had sold slices of himself, totalling near 90%. One Donald Pacheco, did lend Mr. Liston
$40,000 in October 1963, and has not received payment on his loan. Pacheco claims that he was
supposed to receive a 5% stake in Sonny Liston in turn for the loan. Mr. Pacheco was
supposed to get $43,400 of Mr. Liston's fight purse, but to date, he has had no contact
with the former champion or his advisors. Oddly, Mr. Pacheco is not pursuing Mr. Liston
for his money, as Pacheco has stated, 'that's my business'.

Asked if he placed any wagers on the February 25th bout, Mr. Pacheco said he does not discuss
his gambling decisions in public or with the press. Reports have stated, that Mr. Pacheco is
a 'quiet gambler', and had previously bet $20,000 on Sonny Liston to defeat Floyd Patterson
in Las Vegas in 1963. Insiders say, Mr. Pacheco may have placed several 'medium sized' wagers
on Cassius Clay, as not to draw attention to himself.

Elsewhere, in New York, Georeg Katz, Liston's former manager, filed a $1,300,000
breach of contract suit.