Then Cassius Clay-Sonny Liston Eat After Contract Signing
STUNNING NEW ALI-LISTON BOOK!
San Francisco, CA– While the The IPhone “happening” today is said to be the “hottest” ticket going, a new boxing book might be instead. Writing about something that has gone back and forth opinion wise since the 60s is the question was either one or both of the Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston fights “fixed.” What I was told and read in the just released book entitled “Sonny Liston: The Real Story Behind the Ali-Liston Fights” by Paul Gallender is amazing.
Book Cover
ALI-LISTON FIGHTS 1 & 2
Most of you that are reading this have either seen the fights on YouTube.com, maybe an Ali tribute, ESPN was doing the old fights, or on DVD, the first an Ali TKO 8 win when Charles “Sonny” Liston quit on his stool in 1964 claiming a shoulder injury in Miami. The rematch ending in the blink of an eye in Lewiston, Maine when one right hand ended matters as referee (and ex-champ) Jersey Joe Walcott lost control of the fight.
STRONG FEELINGS ON BOTH SIDES OF DEBATE
Ever since that day in 1965, the debate rages: “Were The Ali-Liston Fights Fixed?” Well, some say yes, others no. But in a startling new book author Gallender claims that Sonny Liston’s wife Geraldine Liston and a child were being held hostage by the Black Muslims.” Woe! All this after researching the subject of Liston, his place in the history of boxing and the World heavyweight championship for 35 years, Gallender goes deep on Sonny Liston and how the boxing establishment turned a man that liked puppies into one who instead essentially stepped on them.
NO IPHONE, NO INTERNET, NOT EVEN A FAX MACHINE!
The media in the mid 1960s were “old school” types who sold you crappy fiction like the Warren Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. What they wrote at that time and said on TV News was considered Gospel. When the media ganged up on you in the 60s, you were done. Time and again Sonny Liston was “vilified” by and in the media. It was almost Jack Johnson-esque. While they didn’t create Federal legislation like the “Mann Act” which forced the first smack talking world heavyweight champ into exile around 1910. They convicted Johnson of bringing a (white) woman across state lines for sex. Johnson was forced into exile and made a demon much like Liston.
FAMILY HELD HOSTAGE BY BLACK MUSLIMS?
Having my own theory on the death, this after consulting with Sonny’s last manager and late referee Davey Pearl, Gallender went there as well as Liston’s son William Wingate. There are a few sources including Geraldine, Liston’s wife regarding the Muslim kidnapping story. Another thing Sonny had against him, he had children out of wedlock. On that front, Sonny was the Evander Holyfield of his time. And of course, the rap on Liston was his teenage arrest in Arkansas for Robbery.
Ali Screaming At Sonny To Get Up
MANY DEATH SCENARIOS!
Stuff I learned from Las Vegas gym owner Johnny Tocco and Davey Pearl give me a distinct opinion on Sonny’s death. Some say it was a Heroin overdose, others say it was natural, then there are those linking the fact that in Sonny’s last fight he beat Chuck Wepner, something the Mafia is said to have told him NOT to do. It’s not like they’d have import a “hit-man” to Las Vegas, local talent was available.
AUTHOR LIVE SATURDAY ON RINGTALK.COM
Paul Gallender, author of “Sonny Liston: The Real Story Behind the Ali-Liston Fights” went on to write the following Ali quote on the Vietnam war and why he didn’t go. According to Gallender here are Ali’s exact verbiage when talking to “Sugar Ray” Robinson: “Elijah Muhammad told me that I can’t go. I’m afraid, Ray, I’m really afraid.” Who was Ali afraid of? We’ll find out Saturday on “Ring Talk Boxing & MMA” airs live on the Sports Byline Broadcast Network and here on the “Home” page of RingTalk.com We can take calls, do the Tweets at Twitter.com@ringtalk thing as well Saturday at 11 AM PT.
Pedro Fernandez