Liston KO's Patterson
Wednesday, Sept. 26. 1962 University Daily Kansan
Page 9
Return Fight May Be Held at Miami
CHICAGO —(UPI)— Big Sonny Liston, the first former convict to become world heavyweight champion, will be offered an opportunity to repeat his 2-minute. 6-second knockout over Floyd Patterson in February or March, probably at Miami Beach, it was learned authoritatively today.
Al Bolan of Championship Sports, who promoted the third shortest—and the richest—heavyweight title fight in history at Comiskey Park last night, said today he wants to arrange the return Liston-Patterson championship match within the next five or six months.
BOLAN DECLINED to indicate any probable site; but another official of Championship Sports disclosed: "Al wants that return fight at Miami Beach more than any place else."
Listen, the son of a poverty-ridden Arkansas sharecropper, earned sports' richest title last night and about $400.00 with a left hook that floored Floyd and left him unable
to regain his feet before referee Frank Sikora had counted 10 in the first round.
Today Liston repeated his statement that he will go through with his contract to give Patterson a return shot at the title "just as soon as possible."
"I WON'T MAKE no trouble about that return bout," the new 28-year-old champion declared. "I want to be a worthy champion—a real good one. And I'll be just that—as good or better than Floyd was—if the public gives me a chance."
Although Liston of Philadelphia had gone into the ring favored at $7 \frac{1}{2}$ to 5 because of his many physical advantages, the crowd of 26,000 in the White Sox ball park was almost astounded when Sonny knocked the champion out in the first round.
BUT, BECAUSE 27-year old Patterson is the same fellow who came
The quick knockout sapped much of the prestige Floyd had earned by becoming the first man to recapture the heavy title.
back from a seven-knockdown third-round knockout by Ingemar Johansson in 1959 to win back the title from Ingemar on a fifth-round knockout in 1960, his return fight with Liston may again attract gross receipts approaching $5,500,000—the estimated total for the live gate ($665,420) at Comiskey Park, plus the receipts from closed-circuit television to theaters in the United States and Canada, and movies,
What Happened?
A Lawrence cafe owner held his head in dejection after the Floyd Patterson - Sonny Liston fight last night.
Seconds before the fight started, he made a sojourn to the rear of his establishment where the restrooms are located. As he returned he heard loud cheering.
The fight was over.
Congratulations to the new heavyweight champion of the world, Sonny Liston.
Liston-a Champion
When Liston entered last night's fight he had nothing on his side, but a pair of quick fists. Floyd Patterson, the then heavyweight champion, had sentiment. When Liston entered the ring, there were loud choruses of boos, but when Patterson entered there were nothing but cheers.
LISTON WAS the "bad guy" while Patterson was the "good guy," and it almost seemed as if Alfred Hitchcock might have had a hand in last night's production where the bad guy won.
Liston's picture has been in the newspapers many times over the past weeks. He is usually scowling. It's the same scowl that was on his face in pictures on wanted posters across the nation.
Liston started life on his left foot, and won his way to national prominence with his left, but the question that remains is whether he can live right.
LISTON'S BACKGROUND is bad. His parents, he barely knew. He has 24 or 25 brothers and sisters, but he does not know for sure. He is not even sure of his age. He has cheated and robbed to stay alive, because he knew nothing else to do.
It is fortunate that character is not taken into consideration to see whether a man becomes heavyweight champion of the world. All that counts is how good he can fight, and that is what it should be.
The boxing sport should not be a personality contest any more than any other sport, and it is fortunate that it was not last night.
SONNY LISTON has been called a "burly ex-convict." People scowl when they hear his name, just as Liston scowls.
Maybe the reason that Liston scowls is not that he is a savage animal, but that people will not let him forget he is an ex-convict.
Liston has payed his debt to society. He has won the heavyweight title of the world with his fists, as it is supposed to be won.
Liston is no longer a burly ex-convict. He is a champion.
—Steve Clark
Kemp Gone Hadl at QB
Yesterday, the Chargers released Jack Kemp, their star quarterback for the past two years. Kemp was immediately picked up by Buffalo, also of the American Football League on a waiver of his contract with San Diego because of injury.
John Hadl, KU's All-America quarterback in 1960-61, is the San Diego Chargers' undisputed quarterback.
The middle finger of Kemp's passing hand was broken Sept. 16 in a game with the New York Titans, and he sat out last Sunday's San Diego-Houston game.
Listen brought the crowd to its feet when he staggered the smaller champion with a left hook and then spun him into the ropes with a right uppereut to the chin.
The Chargers' other quarterback is Dick Wood, who had been carried as an extra going into Sunday's game.
The fall intramural sports program began yesterday with bowling action in the Jay Bowl.
Patronize Your Kansan Advertisers
radio, foreign kinescope and other ancillaries.
The fall semester bowling leagues, according to Bascom Fearing, director of the Jay Bowl, number 11 with 54 teams competing.
Intramural Action Gets Underway
The number of participants, more than 300, is down from previous semesters. Of 13 sororities, only seven are engaged in the bowling competition this fall. Only 15 of 26 fraternities are sponsoring teams.
Roche and Schmeling both were challengers, so Patterson suffered the quickest knockout of any heavyweight champion in a title fight.
Big Sonny sensed the "kill" and barraged his wilting opponent with his huge 14-inch fists until a left hook exploded on the side of Floyd's jaw and dropped him to the canvas. It was the 13th knockdown in Floyd's two tenures as champion.
Sonny, weighing 25 pounds more than Floyd at 214 to 189, achieved the third fastest knockout in heavyweight title history when Patterson was counted out at 2:06. Tommy Burns had belted out Jem Roche in 1:28 in 1908; and Joe Louis disposed of Max Schmeling at 2:04 in their second fight in 1938.
AN UNOFFICIAL quicker knock-out was registered by James J. Jeffries in 1900 when he knocked out Jack Finnegan at Detroit in 54 seconds of a scheduled 10-roomer that was not advertised as a title fight, but in which Jeffries could have lost the crown had he been knocked out.
TOUCH FOOTBALL gets underway tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Duplicating the bowling program total, 54 football teams will compete.
with his right arm supporting him while referee Frank Sikora tolled off the count above him. Patterson almost got to his feet at the count of 10 but not quite.
PATTERSON gamely pushed himself half off the canvas and remained there on the side of one hip
Patterson told reporters in the dressing room he never saw the punch when the first left hook hit him and stunned him. He said emphatically, "I want to fight him again. I'll make up my mind during the next week and then decide when it will be."
Walter J. Mikols, director of men's intramurals, said about 900 men will be involved in the fraternity and independent divisions.
He lost a decision to ex-light heavyweight champion Joe Maxim in 1954 and was knocked out in the third round of his first title fight with Johansson.
Beta Theta Pi, defending "A" and "B" Hill champions, are expected to be strong again this year as contenders for the Hill crowns.
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It was the 27th straight victory for Liston who scored his 34th win and 24th kayo in 35 professional fights since he learned to box in prison. Sonny "did time" in the Missouri State Penitentiary for armed robbery and in the St. Louis Jail for assault on a policeman. He was arrested on 17 other occasions on other charges.
Floyd has the contracted right to decide when and where the fight will be staged, but because of last night's debacle, he probably will let Bolan do the choosing.
Having a Party?
PATTERSON, who earned possibly $1,500,000 last night, suffered his third professional defeat in 41 fights and his second knockout.
Because of Sonny's unsavory background, neither the New York State Commission nor the California Commission would give him a license to fight.
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