Boxing BETTING 3-2 ON LISTON

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29937, 26 September 1962, Page 4

Boxing BETTING 3-2 ON LISTON

Record Purse Expected IN.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) CHICAGO, Sept. 25. Sonny Liston, the challenger, remained a 3-2 favourite to beat Floyd Patterson, the ehampion, in tonight’s 15-round world heavy-weight title fight in Chicago. Prospects of fair, coo! weather encouraged the promoters to expect a crowd of 36,000 people paying about 600,000 dollars. Closed circuit television had more than 1.000,000 seats available at prices ranging from four to 10 dollars.

If the promoters’ forecasts are correct, the total gate will be about 5.000,000 dollars—including ticket sales, theatre TV, radio receipts and film rights. The contest was due to begin at 10.30 p.m. (2.30 p.m. Wednesday. New Zealand time). Patterson may receive the richest purse of any fighter in history—l.7oo.ooo dollars to Liston’s 400.000 dollars. The record is the 990.445 dollars Gene Tunney was paid when he beat Jack Dempsey in 1927. Although Liston is favoured in the betting to register his 27th consecutive victory, and his 34th in 35 fights, a poll of 104 sports writers—gathered in Chicago from many countries-! surprisingly favoured Patterson. 62-42, to keep the crown In his eighth defence and 10th title fight. Liston is a betting favourite because of his size, punch and ruggedness. When the 6ft lin challenger with the 14-lnch fists steps on the scales this morning he expects to weigh about 15st 51b.

That will give him an advantage of about ?51b over Patterson. who aims at 13st 8!b. In addition to scoring 23 knock-out* in his 34 bouts. Liston has not been stopped or knocked off his feet. Hi* only defeat was on an eight-round decision in 1934. , wa ? k P ocke d out to ot his fir6t title k . to£* mar Johansson, but defeated the Swede in the return bout, to become the first we a i ! iht tO t l t" CaPtUr * heavy -

Fight Postponed

(N.Z. Press Association) INVERCARGILL, Sept. 25. Nc £ Zealand welterweight .boxing title bout between H. Forsyth (Auckland) and J. Lawrence (Invercargill) has been postponed two weeks. Forsyth has injured a hand.