LISTON NOW WANTS CLAY

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30191, 24 July 1963, Page 11

LISTON NOW WANTS CLAY

Patterson Crushed In Only 2min, lOsec. (N 2. J> A.-Reuter— Copyright)

LAS VEGAS, July 23. With powerful, crushing punches, Sonny Liston retained the world heavy-weight boxing championship when he floored Floyd Patterson three times and won by a knock-out after 2min lOsec. of the first round at Las Vegas yesterday.

It took only four seconds longer than the fiasco of the first fight last September when Liston won the title in 2min. 6sec. Patterson was obviously over-matched physically against this hulk of a man with the poker face. Liston weighed 15st. s|lb., Patterson 13st. 12|lb.

Liston, who had taken only one hard punch, immediately announced that he would defend his title against the talkative Cassius Clay at Philadelphia on September 23 or 30. Liston promised to knock Clay out in two rounds. “It would take me about a round and a half to catch him and half a round to knock him out. I offered to catch him tonight.”

Patterson, grimly determined to make up for his humiliation in Chicago, took one desperate gamble with a right-hand punch after he had been floored for the first time. It bounced off Liston's chin. Booed when he entered the ring by the capacity crowd of some 8000 fans. Liston fixed Patterson with a sullen glare and went quickly about his job of annihilating his opponent.

It was obvious that this would be just another chapter of the Chicago rout when Liston dropped Patterson with a left hook and a right early in the first round.

Mandatory Count Patterson jumped up in a neutral corner promptly at the count of two. but he had to take the mandatory count of eight

When the action resumed. Patterson grabbed and hung on. trying to clear his head. Liston hooked his right around Patterson’s neck and hit him with three left hooks. That was when Patterson gambled with a long right, and lost. Liston unleashed a tremendous right that sent Patterson flopping to the canvas again. This time he got up at three or four, but he had to take the mandatory count again. By then it was only a matter of seconds before the fight had to end. Third. Last Time

Liston swarmed all over the former champion, stunned him with a right, then a left hook, and Patterson went down for the third and last time.

Patterson, still in a fog. turned to congratulate Liston who stood there impassively. When the crowd realised that it was all over, there was a mighty roar. Pandemonium broke out as scores of people stormed the ring, with Cassius Clay in the forefront. Like Small Boy The Associated Press said Liston handled Patterson like a man taking care of a small boy. “It was simple. If there was any doubt about Liston's superiority none remained.” the Associated Press correspondent at the ringside said He added that Patterson proved he was not afraid because he got up twice and was struggling gamely the third time, but if he had got to his feet he would have been in no shape to continue It was Liston's twentyeighth successive win, his thirty-fifth in a total oi 36 fights, and his twenty-fifth by a knock-out. Asked afterwards whether he thought Patterson would quit, he said: “Who am I to tell a bird it can't fly?” He did not think the series of punches with which he hit Patterson were very solid, but he said he hit him harder than in the first fight. Missed By Seconds

With his usual impassiveness. Liston said: “Before th. fight I said I'd make the last one look like a re-run Instead I missed by a couple of seconds "

The champion denied that Patterson had hurt him when

Pattersen connected with his only good punch. “I wasn't hurt. I was just surprised." Liston said. “He surprised me by the way he came back after I had knocked him down the first time.'’

The champion praised Patterson as game, but added: “I knew I had him after the first knock-down." Trying To Duck “I was using my left to set up my right—l wanted to prove to the public I had a right. I knew I had him hurt; he was tying me up and trying to duck. “The knock-out punch was a good shot but not as good as it could have been I have more power than that. “If it hadn't been for the eight-count, the knock-out would have been faster than in Chicago.” Asked about Cassius Clay. Liston looked around and said contemptuously: “Oh, is he still around? I'll take him on now." Patterson, his dreams of

new glory completely shattered, said quietly after the fight: “I feel disgraced and ashamed.” But, he added: “I’m not quitting. I love boxing too much. I want to fight my way up the ladder again “I was confident. I felt good until I got hit. I was trying everything and left myself wide open. I saw most of Listen's punches and I knew what was going on when I was counted out . . . I feel terrible.” Patterson added: “I didn't fight the type of fight I had planned. I didn't move enough. I gambled. I thought I hurt him with a left hook and I tried to finish him off. That was a mistake.” End Of Line

For Patterson it was the end of a championship line that started in 1956 when he won the vacant title in a fifth round knock-out over Archie Moore at Chicago. His dismal performance, bad enough to ruin him as a box-office attraction, raised a big question of whether he would continue in the ring after he assesses his future in the cold light of day. There had been only five quicker knock-outs in the history of the heavy-weight championship. Liston's 2min 6sec last year was the third fastest. The all-time record is Imin 28sec by Tommy Bums over Jem Roche in Dublin on March 17, 1908.