[wildhawke11]

Lets just say "the money wernt on Sonny in the Clay fights"

The Blacks did not want Liston as Champion
The Whites were **** scared of this " BIG BAD ????? "
and odds of 7 to 1 look pretty good odds to me for a bet.

Liston at one stage was considered by some as better then his hero Joe Louis. Great chin, the most powerful left jab in history. no one could stand and trade with the monster.

George Foreman one time sparred with an old Sonny Liston and stated even at that late stage his power was something to behold. Big George said he was the only man who ever backed me up in the ring.

If only Liston had had the right backing, better managed, who knows, maybe he would be regarded as at least number 3 in the all time Top Ten Heavyweights.

The big problem with Liston was he was a very simple uneducated man, who trusted very few and was a loner. Liked the life which he found money could give him and did not care if it came from boxing or any other way.

Did Liston throw the fights, well the right way to do a fix is to only tell the guy who will lose. That way its not so obvious in most cases. Problem of course with Sonny, at least i feel, he was a far better fighter then he was an actor.
He was an old man when he fought Clay, might have been a different story if the old guy had been a little younger.

Did Sonny or rather would Sonny fight with the cuffs on
Who knows? but being controlled by the Mob you don't say No if told. Who cares if a former thug and One Bad Ass ????? is found face down in the gutter one day,

To my way of thinking boxing unfortunately always has been a business first and a sport second and that in different ways still applies to this day.

Please my boxing friends forgive me for some of the expressions that i have used here but that's how it was back in there time and mine too i might add.