The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

Sunday 17 February 2002

GROUP STANDINGS IN
THE HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION'S
1ST DEFENSE TOURNAMENT


GROUP ONE

1. 1(1) ROCKY MARCIANO (USA), 2-0(2)
2. 6(48) FRANK SLAVIN (AUSTRALIA), 2-0

3. 2(16) TONY GALENTO (USA), 1-1
4. 3(24) STAN WARD (USA), 1-1
5. 4(32) SCOTT LEDOUX (USA), 1-1(1)
6. 7(56) JOSE LUIS GARCIA (VENEZUELA), 1-1
7. 5(40) MIKE SCHRECK (USA), 0-2
8. 8(64) OSCAR PHARO (USA), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP ONE

4(32) SCOTT LEDOUX VS 8(64) OSCAR PHARO
3(24) STAN WARD VS 7(56) JOSE LUIS GARCIA
2(16) TONY GALENTO VS 5(40) MIKE SCHRECK
1(1) ROCKY MARCIANO VS 6(48) FRANK SLAVIN


GROUP EIGHT

1. 1(8) HERBIE HIDE (ENGLAND), 2-0(2)
2. 4(25) BILLY WALKER (ENGLAND), 2-0

3. 3(17) BOB DEVERE (IRELAND), 1-0-1
4. 8(57) JOE ERSKINE (WALES), 1-1
5. 2(9) EMBRELL DAVIDSON (USA), 1-1
6. 6(41) LEE SAVOLD (USA), 0-1-1
7. 5(33) KALLIE KNOETZE (SOUTH AFRICA), 0-2
8. 7(49) KEENE SIMMONS (USA), 0-2

NEXT SERIES OF BOUTS FOR GROUP EIGHT

4(25) BILLY WALKER VS 8(57) JOE ERSKINE
3(17) BOB DEVERE VS 7(49) KEENE SIMMONS
2(9) EMBRELL DAVIDSON VS 5(33) KALLIE KNOETZE
1(8) HERBIE HIDE VS 6(41) LEE SAVOLD

[kenyan_cheena]

Sunday 17 February 2002

HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION
FIGHT CARD SCHEDULE
MONDAY 18/02/2002 - SATURDAY 23/02/2002 INCLUSIVE


MONDAY 18/02/2002 - LAWLOR EVENTS CENTER, RENO, NEVADA, USA
1D TOURN., GROUP 5: 4(28) GUS RUHLIN vs 6(44) BILL TATE
1D TOURN., GROUP 5: 3(20) CESAR BRION vs 5(36) TOXIE HALL
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 5: 4(60) HEIN TEN-HOFF vs 6(92) ALEX MITEFF
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 5: 3(44) OTTO VON PORAT vs 5(76) GERRY COONEY
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 5: 2(28) JOE BUGNER vs 8(124) TOM COWLER
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 5: 1(5) RIDDICK BOWE vs 7(108) SANTE AMONTI


TUESDAY 19/02/2002 - BARBARY COAST, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA
THE U.S. PACIFIC COAST BOXING LEAGUE
(6) JIM BARRY vs (10) GREG WILLIAMS
(5) DAVID BEY vs (9) HOWARD KING
(4) GRAHAM JEFFERSON vs (8) TERRY DANIELS
(3) FREDDIE BESHORE vs (7) JIM FLYNN
(2) LEOTIS MARTIN vs (11) TONY DOYLE
(1) ROSCO TOLES vs (12) CHARLEY POWELL


WEDNESDAY 20/02/2002 - BELL CENTRE, MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA
1D TOURN., GROUP 5: 2(12) CARL MORRIS vs 8(60) DON WARNER
1D TOURN., GROUP 5: 1(5) NINO VALDES vs 7(52) JOHNNY RIGGINS
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 12: 4(53) TOMMY GOMEZ vs 6(85) RUEBEN VARGAS
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 12: 3(37) AL JONES vs 5(69) TOMMY JACKSON
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 12: 2(21) RAY MERCER vs 8(117) BRIAN LONDON
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 12: 1(12) GEORGE CHUVALO vs 7(101) AL ETTORE


THURSDAY 21/02/02 - WALDBUHNE, BERLIN, GERMANY
THE SOUTHERN EUROPE BOXING LEAGUE
(6) SHAKES QOBOZA vs (10) PABLO RAMIREZ
(5) ALEXANDER DAFOUSKA vs (9) NINI PERRONI
(4) VITTORIO CAMPOLLO vs (8) JEAN-PIERRE COOPMAN
(3) HANS BIRKIE vs (7) LOVRO ALANOVIC
(2) MARKUS STOBER vs (11) LEONIDAS JASKUCIONIS
(1) GENADI YANTCHEV vs (12) DRAGO BENCEK


FRIDAY 22/02/2002 - CAESARS ATLANTIC CITY, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, USA
1D TOURN., GROUP 4: 4(29) BERNIE REYNOLDS vs 6(45) STEFFEN TANGSTAD
1D TOURN., GROUP 4: 3(21) WAYNE BETHEA vs 5(37) ALFREDO EVANGELISTA
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 13: 4(52) GERALD GRIFFITH vs 6(84) COLEY WALLACE
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 13: 3(36) BUSTER MATHIS vs 5(68) LEROY JONES
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 13: 2(20) DONOVAN RUDDOCK vs 8(116) TOM MCNEELEY
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 13: 1(13) KEN NORTON vs 7(100) JESSE FERGUSON


SATURDAY 23/02/2002 - ALTRINCHAM LEISURE CENTRE, ALTRINCHAM, CHESHIRE, ENGLAND
1D TOURN., GROUP 4: 2(13) JIM MALONEY vs 8(61) MEL TURNBOW
1D TOURN., GROUP 4: 1(4) TREVOR BERBICK vs 7(53) JEFF MERRITT
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 4: 4(61) JOHNNY RISKO vs 6(93) AL MCCOY
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 4: 3(45) HARRY THOMAS vs 5(77) HENRY CLARK
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 4: 2(29) BILL BRENNAN vs 8(125) JAMES BROAD
W.C. TOURN., GROUP 4: 1(4) LARRY HOLMES vs 7(109) LORENZO ZANON

[kenyan_cheena]

NEVADA ALL SET FOR THE
START OF ITS OWN "BOXING FESTIVAL"

Sunday 17 February 2002

story by Miles Roberts for espn.com

With all the news and action that the Heavyweight Boxing Federation has seen in recent days, it may have "slipped under the radar" that the state of Nevada will be hosting back-to-back federation fight cards this week.

Most fans of the HBF will be aware that Riddick Bowe, the outgoing, bragadocious 5th seed in the World Championship tournament will be returning to the ring for his second bout tomorrow night when he headlines the card at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno.

However, many might not know that on the following night, the HBF's U.S. Pacific Coast Boxing League will be staging its debut fight card at the Barbary Coast in Las Vegas.

Admittedly, the names of the fighters featured on the Vegas card don't get the heart racing in the same manner as Terone Haynes did during his stay in Japan two weeks ago. But the HBF has devised these "feeder leagues" in order to reveal what some might call "diamonds in the rough".

The top seeds in the Pacific Coast League are a 6'1" 17 year-old from Detroit named Rosco Toles and 23 year-old Philadelphia native Leotis Martin. HBF scouts have stated that both of these fighters showed a lot of promise during their auditions, and the federation will be hoping that they can capture the public's imagination with their performances on Tuesday night.

As for Riddick Bowe, the 5th seed has been camped out in Reno for almost three weeks now. He has greatly impressed the HBF with his willingness to promote tomorrow night's card, his quick wit and charisma endearing him to the many boxing fans who have attended the many events the HBF have staged in Reno during the past two weeks.

"Man, everyone knows that when it comes to this side of the business, ain't no one in the HBF better than me," said Bowe. "I was born for it."

Standing 6'5", Bowe weighed in for tomorrow's bout at 225 pounds, looking relaxed and ready to fight. He joked with the media, hamming it up with his opponent, the 108th seeded Italian Sante Amonti.

At 22 years of age, Bowe is married to his childhood sweetheart, Judy, and they have already had three children. Bowe brought his family out to Nevada with him for a holiday as he prepares for his second bout.

"They've had a great time here," Bowe said. "It's just so different compared to Brooklyn, you know?"

Tomorrow night, Riddick Bowe will step into the ring for his second professional bout, and it goes without saying that those in attendance will be entertained.

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

4(49) NATHAN MANN VS 8(113) TONY ROSS

Perhaps Nathan can get off the schide. It is a bit surprising that Coetzee, Knoetze and Godoy haven't found a win between them. Even Scott LeDoux has a win for crying-out-loud.

Christopher

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

Perhaps Nathan can get off the schide. It is a bit surprising that Coetzee, Knoetze and Godoy haven't found a win between them. Even Scott LeDoux has a win for crying-out-loud.

Christopher

Yep, Mann vs Ross could be pretty interesting. Coetzee had to go up against Tom Sharkey and Sam Langford, not the ideal start to a career. Knoetze probably should have done better. His two opponents have landed, on average, ten more punches per round than he has. Godoy didn't really have a prayer in his opening two bouts, which were against McVey and Tucker.

But, they still have five more bouts to go in the first stage. Maybe they'll go better against the easier competition.

Thanks for showing so much interest, Chris.

[kenyan_cheena]

LIKE CLOCKWORK: REYNOLDS RIPS RAY IN LATEST NEW YORK AGE COLUMN

Monday 18 February 2002

Today, New York Age sports journalist James Reynolds launched his latest attack on 16 year-old Florida fighter Elmer Ray.

When he appeared on SportsCenter this past Friday night, Reynolds said he would be almost willing to bet his house that an incident would occur during that night's Anaheim fight card involving Elmer Ray. Well, he was right, as Ray and #16 seed Jimmy Young were involved in a brief but heated verbal exchange following the conclusion of Young's bout against Rocky Jones.

In his column in today's issue of the New York Age, Reynolds went out of his way to say "I told you so", reiterating his belief that Elmer Ray has no place in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation.

A number of Reynolds' colleagues have called on the experienced journalist to give up on his campaign against Ray, citing that the Florida firebrand is one of the most popular personalities amongst fans of the federation. Considering this, HBF President Michael Vincennes would have to be absolutely insane to release Ray from his contract with the organisation.

Nonetheless, it appears that Reynolds has become akin to a dog fighting over a bone in regards to the matter, and nothing short of an absolutely saint-like Elmer Ray will convince him to change his mind.

[kenyan_cheena]

AMONTI AND BOWE PUT ON A SHOW IN RENO

Monday 18 February 2002

In front of a full house at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada, Brooklyn's Riddick Bowe got much more than he bargained for when he stepped into the ring against Italy's Sante Amonti.

Bowe, the #5 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament, was expected to have a pretty easy night against the 108th seeded Amonti, despite the fact that the Italian had been impressive in holding the 28th seed Joe Bugner to a draw on debut.

It started out easy. Bowe looked to be in complete control during the first three rounds, dominating Amonti with a wide range of combinations. He was scoring on the inside and he was scoring from the outside. Simply put, he looked fantastic, while Amonti looked all but helpless.

But then, something happened that led many to say afterwards that Sante Amonti has exposed a Riddick Bowe weakness: The Brooklyn native started to get cocky.

The fourth round was proceeding in a way identical to the opening three, when 1:15 in, Amonti tagged Bowe with a stiff jab. It was not a damaging punch, but it was the starting point for an incredible, inexplicable turnaround that would last through until the conclusion of round five and would have Riddick Bowe - the man who had proclaimed back in early December that no one in the tournament could contend with him - hanging on for dear life. The jab was chased by a quick, five-punch combination, three of the punches connecting cleanly with Bowe's forehead and chin. Amonti was able to land these particular punches because Bowe was more concerned with taunting him than he was with keeping his own defenses up. All of a sudden, the Italian was all over Bowe, swarming him and beating him to the punch, probing jabs making way for solid, damaging hooks and a sweet uppercut that forced Bowe into a clinch. The 5th seed returned to his corner at the end of the fourth round disappointed, but not outwardly concerned. He would have been quite certain that he had a comfortable lead to that point in the fight.

Well, in the fifth round, Amonti not only continued his resurgence, he planted his foot to the floor. The Italian gave Bowe what could only be described as a good, old-fashioned butt whoopin'. Amonti fought those three minutes in a fashion that was more impressive and exciting than anything Bowe had achieved during the first half of the bout. At the 1:03 mark, Amonti hurt Bowe with a smashing right cross that had him stumbling back into the ropes and sent the crowd into a frenzy. It was the first time in either of his two professional bouts that Bowe had been visibly shaken and close to tasting the canvas. Amonti didn't sit back to admire his work, though. He cornered his taller opponent and unloaded, a clubbing left hook and a straight right colliding with Bowe's chin. The Brooklyn-born slugger fired back with a left hook, which Amonti dodged and countered with a left hook of his own! Bowe's head snapped sideways and he initiated a clinch, holding on against Amonti's furious assault. The referee separated the two men and the smear of blood on Amonti's right shoulder suddenly made it clear that Bowe had been cut! The Italian had opened a nasty gash over Bowe's left eye. And once again, he didn't let up. He banged another big right cross off Bowe's forehead and then started in on his midsection, ripping hard punches into Bowe's ribs. Looking merely to survive the round, Bowe tied Amonti up. When the two were disentangled, he backpedalled, pawing at Amonti with a tired jab, staying out of range. The #5 seed wore a bemused countenance, as if he simply could not conceive of what he was up against. Amonti, appearing out of puff from his offensive explosion, seemed content to cruise through the final thirty seconds of the round. When the bell rang, the crowd rose to their feet as one, offering the tough underdog their appreciation in the form of rousing applause.

As his assistants worked on the cut over his man's left eye, Riddick Bowe's trainer spent the entire sixty second intermission drilling the point home: Win this last round or you could lose the fight. Bowe showed an embarassed expression, aware that his earlier brovado had blown up in his face.

The two combatants touched gloves as the final round started. The crowd roared their approval, hopeful for a fantastic finish to the fight. Bowe showed the respect that Amonti had earned, cautious as the early seconds of the round ticked away. Amonti motioned for him to bring it on, but then backed off when the Brooklyn native came in close. Bowe misfired with a left-right combo, shaking his head and stopping to hitch up his white trunks. Amonti teed off from long range and tagged Bowe with a left hook, and then a straight right! Sweat sprayed off Bowe's head. He threw up another airball, a right uppercut missing by a good six inches. But then came the moment when Riddick Bowe took back control of this bout. With the two men bumping shoulders in close, Bowe unleashed a savage uppercut that hurt Amonti. The Italian stumbled backwards, rubber-legged, and Bowe followed-up with a straight right, a left hook and another straight right. Somehow, Amonti smothered Bowe's attack, but only momentarily. A right hook rattled his cage, and it appeared that the fight had finally left him. Bowe started throwing jabs in bunches, circling Amonti, bouncing on his toes. It seemed that Bowe had gotten his second wind and midway through the round he reinforced his upper hand with a crashing straight right. Bowe now had confidence to burn, and he eased through the last minute of the round while Amonti simply tried to reach the final bell. Bowe almost ended the fight with a left-right combo just twelve seconds from the end, but the Italian held on and as the bell sounded, the audience rose to their feet as one and gave the two warriors an extended ovation.

The two fighters embraced and offered complimentary words to each other, Bowe conveying his admiration towards his lighter, smaller opponent.

When it was announced that the result was a majority decision, a wave of excitement passed through the audience.

Ring announcer Ed Darien revealed the verdict.

"Judge Tyrone Short of the USA has scored the bout even at 57-57. Judges Erkki Meronen of Finland and Moon Moo-Hong of South Korea have both scored the bout 58-56 to the winner, from the red corner, RIDDICK BOWE!"

(STILL TO COME: ALL THE ACTION FROM THE RENO UNDERCARD)

[kenyan_cheena]

Interviewed by ESPN's Jay Marlow soon after the verdict was announced, Riddick Bowe was brutally honest in assessing his performance.

"Foolish," he said, shrugging his shoulders, disappointment showing on his face. "I was just foolish there in the fourth round. I gave the guy a sniff, and he almost took full advantage of it, man. I let him back in the fight and when I should have responded, in that fifth round, he just kicked my ass, plain and simple. I really don't feel like I won the fight because he only tested me once and got the better of me during that period. I'm disappointed, because I saw what happened to Jack Johnson, so I shoulda known not to take anyone lightly. This is really somethin' that I'll learn from, though."

Marlow nodded. "Well, Riddick, looking at the punch totals for the fight is quite an extraordinary read, considering the way you were dominating in the early rounds. By the finish, Sante Amonti had actually landed more punches than you, 136 to 129."

Bowe shook his head. "That doesn't surprise me, because, like I said, he just kicked my ass in the fifth round. You know, some people say 'a win is a win'. But I don't believe in that. There's winning convincin'ly, and there's winning by the skin of your knuckles. Tonight, it was just knuckle time for me, man. I'm gonna have to work hard to make sure this doesn't happen again."

It had been obvious during the bout that their was a strong Italian presence in attendance. They had brought with them Italian flags and chanted slogans in Italian during the bout, driving Amonti on. When the judge's verdict had been revealed, they had shown their unhappiness. When Marlow stated the punch totals for the fight, it only served to anger them even more.

Bowe acknowledged the boos and shouting with a wave of his hand. He took the microphone from Marlow. "Hey, fellas, your man Sante, he really put in a great effort tonight," Bowe said. "You don't need to disrespect his achievement by acting this way, you know?"

Having already departed the ring, Amonti returned in an attempt to appease the audience. Bowe gladly handed the microphone over to him, and Amonti spent the next minute speaking to the audience in Italian. His words seemed to have the desired effect, because when he finished the response was unanimous applause, and when he motioned to Bowe, the audience cheered for the victorious Brooklyn fighter.

Soon after, the two men left the ring together, and the crowd stood and clapped as they made their way back to the dressing room...

[kenyan_cheena]

THE RENO UNDERCARD

Opening Bout

Having lost a razor-thin split decision on debut, 25 year-old Ohio fighter Gus Ruhlin notched up his first victory tonight when he took a unanimous decision over Chicago's Bill Tate. This 1st Defense tournament bout was quite a lively affair, and the final verdict of 59-55, 58-55, 59-55 was not as close as most at ringside figured it would be.

The 44th seed in the tournament, Tate had staged a late comeback to earn himself a draw on debut, and figured that the result would be close once again tonight. Unfortunately, it was not to be, and Ruhlin, the #28 seed, improved his record to 1-1. Tate is now 0-1-1.

Preliminary 1

In his debut bout, Argentina's Cesar Brion had been unable to mask his disappointment when he faded late before having to settle for a draw against Bill Tate. Tonight, the emotional 20th seeded Argentinian didn't make the same mistake, winning by a comfortable unanimous decision against Toxie Hall of Chicago, 59-56, 60-55, 59-56. The third round was the best of the fight, with both men trading heavy shots to the audience's delight. Brion is now 1-0-1, while Hall is 1-1.

Preliminary 2

Germany's extroverted pugilist Hein Ten-Hoff brought the crowd to their feet with a blistering 1st round TKO victory over Argentina's Alex Miteff.

In the first World Championship tournament bout of the night, Ten-Hoff dropped Miteff with a single right hand just 66 seconds into the fight. Up at five, Miteff was overwhelmed by the relentlessness of the German's follow-up attack. Ten-Hoff was like a shark with the smell of blood in the water. He shook Miteff with a crushing cross, before picking him off with stiff jabs. With Miteff unable to defend himself, the referee stopped the fight at the 2:47 mark of the opening round.

Seeded at #60 in the World Championship tournament, Ten-Hoff has made an electrifying start to his professional boxing career. He is one of only a handful of fighters to have won both of his bouts by knockout. On the other end of the spectrum, Miteff has lost both of his bouts by knockout.

Support Bout

Going into the World Championship tournament, more than a few people had high hopes for Huntington, New York native Gerry Cooney. Strong and imposing at 6'7", the 230 pound giant was considered to have a puncher's chance of doing some damage and possibly even qualifying for the second stage.

Well, just two bouts into his career, those hopes are in tatters. Following on from his disasterous debut against Germany's Hein Ten-Hoff (where he was floored three times before being counted out early in round five), Cooney was pounded senseless by Norway's Otto Von Porat, the referee stopping the contest late in the third round with Cooney out on his feet from a barrage of punches. The New Yorker had been sent to the canvas earlier in the round by a vicious left hook, and never recovered.

Like Hein Ten-Hoff, Otto Von Porat (44th seed in the tournament) has also started his pro career with two knockout victories. Having feasted on Alex Miteff and Gerry Cooney, it will be interesting to see how these two men will fair in future bouts. At the very least, they have given the two top fighters in the group - Riddick Bowe and Joe Bugner - something to think about.

Co-Feature

17 year-old Englishman Joe Bugner came terribly close to an embarrassing defeat in his debut last month. Italy's Sante Amonti gave him more than he could handle, with many believing that the final result - a draw - was kind to Bugner.

Tonight, in his second bout, Bugner showed quite an improvement against his fellow Englishman Tom Cowler. It wasn't an absolutely dominant performance, but Hunagrian-born Bugner did more than enough to earn a unanimous decision victory, 58-55, 57-56, 59-54.

Cowler tasted the canvas in round three, courtesy of a thunderous right cross that had many at ringside awestruck.

Bugner is now 1-0-1 and will be looking to score a second victory when he clashes with the disappointing Gerry Cooney in five weeks time.

[kenyan_cheena]

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION FIGHT CARD
MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2002
LAWLOR EVENTS CENTER, RENO, NEVADA, USA


OPENING BOUT

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
4(28) Gus Ruhlin UD6 6(44) Bill Tate

PRELIMINARY 1

HBF 1st Defense Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
3(20) Cesar Brion UD6 5(36) Toxie Hall

PRELIMINARY 2

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
4(60) Hein Ten-Hoff TKO1 6(92) Alex Miteff

SUPPORT BOUT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
3(44) Otto Von Porat TKO3 5(76) Gerry Cooney

CO-FEATURE

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
2(28) Joe Bugner UD6 8(124) Tom Cowler

MAIN EVENT

HBF World Championship Tournament - Stage One - Group Five
1(5) Riddick Bowe MD6 7(108) Sante Amonti

[kenyan_cheena]

SONNY LISTON REPORTED MISSING

Tuesday 19 February 2002

St. Louis, Missouri:

It has been revealed today that Charles "Sonny" Liston, the #2 seed in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament, has been missing for the past five days.

Today's early edition of the St. Louis Courier featured a story in which Liston's head trainer Willie "Red" Reddish stated that he had not seen "The Missouri Monster" since Liston left a training session on Thursday afternoon.

This is not the first time that Liston's trainers have experienced trouble trying to locate him, but it is the longest amount of time that Reddish has gone without speaking to the Arizona-born fighter since hooking up with him last October.

Reddish confirmed that Liston wasn't comfortable with the intense public and media presence at his recent training sessions, and speculated that it's possible the 21 year-old Liston simply wanted to get away for a while.


"Whether he realises it or not, Sonny has really captured the public's imagination," Reddish said. "He's different, like those other guys, like Elmer Ray and Riddick Bowe and Jack Johnson. But where they are outgoing and boisterous, Sonny has this brooding, quiet menace about him. That's why there have been so many people coming to watch him train. That right hand of his is just like a mule kick. I should know, I'm the one who holds the bag when he's ripping into it."

Reddish went on to talk about how Liston is as a person, outside the ring.

"I've only known the guy for a few months, but in that time, I've drawn a few conclusions about him. He doesn't seem to have the same priorities in life as most people. Things like owning a home, a car, possessions ... that's not really important to him. He's a moody fella, I have to say. But he's also very shy, introverted. He keeps a lot of himself hidden, doesn't talk about what he does outside of boxing. I've read all the newspaper stories about
what a terrible kid he was, the ones that say he was a thug and a criminal, and it seems like they're writing about a different person. He's definitely not in this sport for the money, and he's not a monster, like everyone says. He doesn't like that nickname you guys have given him, "The Missouri Monster." Sonny ain't no monster."

The Heavyweight Boxing Federation has not officially commented on Liston's disappearance, but today's story is sure to lead to speculation and a renewed belief that Liston may be involved in some sort of criminal activity. In the days before his debut earlier this month, rumours were circulating that Liston had connections to the underground, a claim that Reddish has said holds no credence. Liston's next tournament bout is still eighteen days away, so it is too early for the federation to start worrying about Liston's whereabouts.

The article finished with Reddish making a direct statement to Liston.

"Sonny, if you've read this article, just contact me and let me know you're okay," Reddish said. "If you wanna be on your own for a while, that's fine. But just let me know you're okay."

Doubtless, tonight the Liston story will move from the print media to television. And, indeed, if Liston's missing status continues, it will only increase the speculation about the man's extra-curricular activities.

It is an extraordinary aspect of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament that the two top seeds are, apparently, such different personas. There's Gene Tunney, the young man mothers the nation over would be thrilled to have their daughters bring home for dinner, a former soldier who hasn't put a foot wrong and has gladly done everything the federation has asked of him. He is the All-American with the movie star looks. And then there's Liston, a man who has inspired fascination and fear, a man who most would be terrified of meeting in a dark alley. In a recent ESPN survey, Liston finshed second behind Elmer Ray to the question "Who is the most intriguing personality in the HBF?" If one listens to Willie Reddish, then the public has misunderstood Liston, but the man himself seems unwilling to speak publicly, unwilling to reveal what he is really about. Indeed, he has only spoken once in public, that being the brief remarks he made following his decimation of Nick Barone on the 2nd of February.

We can only wait and see and, in some cases, speculate, as to when Sonny Liston will choose to make his whereabouts known. Until then ... watch this space.

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

SONNY LISTON REPORTED MISSING

The plot thickens. I am enjoying the write-ups per usual Kenyan.

[Jamee999]

Great story.

Can't wait for Lewis' next fight.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

The plot thickens. I am enjoying the write-ups per usual Kenyan.

Thanks, Chris. I'm really going to try to make the character of Liston as mysterious and fascinating in my universe as he was in real life. Hopefully, though, he'll lead a happier life in my universe than he did in real life.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Jamee999

Great story.

Can't wait for Lewis' next fight.

Thanks, Jamee. I see from your post total and the date you joined the board that you've been more of a lurker than a poster. Welcome to the boards.

I hope you're enjoying my thread. If you're refering to Lennox Lewis, he will be making his professional debut in the universe in about a week (Tuesday 26 Feb. '02, to be exact). I'm actually going to be doing a post about him in the coming days.

[bear]

Time line's not quite right now with Sonny's age. I'm hoping that if he lives long enough he might disappear, turn up in New York and sire Mike Tyson.

Bear

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

The plot thickens. I am enjoying the write-ups per usual Kenyan.

[kenyan_cheena]

Note: Liston post (#191) edited and finished.

Coming up in the HBF:

* Pacific Coast Boxing League kicks off in Vegas.
* News from Canada: Olympic Champion Lewis can't wait for pro debut, plus Chuvalo fights in front of his fellow countrymen.
* Speaking from Africa: Vincennes disputes Reynolds over SportsCenter interview.
* HBF expansion talk continues to build.