St. Paul recorder., 1961-08-11
Livingston Predicts
LiSfon Will Get
Chance AT Title
By Charles ]. Livingston

by CnarIeS j. Livingston
Making a comeback in the ring
is one Of the toughest assignments
in boxing. For a suspended boxer
like Sonny Liston to redeem him.
self outside the ring is doubly hard.
But it has been done before.
am making an outright predic-
ton that Liston will win the re-
habilitation battle he is now wag-
ing, and a chance at the heavy
weight title He may even go ali
the way and win the title. He has
the natural ability.
Odds Against Him
At present, however, the odds in
this sociological battle are stacked
heavily against the Philadelphia
clouter. In trouble with the law as
result of his recent arrests, and
with an indefinite suspension i'm
posed by the National Boxing AS
sociation staring at him from an
other corner, Liston must fight
this difficult battle with courage
and determination, qualities that
are not alien to him as a boxer.
But he cannot fight alone. He
needs a good corner man. Such
man in this instance is Denver's
Father Edward Murphy, Roman
Catholic cleric who is currently
serving as Liston's teacher and
counselor. Father Murphy thinks
Sonny can lick his past and wants
him to have another chance. But
he knows he has a big job on his
hand, for much depends on Liston
himself.
! At present, everyone seems to
be getting into the act of knock
ing" Liston. Hardly a week passes
but that he is not confronted with
some new difficulty First came
his arrest for lettering more than
two months ago, then his arrest
on a charge of impersonating a
police officer, his suspension and
demotion from the rings No. 1
contender position by the MIA,
and most recently his rearrest on
a new charge connected with the
second case. Few people seem to
want to give Liston a chance.
But despite the adversities, Lis
I ton can weather the storm. All
he has to do Is listen to the ad-
vice and follow the rehabilitation
program laid out for him by his
mentor. AS the priest explains
'If Sonny does a good job, the
suspension eventually will be lift
ed. They can't take away complete
ly a mans livelihood" At present,
Father Murphy appears to be one
of the very few persons willing to
give the boxer a chance.
Background Hurts
This writer admits that Liston's
bad reputation is against him. I
also admit to knowing little about
the Fairmount Park fracas In
Philadelphia in which Liston and
a companion, posing as police Of
ficers, accosted a woman motorist,
beyond what has been published.
But it seems strange that Liston
should be arrested for so flimsy
an offense as lettering. Is he be-
ing "tailed?"
The NBA also made much of
the lettering charge, but there is
no evidence that the association
went out of its way to help Liston
land the biggest job Of his career:
a title bout with Patterson.
What does the NBA expect Lis
ton to do? Stay indoors and rust
while Patterson makes up his mind
about giving him a title shot?
Exploited On Both Sides
To a great extent, Liston Is a
victim of circumstances. Allegedly
under bad ring influences in the
past, Sonny has had to drop his
former manager. But even now his
illiteracy renders him an easy prey
for nsavory and unscrupulous in
dividuals. Thus, he is at a great
disadvantage in a sport which, by
it's very nature and from its in
ception has been rough and tumble
business.
On the other hand, If Patterson
is trying to effect a dodge" the
present situation in which Liston
finds himself is ready made for
the champion and his querulous
manager.
Only One OF BOxing's Bad Boys
This writer is not trying to con-
done any Of Lston's wayward acts.
But maintain that the man Is