Evening star., 1962-04-28

new 1ork kefuSol
To License Liston
! Necessitutes Shift
NEW YORK. April % CAP)
The Floyd Patterson-Sonny
Liston heavyweight title bout
is a fight without a home to-
day. But there seems to be
no shortage Of cities willing to
adopt the multi-million dollar
orphan.
The New York State Athletic
Commission ran the controver-
sial. widely ballyhooed fight
out of town yesterday by re-
fusing Liston a license, citing
the % year old challenger's S
past record and choice of as
lsociates. Until the commits
sion's ruling. the match had
been slated for Yankee Stadium
or the Polo Grounds in Sep
ltember.
Championship Sports. Inc,
the promoters, Immediately be-
gan shopping around for an
other location. A spokesman
termed Philadelphia, Liston's
hometown, Chicago, Los An
geles and Seattle. currently
staging a Worlds Fair, as pos
SibilitieS.
Washington also is re-
garded as a possibility. Jocko
Miller. chairman of the D. c.
Boxing Commission, said he
thought the city had "a
chance" to get the bout and
added that he believed Liston
would be able to get a license
here. Miller said that he
would recommend licensing
and that he thought the
other two members of. the
commission would do like
WiseD
Would Welcome Bout
/ And indications from Off
cials in Philadelphia, Chicago
and Seattle were that those cit
les would welcome the bout.
which shapes up as the richest
in boxing history. The lone
dissenting voice from the sub
Stitute locations came from
California, where Douglas Hay
den, A hletic Commission
chairman. said the States stand
on Liston was pretty much
like New York'S."
The three-member New York
commission. in unanimously
turning down the license ap-
plication made 10 days ago,
brought up Liston's record and
also said it could not ignore
the possibility that his long
time ties with undesirable ele-
ments continue to this day.
THE history of Listens past
associations form a pattern of
suspicion" the commission said.
q. And wrong people do not
disengage easily"
Among the past aSSocia-
tions" the statement named
Frank (Blinky) Palermo OF
Philadelphia and John Vitale
and Frank Mitchell of St. Louis
all of whom have long arrest
records.
Arrested Nine Times
LiSton himself has been ar
rested nine times and convicted
twice-of first degree robbery
in 1850 and of assault for in
tent to kill in 1856. He served
three years of a 5-year sentence
in Missouri State Penitentiary
on the robbery conviction and
was given a nine-month work
house sentence on the assault
charge.
The two principals, Patterson
and LiSton, reacted to the COM
mission ruling dissimilarly. The
challenger was characteristic
ally uneXcited, the champion
was outspokenly dismayed.
The New York decision
doesn't concern me-" Liston
said in Philadelphia. I'll &c
on training for the fight as il
nothing had happened"
At his training camp in
Highland Mills, N. Y, Patterson
expressed sympathy for. Liston
What's he done? He's already
served his time I feel sorry
for him"
Iiston's advisor, Jack Nilon
disputed November's conten-
ton. Nilon said there was nc
provision in the contract that
the fight had to be held in
New York or hinged on Listens
obtaining a New York license
Estimates for the potential
earning power of a Patterson
Liston bout have ranged up to
Sc million, including gate re-
ceipts plus closed circuit tele-
vision, radio and televisior
rights. Patterson signed for S.
per cent of the gate and As pei
cent of the rest, while Listor
signed for 1919 per cent ol
each. with a guarantee Of
100000.