◆ SpookStack

Garland Cherry (left), lawyer for the promoters of Liston's fights, testifies before the Senate subcommittee investigating boxing. At Cherry's elbow: Liston's adviser, Jack Nilon. Intercontinental Promotions, put it: "The in the monopolizing of a championship by reality of the situation is such that if we one fighter or promotional group. desire to nold a fight in any state, the chances are that the boxing commission of Intercontinental's right to promote that state would meet us at the plane." Clay was a condition Clay's sponsors had to agree to in order to get last Febru- Nevertheless, the corporation failed to ary's fight, however. Intercontinental notify the Miami Beach Boxing Commis- also demanded that half of Clay's purse sion, a wBA affilliate that licensed the from the championship bout, amounting match, of the rematch provisions. "was to about $225,000, be placed in escrow to the commission not told in order to avoid insure that he shows up for his next trouble with the authorities?" inquired bout, Gordon Davidson, an attorney for Sen. Kenneth Keating, Republican of New Clay's sponsors, testified.. "This escrow York. "precisely right," Cherry re was jammed down my clients' throats,'' sponded. he told the subcommittee. He explained There is another problem. Interconti- that Liston had had to agree to a some- nental's right to promote Clay's next fight what similar escrow arrangement before is not necessarliy a fematch clause.~It his first fight with Floyd Patterson in the can name Liston as the challenger, but it event Patterson wanted a rematch. doesn't have to; it can name anyone else Cherry testified that Liston's chances it so desires. And rematch clauses are for the rematch depend on how his arm ilegal under the Federal antitrust laws heals and the outcome of his recent ar- only if they are proved to be instrumental rest in Denver on charges of speeding and