American Memorabilia is now offering the missing trunks from the 1964 Cassius Clay fight.
n order to get the full impact of the phenomanal significance of Sonny Liston’s 1964 Fight Worn shorts lets be introduced to all the players in the events that transpired the night of his “murder” and the night the trunks would be handed to a young football star.
Bruce Eric Gray-UNLV MIddle Line-backer Football player 1968-71. 1968 first year of football in Southern Nevada- Inducted into the UNLV football HOF-2008. UNLV record holder: Most Hits that caused the most fumbles in that season. UNLV Booster Sponsee of Davey Pearl.
Davey Pearl- Sonny Liston’s Friend and Unofficial Manager, Boxing Referree, Pearl did a lot for Las Vegas. It was Davey, then UNLV Assistant Athletic Director, in 1973 that talked Californias Jerry Tarkanian into coaching the UNLV Rebels. In 1997 Pearl was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame. UNLV Booster.
Davey Pearl hooked up with then UNLV Star Football Linebacker Bruce Eric Gray in 1968. This was Bruce’s rookie year. Boosters always help football players and Pearl was Bruce Eric Gray’s mentor. Being a star athlete Pearl liked to be with the stars and Gray was the “it” kid of the season. Pearl referreed all the big fights and Gray was always with him.
“I met Sonny Liston in 1968-69 and I would watch him train.” Bruce Gray was into boxing because his Uncle,Wayman Dawson, was a boxer who was managed by Billy Conn.
“I will never forget that night” Gray reminisces “I was a Junior at UNLV. Pearl came to the dorm and knocked on my door and asked if i wanted to go to Liston’s house.”
Pearl emphatically stated “Let’s get Sonny’s things now because they are going to lock the house.”
They got to the house, and the 19 year old football star, didn’t have the stomach for what he was about to see. Sonny’s House was still marked with crime scene tape. Chalk marks still remained telling the tale of Sonny’s last breath. Pearl knew that Gray was scared, and told Bruce to go into the Sonny’s special Boxing room. Here was the treasure trove of Liston’s historical career.
Bruce Eric Gray began to shovel all the boxing paraphenial into two of Liston’s trunks. ”I just told Pearl I wanted to get the boxing gear and I didn’t want the rings etc.” Obviously, in hind sight, Gray wishes he grabbed those too. Davy Pearl told Gray that night ” I told Sonny to pay those people their money. He owed gambling debts to the mob. This was no accident. “
Gray continues “Then Davy told me to take what I wanted and said ”Hey Kid since you want all the boxing trunks, keep ‘em. because they are all from his fights. They may be worth something. It may come to help you some day.” Lo and behold that statement has come to fruition.
Gray remembers ridding of the two trunks and getting a suitcase to neatly fold all Liston’s memories. All the articles remained with Bruce Eric Gray. Gray game one robe to Otis Allison, from the Lakers and another was given to Nathaniel Hawkins-Pittsburgh Steeler/Houston Oilers. The relicss were slowly given away to different people at different times. However, all the shorts were placed in a bag inside my football trunk and have been in there until now.
Sonny Liston’s trunks are without question the ones he wore in the 1964 fight against Muhammad Ali. That day both Muhammad and Sonny wore white Everlast satin’s. Sonny, to ensure that the world knew who he was made sure that his name was embroidered on his left bottom leg. The script is very distinct. This embroidery is exactly matched by the photo. The slight swinging up of the “S” and the long swoop of the “L”, cannot be mistaken. Creamy white, the satin has aged and toned naturally. The crotch is well worn with sweat and use. Small black stains remain on the back of the short. The Everlast satin logo is still in tact, with the top seam slightly unraveling and is aged and faded. Undoubtedly one of the greatest fights in boxing history. Short length and stripe size correct. See the photo match of the trunks with the exact script unquestionably from this fight. Mr. Gray will be attesting to this story and documenting the facts in a notarized letter. The 1964 Fight Featuring the White Everlast Trunks.