Take You Back

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Morning, ya'll...I'm gonna take you back...on this date, May 25th...1965...why say you?...just a scant 53 years ago, if you are counting...less than a month prior to me graduating from high school...let me set the scene...more so...the country was embroiled in a mess overseas...continual, alarming information out of Vietnam...'the domino theory' was being shoved down our throats by the administration (LBJ)...yet, I was preparing for the college days ahead...with great optimism....but, that seemed so, make that, SO far away...(Carole King)...

This night of the 25th, was going to be an epic one...as my buddy (Jack Dent) and I had seats to a fight...not just any fight, but the Heavyweight Championship!...you see, back then, there was little ability to view the 'important' shows other than by satellite...this one, was to be carried to a concert site for us...

My home was in Salem, Oregon...just down the street, was the infamous grounds of the Oregon State Fair...and there, was the concert hall for the city, the Salem Armory...where there were many concerts and dances, that provided us the ability to see the 'famous singers' of the era...we saw Sonny and Cher, Tommy Roe, Johnny Rivers, BJ Thomas, Paul Revere and the Raiders...the list went on and on...

However, this night belonged to the fight...Clay (soon to be Ali) and Liston...Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston...many thought that this was the first fight of theirs...not so, it was the 2nd...and the stage was set for a beaut...you see, Clay had an aura about him...his self promotion was beyond compare, well, similar to the pro-rassler dudes...but in boxing?...nuttin' like it...he DREW you to watch him...

The fight was actually in Lewiston, Maine...I knew of a Lewiston, but that is in Id-a-ho...why there, I have NO IDEA...it just was...in fact, I can't think of anything that has been promoted from there since...but...it was...

I was trying to go back to give you a clue as to the music of that time...the number one hits for the month were the Righteous Brothers 'You've Lost That Lovin Feelin' and Gary Lewis and the Playboys 'This Diamond Ring'...remember them?...of course, you do...wouldn't be long, before the protest songs took over the airwaves...right?...

Well now, we got to the Armory...geez, I think the cost for the tix were like $5 apiece, maybe more (a lot for me at the time)...I recall there were two or three big screens set up...this whole thing was televised in black and white, by the way....and let me tell you there was nothing even remotely similar to what we have now, high definition...it was cloudy and well...yet, it was a treat...

Got to our seats...and voila!, the fight was ON!...man, it was over in seconds...SECONDS!...Clay knocked out Liston...they did have replay back then...the replays lasted longer than the actual fight, for sure...BOOOO's were rocking the Armory...like the promoters knew....many called it 'the phantom punch' that got Liston...

Clay went on to legendary status, known as Muhammad Ali...with real fights afterward...Liston faded into Vegas...as a legend in his own right...I guess...

Boxing...it was THE thing at that time...talk about your football concussions, imagine the protocol for the boxing world...

You know, it just doesn't seem that long ago for moi...a hint of  how fast, time passes by...

Yes, this is the day...May 25th...that jars the memory of the Horse...see YOU on the web net...




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