On HY GARDNER SHOW, an excerpt replay of Heavyweight boxing contender Cassius Clay's (Muhammad Ali) interview with WOR-TV sports reporter Clure Mosher, originally broadcast the middle of May 1963 prior to Clay flying to London to fight reigning British Heavyweight Champion, Henry Cooper.
Cassius Clay tells Clure Mosher that he wants to fight "the bear" Sonny Liston. He states, "I want him three months after Patterson. I'm going to get this man out of the way. He is nothing."
Mosher replies, "Liston is a big, stern and mean-looking man, Cassius. I fear he would just scare you to death getting in the ring with him."
Cassius Clay: "I'm just too crazy to be scared."
Clure Mosher: "I think you're going to do very well and make a lot of money. And, as a matter of fact, you and Patterson may go down in history, as far as I am concerned, as being two of the boxers around having made more money with less talent than anybody."
Cassius Clay: "You are just getting off the subject. You just talk too much. I'm sorry I have to go to bed. I have a fight coming up and I don't want to see you unless I'm in the ring. I'm through."
Clay walks out on the interview.
Returning back to the Hy Gardner Show, Hy Gardner comments on this moment as does Hy's guest, Bobby Rydell, a friend of Cassius Clay. Gardner
Hy Gardner states to Rydell, "Did you ever see anything like that?" Now, this was Cassius Clay. I don't know if he just got mad and walked out or this was just showmanship?"
Hy's guest, Bobby Rydell remarks that he thinks it was showmanship. Gardner remembers only one time that a guest on his show quit on him on the air, naming Charles Laughton.
Gardner:"I think it is great when someone does walk out on you. Is this the real Cassius Clay or Cassius Clay the image?"
Rydell mentions that he recently spent three days in Miami with Clay and thinks he is great for boxing predicting nine out of ten times the round he will beat his opponents.
Hy comments that during the Clure Mosher interview Clay amazingly called the exact round he would defeat his next opponent.
NOTE: One month after the May 1963 Clure Mosure interview, Cassius Clay predictably KO'd Henry Cooper in five rounds on June 18, 1963).
NOTE: The Cassius Clay May 1963 television interview by Clure Mosher is the earliest known extant one on one studio interview of Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) known at this time.
NOTE: See ATA#14145K aircheck audio of the broadcast of the Henry Cooper vs Cassius Clay fight.
