I'll never forget the World Open Eight Ball and Nine Ball (WOENA) tourney put on by Ronnie Allen in Bend, Oregon in 1976. ALL the top players were there except for Mataya. Funny how I remember he didn't come. Denny wasn't there either but he was not much on tournaments anyway. Everyone else who could draw his ball was there though.
In the end Dan Louie won the Eight Ball division and Mike Sigel won the 9-Ball. In the long playoff Dan finally beat Sigel for the overall title. When it was over a lone figure stood in the doorway to the tournament room. He sent a message in to Louie and Sigel (and anyone else). He wanted to play ANYBODY Eight Ball or 9-Ball for any amount they wanted to play for. No one was barred. That man in the doorway was Denny.
No one would accept his challenge, which kind of surprised me since every top player was in the room, including Sigel and Hubbard. Finally Louie Roberts was brave enough to take Denny on in a 9-Ball set. He got clobbered. That is the only time I remember someone challenging a whole room full of champions, besides when Ed Kelly did it in Johnston City. That time Lassiter woke up and asked Kelly if the challenge included him. Kelly said no.
I also heard that Cannonball used to do the same thing at Straight Pool tourneys in the 50's.
In the end Dan Louie won the Eight Ball division and Mike Sigel won the 9-Ball. In the long playoff Dan finally beat Sigel for the overall title. When it was over a lone figure stood in the doorway to the tournament room. He sent a message in to Louie and Sigel (and anyone else). He wanted to play ANYBODY Eight Ball or 9-Ball for any amount they wanted to play for. No one was barred. That man in the doorway was Denny.
No one would accept his challenge, which kind of surprised me since every top player was in the room, including Sigel and Hubbard. Finally Louie Roberts was brave enough to take Denny on in a 9-Ball set. He got clobbered. That is the only time I remember someone challenging a whole room full of champions, besides when Ed Kelly did it in Johnston City. That time Lassiter woke up and asked Kelly if the challenge included him. Kelly said no.

I also heard that Cannonball used to do the same thing at Straight Pool tourneys in the 50's.
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