willie and fats????

Yes....Mosconi played Fats and also Mosconi and Miz took on Fats and Hopkins on ABC.
 
there's a video on google videos that has a challenge match between the two, it was televised even. i think it was from the show 'Wide World of Sports'. interesting match and watching, er listening, to Fats was pretty entertaining. i'll see if i can find the link again... but chances are someone else will post it before i get back.

eta: found this link with the video i was talking about

http://pool.bz/variety-pool-videos/1070-grudge-match-willie-mosconi-vs-minnesota-fats.html
 
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If you've got ESPN classic, they show reruns of "Classic Billiards". Willie vs. Fats is one of the matches.
 
Yep, they did meet for a challenge match on The Wide World of Sports on February 14, 1978. R.A. Dyer covers it in detail in his book The Hustler and the Champ: Willie Mosconi, Minnesota Fats, and the Rivalry that Defined Pool.

You can get more information on the book here:
http://www.poolhistory.com/books/hustler_champ.html

BTW, it's a great read and a heckofa story!:smile:
 
stljohnny said:
there's a video on google videos that has a challenge match between the two, it was televised even. i think it was from the show 'Wide World of Sports'. interesting match and watching, er listening, to Fats was pretty entertaining. i'll see if i can find the link again... but chances are someone else will post it before i get back.

eta: found this link with the video i was talking about

http://pool.bz/variety-pool-videos/1070-grudge-match-willie-mosconi-vs-minnesota-fats.html
Click to expand...

Yup ABC's "Wide World of Sports". The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. IIRC Fats felt the agony. lol
 
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thanks guys i play straight and theres a loud mouth 9 baller at the pool room whos been swearing they never played. so just to stay in his head ive been saying they did and that just steams him for some reason. he feels like he and willie are real pool players and fats and i are just hustlers! haah! either way i cant get him to play so this may help. have fun and watch your wad
 
Yes they played several times. Fats always lost when they played in tournaments and challenge matches playing straight pool. He often tried to goad Willie into gambling at

one pocket and Willie kept refusing. On one occasion Fats had a backer convinced Willie could not beat him playing one pocket. The backer gave Fats 2 grand to go to Philly

and try to shame him into playing in his home poolroom. He finally got Willie backed into a corner, so to speak, and they agreed to play $500 a game one pocket. After 4

games, Fat's was on the phone to his backer, asking him to wire him more money. He said to his backer " He doesn't shit about one pocket. He doesn't know the moves at

all! All he does is run eight and out!" :grin:

I've always said "eight and out" is the strongest "move" in one pocket!
 
Willie could beat Fats on his worst day from what I have read. I do not think Fats beat him one time.
 
cuesmith said:
Yes they played several times. Fats always lost when they played in tournaments and challenge matches playing straight pool. He often tried to goad Willie into gambling at

one pocket and Willie kept refusing. On one occasion Fats had a backer convinced Willie could not beat him playing one pocket. The backer gave Fats 2 grand to go to Philly

and try to shame him into playing in his home poolroom. He finally got Willie backed into a corner, so to speak, and they agreed to play $500 a game one pocket. After 4

games, Fat's was on the phone to his backer, asking him to wire him more money. He said to his backer " He doesn't shit about one pocket. He doesn't know the moves at

all! All he does is run eight and out!" :grin:

I've always said "eight and out" is the strongest "move" in one pocket!
Click to expand...

This story is told in one of Eddie Robin's One Pocket Books, I forget which and don't feel like going to look. I think this is the best story about Fats and Willie playing.
 
Yes they played several times and Willie beat Fats every time at all games except in 7 Ball which Fats won.
 
thanks for the link

just watched the old players that was real entertainment .
would like to have all those cues. johnqbs, anderson sc
 
Needs more info

cuesmith said:
Yes they played several times. Fats always lost when they played in tournaments and challenge matches playing straight pool. He often tried to goad Willie into gambling at

one pocket and Willie kept refusing. On one occasion Fats had a backer convinced Willie could not beat him playing one pocket. The backer gave Fats 2 grand to go to Philly

and try to shame him into playing in his home poolroom. He finally got Willie backed into a corner, so to speak, and they agreed to play $500 a game one pocket. After 4

games, Fat's was on the phone to his backer, asking him to wire him more money. He said to his backer " He doesn't shit about one pocket. He doesn't know the moves at

all! All he does is run eight and out!" :grin:

I've always said "eight and out" is the strongest "move" in one pocket!
Click to expand...


You need to add some important info re that match, Sherm. People are confusing the exhibition matches Willie and Fats played on TV, with when they actually competed in Philly for real money. The Philly match took place when they were both in their prime, the 40s or early 50s.
Willie also got goaded into playing 1pkt with Don DeCoy in Philly and robbed him too. However, my mentor, Gene Skinner bar b qued Willie playing 1pkt in the 40s. Those are the only 3 incidents I know of with Willie gambling big at 1pkt.

Beard
 
My impression of Fats was that he actually didn't play very well at all (if he did, I never saw it) but he had one helluva mouth.
 
freddy the beard said:
You need to add some important info re that match, Sherm. People are confusing the exhibition matches Willie and Fats played on TV, with when they actually competed in Philly for real money. The Philly match took place when they were both in their prime, the 40s or early 50s.
Willie also got goaded into playing 1pkt with Don DeCoy in Philly and robbed him too. However, my mentor, Gene Skinner bar b qued Willie playing 1pkt in the 40s. Those are the only 3 incidents I know of with Willie gambling big at 1pkt.

Beard
Click to expand...

holy crap the beard himself!!!!!! ive got banks that dont go but do. ill be learning from those vids for years to come. a couple of the more unusual topics you cover are already a regular part of my arsenal. just like you said it leaves real players wonder ing what just happened! i cant say just how cool it is to say hello. no i dont want a autograph! but you can have mine if you want. haah! if you find yourself in richmond va rest assured ill be there.
 
Underclocked said:
My impression of Fats was that he actually didn't play very well at all (if he did, I never saw it) but he had one helluva mouth.
Click to expand...

Your impression is dead wrong - in his prime Fats was one of the top
handfull of one pocket players in the country - he also banked at a very high level.

If you do a search, both Jay and Freddy have posted about Fats'
"true speed".

Dale
 
Maybe, but I watched some of his matches (live - I think) with Mosconi when both were getting along in years. Mosconi still played some darned impressive pool while Fats couldn't break an egg with a cue.

Never had the opportunity to watch him when he was younger.
 
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