Walking with Giants, Mataya

[Ross Keith Thompson]

It was 1970, I was living at Popcorn’s place in Elmonte California and he told me he had busted Mataya a few years back playing even nine ball for 300 at 30 a game.

Mataya was pretty young when Popcorn beat him, probably 19 or 20. Also Popcorn played pretty decent 9 ball back in the day and busted Mataya before he had a chance.

It was Johnston City when I first saw Mataya. It was the first day of the 14-1 tourney. Mataya drove into Johnston City, walked right into the pit and ran 125 and out against some young dude that never got to shoot, bahaha!

It was the fastest 125 and out I’ve ever seen! Well done Mataya!

He was a top tier niner and 14-1 player back in the day, well built and handsome dude pretty well dressed. He wasn’t a feared one holer back in the day that I know of but other pocket billiard games he was formidable!

He made a corny video video back in the seventies about how to hustle pool bahaha, like I said it was corny!

He knew me and I knew him and that’s it, don’t know what his personality was like or whether he was a good guy or what, could use a little input here.

Incardona or Tall Jeff could probably add something here being they are a lot older than me bahahaha, just kidding oh wise ones!

 

[lll]

keith
great to have you posting again
your stories of the past are very enjoyable
be well
larry

 

[gulfportdoc]

DiLiberto speaks highly of Mataya in his book, Road Player. Yet every time I've heard JM he seemed pretty insufferable. Anyone else run into him?

 

[beatle]

-0poi

 

[wincardona]

It was 1970, I was living at Popcorn’s place in Elmonte California and he told me he had busted Mataya a few years back playing even nine ball for 300 at 30 a game.

Mataya was pretty young when Popcorn beat him, probably 19 or 20. Also Popcorn played pretty decent 9 ball back in the day and busted Mataya before he had a chance.

It was Johnston City when I first saw Mataya. It was the first day of the 14-1 tourney. Mataya drove into Johnston City, walked right into the pit and ran 125 and out against some young dude that never got to shoot, bahaha!

It was the fastest 125 and out I’ve ever seen! Well done Mataya!

He was a top tier niner and 14-1 player back in the day, well built and handsome dude pretty well dressed. He wasn’t a feared one holer back in the day that I know of but other pocket billiard games he was formidable!

He made a corny video video back in the seventies about how to hustle pool bahaha, like I said it was corny!

He knew me and I knew him and that’s it, don’t know what his personality was like or whether he was a good guy or what, could use a little input here.

Incardona or Tall Jeff could probably add something here being they are a lot older than me bahahaha, just kidding oh wise ones!

Malaya was a top ten player in both 9ball and straight pool in the late 70's through the 80's. His arrogance was mostly just a show of showmanship he was basically a good guy with an attitude. We were and still are close friends whom I respect as a player and a person. Even though I was a better 9ball player than him and a older person when we lived with one another in Vegas he got the Master Bedroom. Pretty Boy Floyd.. lol.

Dr. Bill

 

[jrhendy]

I played Jimmy in a 9 ball tournament in Reno in the 90’s. He was more worried about a 5k bet he had on a basketball game than me. I got out to a big lead before he started concentrating on the game, and I won. I don’t think I would have much of a chance if he was paying attention the whole set. He was past his prime a bit, but still a very good player.

 

[gulfportdoc]

I played Jimmy in a 9 ball tournament in Reno in the 90’s. He was more worried about a 5k bet he had on a basketball game than me. I got out to a big lead before he started concentrating on the game, and I won. I don’t think I would have much of a chance if he was paying attention the whole set. He was past his prime a bit, but still a very good player.

I used to love going over there for the tourneys at the Sands-- one in Winter, one in Summer. I still played well enough 9ball that I cashed once in awhile. But then, as now, the top 2 tier players were too tough for Doc. It was a long drive from the Eureka area, but I had a ball every time I attended. When I started playing more cards than pool, once in awhile they'd have a pretty good regional championship over at the Hilton running parallel to the pool tournaments at the Sands, so a guy could participate in both.

 

[Dennis "Whitey" Young]

I was on the front table at the Palace playing Ernesto in about '69 or '70, and in came Mataya and a slew of other players, and Mataya loudly says; "who is he", I just looked up at him, with no reply.
We were all very young, like 18 -19, and Ernesto younger at 17. But, I had only been playing a year or so at that time. Whereas Ernesto and Mataya were already like playing championship pool.
I could not hang with Ernesto, so I said I had enough, so he said I'll play you left handed, so I said ok lets go, but, he is as good left handed as he is right handed. I ran into him in the green room in Las Vegas in like 2008 where he was sweating his son's match. It was good to talk to him once again after all those years. He is a very nice guy.

But, Mataya I believe taught Ewa Mataya much of what she knows. In watching a World Championship Trick Shot on tv. Ewa, who is a world champion trick shot artist, while commentated pointed out; "while that the trick shot was beautiful, but I want our viewer to know that in a real game of pool it is illegal to shoot into more than one ball frozen to the cue ball". So I feel a connection to Mataya for I am a rule writer, and this rule that I knew of was now verified on national tv. Dr. Bill concurs with this rule.

I am glad to here Popcorn was a highly regarded player, for I played him pay pool on the 6 x 12 @ the Palace in '72-73, I was much better by then, but we played to a near standstill, and Jimmy Reid was watching and he payed me a compliment; " I have not seen shooting like this in a long time". I was stoning in long shots time and time again when either frozen to the rail or frozen over a ball. That compliment still means a lot for me, these days.

Thanks Keith for the thread, it brought back some memories, although I did not know Mataya. I wish I would of hung out with Ernesto and Mataya some while there were around. Never seen Ernesto back in the Palace after that.
Whitey

 

[Ratamon]

I was on the front table at the Palace playing Ernesto in about '69 or '70, and in came Mataya and a slew of other players, and Mataya loudly says; "who is he", I just looked up at him, with no reply.
We were all very young, like 18 -19, and Ernesto younger at 17. But, I had only been playing a year or so at that time. Whereas Ernesto and Mataya were already like playing championship pool.
I could not hang with Ernesto, so I said I had enough, so he said I'll play you left handed, so I said ok lets go, but, he is as good left handed as he is right handed. I ran into him in the green room in Las Vegas in like 2008 where he was sweating his son's match. It was good to talk to him once again after all those years. He is a very nice guy.

But, Mataya I believe taught Ewa Mataya much of what she knows. In watching a World Championship Trick Shot on tv. Ewa, who is a world champion trick shot artist, while commentated pointed out; "while that the trick shot was beautiful, but I want our viewer to know that in a real game of pool it is illegal to shoot into more than one ball frozen to the cue ball". So I feel a connection to Mataya for I am a rule writer, and this rule that I knew of was now verified on national tv. Dr. Bill concurs with this rule.

I am glad to here Popcorn was a highly regarded player, for I played him pay pool on the 6 x 12 @ the Palace in '72-73, I was much better by then, but we played to a near standstill, and Jimmy Reid was watching and he payed me a compliment; " I have not seen shooting like this in a long time". I was stoning in long shots time and time again when either frozen to the rail or frozen over a ball. That compliment still means a lot for me, these days.

Thanks Keith for the thread, it brought back some memories, although I did not know Mataya. I wish I would of hung out with Ernesto and Mataya some while there were around. Never seen Ernesto back in the Palace after that.
Whitey

Nice stories all. Keep’em coming!

Popcorn is Johnny Miller, right?

Ernesto was born in 1955 so this might have taken place a couple of years later