On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Muhammad Ali (at the time a rising contender named Cassius Clay), however, predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. He also cited medical evidence: "A team of eight doctors inspected Liston's arm at St. Francis Hospital in Miami Beach and agreed that it was too badly damaged for Liston to continue fighting. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. Liston's last fight was a 10-round beating he delivered to Chuck Wepner in June 1970. Sit down!' [22], Early in his career, Liston faced capable opponents. Walcott never did pick up the count. "[82] Johnny Tocco, a trainer who worked with George Foreman and Mike Tyson as well as Liston, said Liston was the hardest hitter of the three. Many in attendance did not see Ali deliver the punch. Pan, 2017. Listons body was discovered by his wife who was returning home from a two-week trip. In the main bedroom, Geraldine discovered the body of her husband, former heavyweight champion Charles "Sonny" Liston. Several reports say Liston had fresh needle marks on his arms when he died. 2023 Barstool Sports. Although Liston was widely regarded as unbeatable, he lost the title in 1964 to Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), who entered as a 71 underdog. Name: Sonny Liston Birth Name: Charles L. Liston Hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA Birthplace: Johnson Township, Arkansas, USA Died: 1970-12-30 (Age:40) Stance: Orthodox Height: 185cm Reach: 213cm Referee: Record Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record Managers: Jack Nilon, Joe (Pep) Barone, Eddie Polino, George Katz, Frank Mitchell, Dick Sadler He won by a seventh-round technical knockout, and seemed on the verge of making a comeback to the big time. Many in the small crowd had not even settled in their seats when the fight was stopped. Liston. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. Patterson was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston rivalry Before Cassius Clay took on the name Muhammad Ali, he was a young and brash fighter who worked his way up the ranks. Advertising InquiriesTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyContent PolicyMessaging Terms, AppAdvertising InquiriesTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyContent PolicyCookie PolicyBest Sports Betting SiteMessaging TermsSubscription Terms. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. It's been 43 years since Sonny passed. Underworld connections and his unrecorded dates of birth and death added to the enigma. "[18] The only backers willing to put up the necessary money for him to turn professional were close to underworld figures, and Liston supplemented his income by working for racketeers as an intimidator-enforcer. Boulder, CO 80309-0249. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. As the years passed and Liston's financial situation worsened, he got angry and told the mob he'd go public with the story unless they gave him the money. He was 6ft 1in (1.85m), and had an exceptionally powerful physique, with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches (2.13m). "Get up and fight, sucker," is the famous quote. "The public is not with me. His death was, too. [12], Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed three meals every day. And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. In The Greatest, the 1977 film about the life of boxer Muhammad Ali in which Ali played himself, Liston was portrayed by Roger E. Mosley. Geraldine remembered her husband as "Great with me, great with the kids. [50] Both fights were filled with controversy that is probably enough for another blog, but this iconic picture from their fight was the one I referred to above. [29] Machen's taunting and his spoiling tactics of dodging and grapplingat one point almost heaving Liston over the ropesso alienated the audience that Liston received unaccustomed support from the crowd. In that same book Liston was quoted two years after the fight: "Ali knocked me down with a sharp punch. In the third round, Marshall nailed Listonreportedly while he was laughingand broke his jaw. And yet, outside of boxing, L 5.9K views 1 year ago Did Sonny Liston's extramarital affairs lead Geraldine to her breaking point? ", Chuck Wepner on Liston's intimidating appearance. Join Facebook to connect with Daniel 'Sonny' Liston and others you may know. Who needed that? Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. The connections to organized crime were an advantage early in his career but were later used against him. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Authorities theorized that he was undressing for bed when he fell over backward with such force that he broke the rail of the bench. In 1950, Sonny Liston was arrested six times for muggings, one . In 1950, Liston was arrested at his apartment at 1006 O'Fallon Street for robbing the Unique Cafe on 1502 Market Street in St. Louis for 37 dollars. Sonny Liston FBI Files. "Nat Fleischer [editor of The Ring] was sitting beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." "That really broke Sonny's heart," said Simon George, who wrote and directed Showtime's "Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston." [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. Two of the three official scorers, or judges, awarded the round to Liston, and the other scored the round even. and "Nobody will believe this!"[63]. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. He also took his gun. The fight quickly descended into chaos. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. Mike DeJohn was the highest paid boxer at $15,000 while James Dickey received $20,000. ", Still, some found it hard to believe that the punch could have floored a man like Liston. Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. It was 55 years ago that the world's attention focused on Lewiston, Maine, for a world heavyweight boxing title fight. The ending of the fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c. 1930 - c. December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. BOXING legend Sonny Liston was murdered by the MAFIA in a death staged to look like an overdose, a new documentary has claimed. [21], Liston made his professional debut on September 2, 1953, knocking out Don Smith in the first round in St. Louis, where he fought his first five bouts. World light-heavyweight champion Jos Torres said, "It was a perfect punch." [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. Because of the shirt he wore during robberies, the St. Louis police called Liston the "Yellow Shirt Bandit." [51], Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by technical knockout. Midway through the first round, Liston threw a left jab and Ali went over it with a fast right, knocking the former champion down. Overcoming the seemingly insurmountable odds that life threw his way, Liston became the heavyweight champion of the world when he knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c.1930 December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. [89], Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose. Twenty-two-year-old Clay achieved. Meaning Sonny was number 24 out of 25 kids. Ali did neither. He also went with a new manager in 1958: Joseph "Pep" Barone, who was a front man for mobsters Frankie Carbo and Frank "Blinky" Palermo. Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston. Also, scar tissue, possibly from needle marks, was found in the bend of Liston's left elbow. In the 2020 film One Night in Miami, Liston is played by Aaron D. Alexander. [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. He was still a world-ranked boxer when he died in mysterious circumstances in 1970. There is no official record of his date of birth but a writer claimed that he was born on July 22, 1930. [94], On January 1, Liston's wife, Geraldine, called Johnny Tocco and said she had not heard from her husband in three days and was worried. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. [88] On returning home from a two-week trip, Geraldine had smelled a foul odor emanating from the main bedroom and on entering saw him slumped up against the bed, a broken foot bench on the floor. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. Tocco left the house before the police did. After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. Although the opening round saw Clay largely on the defensive, it was soon established that Clay could reverse roles quickly and take to the offensive with a remarkably fast series of combinations delivered to Liston's head. Which means he owned one of the biggest reach in boxing, while "only" being 6'1 tall (which is about 73 inches). Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. Only a rising contender at the time named Cassius Clay predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. "[75], Future world heavyweight champion George Foreman, who sparred with Liston after Foreman's amateur career, assessed Liston's jab as the most formidable he faced and Liston as the strongest man he encountered in the ring, describing Liston as having the most natural talent and skill. Death April 29, 2016 - Carrhubane Beg, Limerick, Ireland. Other than that, little is definite about his birth, but he seems to have been born in a shack on the cotton plantation where his parents worked, a little outside Forrest City, in Arkansas, which did . Liston was knocked down in the first round, but came back to control the next two rounds and had Griffin hanging on at the end. "[18], After Liston was released from prison on October 31, 1952, he had a brief amateur career that spanned less than a year. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. Sonny Liston ( The Big Bear) was an American professional boxer. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. $2,499.99. The grave's headstone reads Sonny Liston: A Man. 249 UCB. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. I wasn't hit. Rogin called Liston's physique "awesomearms like fence posts, thighs like silos." From the opening bell Liston attempted to close with Clay, looking to land a hard punch to the head to end the fight quickly and decisively. Fifty years later, the mystery still remains. Sports Illustrated once wrote his hands"looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists. 1 contender by 1960, but the handlers of the heavyweight champ at the time, Floyd Patterson, refused to give him a shot at the title because of Liston's links to the mob. [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. Father John (Sonny) Liston. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. A grateful Liston found there was no need to give chase. When he tried to muscle in for a bigger share, Conrad thinks his employers got him very drunk, took him home and stuck him with a needle. The following year, Sonnydetermined to reunite with his mother and siblingsthrashed the pecans from his brother-in-law's tree and sold them in Forrest City, Arkansas. So I went down. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. and hit him with hooks and uppercuts when Frazier tried to get in. I know!" For confetti we can use torn-up arrest warrants." A sudden violent combination delivered with 30 seconds left in the round electrified the crowd. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. The inaugural WBC world heavyweight champion cemented himself in. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. JustinvR Brown Belt. Liston's life was marked with numerous arrests, before and after he entered boxing. [27][28], Liston's streak of nine straight knockout victories ended when he won a unanimous twelve-round decision against Eddie Machen on September 7, 1960. And Tex Maule of Sports Illustrated wrote, "The blow had so much force it lifted Liston's left foot, upon which most of his weight was resting, well off the canvas. Liston made his professional boxing debut at the age of 21 on September 2, 1953. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born c.1930 into a sharecropping family that farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St.Francis County, Arkansas. "Johnny wasn't a braggart," Davi told Liston biographer Paul Gallender. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. In five months, Sonny Liston had gone from unknown ex-con to amateur champion. Rogin wrote. O n January 5, 1971, Sonny Liston, the former heavyweight champion of the world, was found dead in his home in Las Vegas. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. [70] There have been a number of unproven theories as to the background to the purported dive including that Liston was threatened by the Muslims, or agreed to lose in return for a share in the more marketable Ali's future purses. "[68], While Liston publicly denied taking a dive, Sports Illustrated writer Mark Kram said that years later Liston told him, "That guy [Ali] was crazy. His baleful, obsidian stare intimidates fighters, sportswriters and. An Associated Press poll had 64 of 102 reporters picking Patterson. Walcott never began a count in the ring because of Ali's non-compliance and his physical struggle with getting Ali to go to that neutral corner. Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." His father, Tobe Liston, was in his mid 40s when he and his wife, Helen Baskin, who was almost 30 years younger than Tobe, moved to Arkansas from Mississippi in 1916. Name: Sonny Liston Birth Year: 1932 Birth date: May 8, 1932 Birth State: Arkansas Birth City: St Francis County Birth Country: United States Gender: Male Best Known For: Sonny Liston was. Controversy followed with claims that Liston had been drinking heavily the night before the fight and had entered the bout with a lame shoulder. Two more arrestsfor disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and another for impersonating a copled to Liston being suspended by the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission on July 14, 1961. The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. Was Pariah boxing legend Sonny Listons OD really a mob murder? ", During an era when white journalists still described black athletes in stereotypes, Liston had long been a target of racially charged slurs; he was called a "gorilla" and "a jungle beast" in print. Shaun Assael. Governor John H. Reed of Maine stepped forward, and within a few hours the promoters had a new site: Lewiston, Maine, a mill town with a population of about 41,000 located 140 miles (230km) north of Boston. (12) 7.3 1 h 29 min 2019 18+. Muhammad Ali Signed 16x20 Sonny Liston Photo Framed MINT Autograph Steiner COA. When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. In 2013 the son of a deceased mafia hitman published a book claiming that his father confessed to murdering Liston via forced drug overdose. Daniel (Dan) Liston is Professor of Education in the Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice (EFPP) program and in the Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) program. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. . I know it", Liston said afterward. Sonny Liston is a remarkable physical specimen, and seldom if ever has a fighter so dominated the sport by sheer muscular mass. Daniel 'Sonny' Liston is on Facebook. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. 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