"There is power in both his left and his right, even though the fists move with the languor of motoring royalty or as if passing through a gaseous envelope more dense than air." [19], On June 23, 1953, a team consisting of ten recent St. Louis Golden Gloves champions of all weight classes, with Liston on top as the heavyweight, was gathered to represent the United States in an International Golden Gloves (USA vs. West Europe) competition at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. "[35] However, in 1963 in the aftermath of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Liston broke off a European boxing exhibition tour to return home and was quoted as saying he was "ashamed to be in America. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. Liston's noticeably more muscular left arm, crushing left jab and powerful left hook lent credence to the widely held belief that he was left-handed, although he fought in an orthodox stance. Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. ", confirmed most people's belief that Liston had taken a dive. Sheed says that the punch and the knockdown "may have been genuine, but when referee Joe Walcott blew the count and gave him all evening to get up, Liston's rendition of a coma wouldn't have fooled a possum. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. [16] Listonaged around 13, according to his later reckoningsremained in Arkansas with his father. In "Song for Sonny Liston," Knopfler's voice is backed by electric guitar, a bass and drums as he tells the story of a sharecropper's son who went from prison to the championship to an early. His wife said he was a kind & gentle hearted person who cared deeply for children & that no one ever saw that side of him except those closest to him, I believe theres a documentary somewhere on YouTube Id recommend watching it. He is seen in the far left part of the row, wearing a white and gold robe, standing beside the original-look Beatle wax figures. I'm Sonny Liston, I'm Jack Dempsey, there's no one like I'm from their . Tocco left the house before the police did. Both fights were in Summerlin's hometown of Detroit.[23]. The organization was seen as an extremist anti-white people hate group and opponents of desegregation and Martin Luther King Jr. Clays propensity for self-promotion and controversy seemed to fit in with the groups inflammatory rhetoric. He died circa December 30,. (. There's never been anybody as ruthless. He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." Patterson, a 4-1 betting underdog, was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was a gentle man. Liston retired in his corner due to an inflamed shoulder. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. I was down but not hurt, but I looked up and saw Ali standing over me. He could probably drive his thumb through your skull like Michael Myers, It's crazy to think about the fact that Sonny Liston was an actual gangster running with gangs.. and then he looks so soft spoken in the interview. America's first look at Liston since the Ali rematch was when he fought fifthranked Henry Clark in a nationally broadcast bout in July 1968. Boxings brightest young star was again squaring off against a renowned bruiser in a rematch of their thrilling and controversial heavyweight championship fight one year prior, a fight that was followed by 14 months of international intrigue and the combustible politics of the 1960s. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." [30] Before his bout with Liston, Muhammad Ali consulted Machen and was advised that the key to survival was to make Liston lose his temper. 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. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. For Sonny Liston, a Ballad to a Heavyweight, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/13/sports/othersports/for-sonny-liston-a-ballad-to-a-heavyweight.html. I'm the best ever. And the Muslims were coming up. Tale of the tape: Fight poster for Sonny Liston v Cassius Clay in 1964. . Liston kept running into trouble with the law and Ali had a target on his back after the assassination of Malcolm X, whom he had disavowed after Elijah Muhammad forced him out of the Nation of Islam. [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. [91] Coroner Mark Herman said traces of heroin byproducts were found in Liston's system, but not in amounts large enough to have caused his death. Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. "[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. According to a report in the Miami Herald a few weeks before the 1964 fight, Clay was consorting with members of the Nation of Islam, who Clays father claimed had brainwashed his son. ", One of the most vivid verses creates a word-picture of Liston in his prime with photographic clarity: "Black Cadillac, alligator boots, money in the pockets of his sharkskin suits." He said that Liston was not quick with his hand or footwork, that he relied too much on his ability to take a punch, and that he could be vulnerable to an opponent with more hand speed. Alois Stevens, suggested to Liston that he try boxing, and his obvious aptitude, along with an endorsement from Stevens, who was also a priest, aided Liston in getting an early parole. It was 1965, not 1955. The commotion was not lost on referee Barney Felix, who was walking toward Clay's corner. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. Because of that, Cage may have thought Sonny was an informant and shot him with a hot dose as retribution. Liston decked Martin with a left hook in the fourth round and dominated most of the fight, but Martin came back and knocked Liston out cold in the ninth round. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. The interference of ringside reporters regarding interpretation of the rules, the fight stoppage and the controversy after the fight had not been seen since The Long Count Fight between champion Gene Tunney and challenger Jack Dempsey in 1927. [100] A successful racehorse which won the Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. kos k.o.s ko.s knockouts fight of the year joe louis lewis primo carnera buddy max baer tony galento lamon brewster monte barrett barret amir khan oleg maskaev nicolai valuev nikolai joe calzaghe sergej sergey liakhovich liakovich shannon briggs evander holyfield zultan ibragimov sultan meldrick taylor pauli ayala paul spadafora prince prinze naseem hamed naz johnny tapia john ruiz wilfredo gomez wilfried benitez george foreman big ron lyle earnie shavers joe frazier ken norton angelo dundee eddie futch riddick bowe Henry Akinwande Muhammad Ali Max Baer Michael Bentt Riddick Bowe James J. Braddock Shannon Briggs Tommy Burns Primo Carnera Ruslan Chagaev Ezzard Charles Gerrie Coetzee James J. Corbett Francesco Damiani Jack Dempsey Michael Dokes Jimmy Ellis Bob Fitzsimmons Joe Frazier Marvin Hart Herbie Hide Evander Holyfield James J. Jeffries Ingemar Johansson Jack Johnson Vitali Klitschko Sonny Liston Joe Louis Rocky Marciano Ray Mercer Tommy Morrison Greg Page Floyd Patterson John Ruiz Max Schmeling Bruce Seldon Jack Sharkey James Smith John L. Sullivan John Tate Ernie Terrell Tony Tubbs Nikolay Valuev Jersey Joe Walcott Mike Weaver Jess Willard Tim Witherspoon Muhammad Ali Lou Ambers Sammy Angott Fred Apostoli Ray Arcel Alexis Argello Baby Arizmendi Henry Armstrong Abe Attell Max Baer Caleb Baldwin Carmen Basilio Wilfred Bentez Nino Benvenuti Jack Kid Berg Jimmy Bivins Umberto Branchini Joe Brown Panama Al Brown Ken Buchanan Charley Burley Orlando Canizales Miguel Canto Tony Canzoneri Michael Carbajal Jem Carney Jimmy Carter Marcel Cerdan Antonio Cervantes Bobby Chacon Arthur Chambers Ezzard Charles Kid Chocolate Joe Choynski Stanley Christodoulou Billy Conn Eugne Criqui Jos Cuevas Jack Dempsey Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey Jack Dillon Professor Mike Donovan Paddy Duffy Don Dunphy Roberto Durn Lou Duva Billy Edwards Gabriel Elorde Jeff Fenech Bob Fitzsimmons George Foreman Bob Foster Joe Frazier Gene Fullmer Khaosai Galaxy Vctor Galndez Joe Gans Kid Gaviln Joey Giardello Mike Gibbons Wilfredo Gmez Humberto Mike Tyson r/boxing does not tolerate racism or intolerance of any kind. 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. "At about noon on the day of the fight, (Magids) reached Resnick again by phone," the memo read. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. THE PREFIGHT MOODS OF SONNY LISTON. "The public is not with me. Ali did neither. Asked by a young white reporter why he was not fighting for freedom in the South, Liston deadpanned, "I ain't got no dog-proof ass. [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. A dominant contender of his era, he became the world heavyweight champion in 1962 after knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, repeating the knockout the following year in defense of the title; in the latter fight he also became the inaugural WBC heavyweight champion. Night Train is like $11 on Amazon, peep that if you want to get more of the story, i don't like how max was squeezing sonny's bicep. knockout kimbo slice evander holyfield nogueira wladimir vitali klitschko haye mma brutal bareknuckle headbutt lowblow foul dirty boxer funny bob sapp david cesar chavez joe frazier rocky marciano larry holmes felix trinidad jackson new tribute video highlight dirtiest best brock lesnar julio cesar ricky hatton randy couture israel vasquez juan manuel marquez antonio margarito felix tito trinidad antonio rodrigo minotauro marco antonio barrera john ruiz freddie roach hector camacho pernell whitaker willie pep sugar ray robinson shane mosley antonio tarver roy jones joe cortez lennox lewis david haye haymaker wladimir vitali vladimir klitschko klitchko prediction prefight postfight press conferencetex cobb gerry cooney jerry pierre coetzer floyd roger mayweather arturo gatti rocky graziano graciano tony zale dariusz michalczewski rocky rocchigiani henry maske james toney vassily jirov vasily unbelievable knockout ko k.o. He had a whiplash, so they took him to the hospital," said boxing trainer Johnny Tocco. Watch the interview you be the judge.. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. That saw him drive a big red bus to Liston's home that read, "Sonny Liston is a great but will fall in eight" along with the words "World's most colorful fighter Cassius Clay.". Tocco said that the living room furniture was in disarray, but the house did not yet smell of death. His wife said he was a kind & gentle hearted person who cared deeply for children & that no one ever saw that side of him except those closest to him I believe there's a documentary somewhere on YouTube I'd recommend watching it MatterUpbeat8803 19 days ago 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. More on that in a second. "[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. "He was scared of the police. Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. In the 2001 film Ali, Liston was portrayed by former WBO Heavyweight Champion Michael Bentt. He offered no comment on the matter, but his victory would soon turn it into an international story. The match had more storylines than a soap opera. ", 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. Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. Liston was overwhelmed by an abusive father, confrontations with the law, underworld managers and a change in African-American culture represented by Ali, Knopfler said. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. He found a quarter-ounce of heroin in a balloon in the kitchen, and a half-ounce of marijuana in Liston's pants pocket, but no syringes or needles. "[78] While much has been written about the effectiveness of his left jab, others have commented favorably on Liston's wide range of boxing skills. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. Controversy followed with claims that Liston had been drinking heavily the night before the fight and had entered the bout with a lame shoulder. [76][77] Foreman stated: "There wasn't anything missing from Sonny Liston. The Devil and Sonny Liston. A stoic Liston finished the fight, but lost in an eight-round split decision. It is hardly the first recording by a rock musician about boxing. Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. My man. Sonny Liston was a bad, bad guy who was also a victim, and I dont know that anyone can point to when a victim becomes a perpetrator and how much sympathy he deserves, but I also think any holistic take is fair this far in history. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. Interview Date: March 13, 1989 Camera Rolls: 2104-2105 Sound Rolls: 248 Editorial Notes: Interview with , conducted by Blackside, Inc. on March 13, 1989, for . Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. Good lord, Sonny's mitts are massive. On September 7, 1954, Liston suffered defeat for the first time in his eighth professional fight, losing to Marty Marshall, a journeyman with an awkward style. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. He also took his gun. The FBI was on the hunt for evidence for match-fixing, given Listons mob ties mobsters still owned much of his fight promotion contract and the sports shady business model. [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. Please read the rules before posting/commenting. "Sonnyboyliston | Race Record & Form | Racing Post", "Moonfire (1972), a film by Michael Parkhurst -Theiapolis", NYSAC World Heavyweight Champion - BoxRec, Lyrics to a song about Liston by Mark Knopfler, FBI Records: The Vault - Charles Sonny Liston, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Liston&oldid=1137950795, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Hackman, Timothy. Rogin wrote. I know it", Liston said afterward. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. When Machen clinched in . The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. The torn tendon had bled down into the mass of the biceps, swelling and numbing the arm. (4) Liston was supposed to take a dive when he fought Chuck Wepner six months earlier, and killing him was payback for his failure to do so. The second fight? While true he also sent women to the hospital, which his sparring partner confirms. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [79][80][81] These include Muhammad Ali, who stated in a 1975 interview that he was a great admirer of Liston's talents: "Liston had a tremendous jab, could punch with either hand, was smart in the ring and as strong as any heavyweight Ive ever seen. ", Liston appeared on the December 1963 cover of Esquire magazine (cover photograph by Carl Fischer) "the last man on earth America wanted to see coming down its chimney".[106]. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. [47] Sitting on his stool between rounds, however, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on his cut. As the years passed and Liston's financial situation worsened, he got angry and told the mob he would go public with the story unless they gave him the money. The Ring magazine ranks Liston as the tenth greatest heavyweight of all time,[4] while boxing writer Herb Goldman ranked him second and Richard O'Brien, Senior Editor of Sports Illustrated, placed him third. [51], Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by technical knockout. 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. McDonough, however, claimed Walcott was looking at the crowd and never at him. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. The year 1959 was a banner one for Liston: after knocking out contender Mike DeJohn in six rounds he faced Cleveland Williams, a fast-handed fighter who was billed as the hardest-hitting heavyweight in the world against whom he showed durability, power and skill, nullifying Williams' best work before stopping him in the third round. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. He returned with four consecutive knockout victories in Sweden between July 1966 and April 1967, all four co-promoted by former world heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson. Liston did eventually rise from the mat, but soon after, the referee broke up the two boxers once again the former champion had been down for more than 10 seconds, ending the fight. Sad how they portrayed sonny in such a negative light he seems like a genuinely kind person. Liston knocked out Hermann Schreibauer of West Germany at 2:16 of the first round. Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Midwest Gymnasium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Pittsburgh Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. New Masonic Temple, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Sources vary on his reach, with some listing it as 80in, Reputations: Sonny Liston: The Champion Nobody Wanted (2001), 50 min, BBC Documentary, Mailer: A Biography By Mary V. Dearborn, page 186.
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