Floyd Patterson was Ben Mintz's "Minty Lock Of The Week" and Megan Makin' Moneyloved Patterson in a decision. 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. This Day in History: Young Muhammad Ali Knocks out Sonny Liston for First World Title. Although Clay often carried his gloves down at his waist, seemingly open to attack, he proved very difficult to hit. That was in Liston's eight fight, in Detroit, and Marshall went on to capture the 10-round decision. You can listen to it at your leisure, or read about it now. 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. Liston made his professional boxing debut at the age of 21 on September 2, 1953. Top contender Zora Folley was stopped in three rounds. His fists measured 15 inches around, which was the largest of any heavyweight champion. Caputo, one of the investigating police officers, "The whole department knew about it." A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. (, Shaun Assael. Ali called it "the anchor punch." Eight years later, he died but his friends questioned the cause of his death. CU Experts. He had a whiplash, so they took him to the hospital," said boxing trainer Johnny Tocco. On July 28, 1963, Liston joined a group of 500 African Americans in Denver who marched to a post office to mail letters urging the Colorado congressional delegation to pass the Kennedy administration's civil rights package. Sonny Liston FBI Files. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. It was the first time in his career that Liston had been cut. In all, 14 major contenders during his prime refused outright to fight him, the most for any boxer in history. "[94], A bronze copy of a marble statue of Liston sculpted by Alfred Hrdlicka in 1964 was erected in 2008 between Old Castle and Karlsplatz in Stuttgart, Germany. 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. [48] The challenger, his arms held high in surrender, was demanding that the fight be stopped and Dundee, fearing the fight might indeed be halted, gave his charge a one-word order: "Run! Liston angrily responded by questioning whether Dempsey's failure to serve in World War I qualified him to moralize. Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and his infamously intimidating appearance. Dr. Alexander Robbins, chief physician for the Miami Beach Boxing Commission, diagnosed Liston with a torn tendon in his left shoulder. 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. [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. The bout would need to be delayed by six months. [16] Listonaged around 13, according to his later reckoningsremained in Arkansas with his father. Shaun Assael. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. BOXING legend Sonny Liston was murdered by the MAFIA in a death staged to look like an overdose, a new documentary has claimed. I didn't want anything to do with him. I know it", Liston said afterward. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. Mickey Mantle, who could hit a baseball as far as any man, had the forearms of a blacksmith but only average-sized hands. His baleful, obsidian stare intimidates fighters, sportswriters and. It's widely accepted that Liston, a former heavyweight boxing champ, died from an accidental heroin overdose in 1970. 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. [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. I know it", Liston said afterward. 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. The coroner said that there was not a lethal amount of heroin discovered in Listons system during the autopsy, but authorities still attributed his death to an accidental drug overdose even though police on the scene could not locate any drug paraphernalia that Liston presumably would have needed to inject the fatal dose Such as a spoon to cook the heroin, or a tourniquet to wrap around his arm, or maybe a needle that he was fucking terrified of. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. ", Hutchison, Phillip J. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. 780 46K views 8 years ago Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston's son visits his gravesite. He's like Foreman except stronger, more powerful, and slightly smaller. Facebook gives. The inaugural WBC world heavyweight champion cemented himself in. "Get up and fight, sucker," is the famous quote. (2) Professional gambler Lem Banker insists that Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. 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. Liston injured his shoulder early in the 1964. The second round saw Liston continue to pursue Clay. Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. The film starred Ving Rhames as Liston and was produced by Rhames, Hassain Zaidi and Marek Posival. School of Education. Death April 29, 2016 - Carrhubane Beg, Limerick, Ireland. 2023 Barstool Sports. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. 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. [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. The coroner said he died from natural causes. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston, fdd omkring 1930 i Sand Slough i St. Francis County, Arkansas, dd 30 december 1970 i Las Vegas, Nevada, var en amerikansk professionell boxare som var vrldsmstare i tungvikt 1962-1964.. Liston vann titeln i september 1962 genom att besegra Floyd Patterson p knockout i frsta ronden och frlorade den sedan i februari 1964 i en match mot Cassius Clay . While "doing his nickel", the athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary suggested that Liston try boxing The prison organized sparring sessions and Sonny dominated his incarcerated brethren. In these feckless clinches he only managed to tie up one of Liston's arms. The connections to organized crime were an advantage early in his career but were later used against him. "That really broke Sonny's heart," said Simon George, who wrote and directed Showtime's "Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston." Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. 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. Liston had a noticeably more muscular left arm, but fought orthodox Meaning his power hand was out front, so he had this crushing left jab and powerful left hook. . "He would do everything to avoid taking shots." 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. Clay confessed later he had been hurt by the punch, but Liston was unable to press his advantage home. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. 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. Liston was found dead by his wife in their Las Vegas home on Jan. 5, 1971. [73] The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. 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. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. Boston: Little, Brown. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. Clearly, it was time to turn pro. Ali did neither. . I knew that he had a long reach and a very powerful jab, but i never realized he had a 84 inch reach. Childhood & Early Life. When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. Midway through the first round, Liston threw a left jab and Ali went over it with a fast right, knocking the former champion down. Sports Illustrated once wrote his hands"looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists. 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. [87], Liston was found dead by his wife, Geraldine, in their Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. "From Bad Buck to White Hope: Journalism and Sonny Liston, 19581965. Professor Liston's research interests . One of the victories was over Amos Johnson, Liston's former sparring partner, who had recently defeated British champion Henry Cooper. [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. Liston appears as a character in James Ellroy's novel The Cold Six Thousand. 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. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. 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. He inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible in the ring decades later as an adult. In the first fight, in Miami, a 22-year-old Cassius Clay danced around the ring, taunted Liston, promised reporters he'd shock the world, and then delivered on that promise with a blistering late. In the 2015 British crime film Legend, Liston is played by Mark Theodore in a scene where gangster Reggie Kray poses for a picture with the boxer. It burned like hell. Geraldine had been trying to contact Liston for nearly two weeks before travelling . Banker said, "Sheriff [Ralph] Lamb told me, 'Tell your pal Sonny to stay away from the West Side because we're going to bust the drug dealers.'" 9, 1 March 2018, p. 8, New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, "Photographic image of 'Tale of the Tape', "Sonny Liston vs. Floyd Patterson (Tale of the tape)", "From THE RING: The greatest heavyweight of all time", "25 Greatest Fighters of All Time (Heavyweight)", "ESPN Classic - Liston was trouble in and out of ring", "Jacob's Beach by Kevin Mitchell: review", "Hard Times, Good Times: Charles "Sonny" Liston - Boxing.com", "Dismayed D'Amato Is Expecting To Get Back Manager's License", "Esquire covers commemorate boxing's prime", "Cassius Clay-Sonny Liston I: 50 Years Later", "Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay (1st meeting) - BoxRec", "1964 Clay vs. Liston Judges' Scorecards from Miami Beach Bout. | Lot #80073 | Heritage Auctions", "Muhammad Ali's Toughest Fight Wasn't Against Joe Frazier", "Fifty Years Later: The Mystery of Muhammad Ali's 'Phantom Punch', "I WAS THERE: George Chuvalo Watches Sonny Liston Take a Dive - YouTube", "Fifty Years Later: The Mystery of Muhammad Ali's 'Phantom Punch' | Boxing News", "Daytona Beach Morning Journal - Google News Archive Search", "Sonny Liston the most talented Heavyweight in history", "George Foreman Discusses Friendship With Sonny Liston", "Sonny Liston: Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy Boxing News", "LOTIERZO'S LOWDOWN Sonny Liston: The Most Underrated Heavyweight Champ In History", "The Most Feared Fighter in Boxing History: Charles 'Sonny' Liston remembered", "Liston KO'd Popular Patterson for Title", "O Unlucky Man: Fortune never smiled on Sonny Liston", "Sonny Liston Meets the Press - Boxing.com", "Like Fights Against Ali, Liston Death a Mystery", "December 30, 1970: Mysterious Death of Sonny Liston", "19 YEARS LATER: Liston Death Remains Mystery to His Friends". 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 . Arthur Daley of the New York Times wrote that Liston's handlers knew he "didn't have it anymore,"[65] and allegedly they had secretly paid sparring partner Amos Lincoln an extra $100 to take it easy on him -[citation needed] - the same man, incidentally, that Liston dismissed in less than two rounds a full three years later. And (4) Liston was supposed to take a dive when he fought Chuck Wepner 6 months earlier, and killing him was payback for his failure to do so. Listons body was discovered by his wife who was returning home from a two-week trip. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. Former champions Jim Braddock (Cinderella Man), Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano, and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating: "Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. [31] While Liston began working into shape with hopes for a heavyweight title shot, he also continued his criminal behavior. In 2013 the son of a deceased mafia hitman published a book claiming that his father confessed to murdering Liston via forced drug overdose. I forgot about the rules." [66], Former champions Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson and Gene Tunney, as well as contender George Chuvalo all declared they considered the fight to be a fake. His family's home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965. After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. [37] Frustrated, Liston changed his management in 1961 and applied pressure through the media by remarking that Patterson, who had faced mostly white challengers since becoming champion, was drawing the color line against his own race. He had been deliberately snubbed. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. In The Devil and Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches, published in 2000, when many of Liston's former acquaintances were still alive, Tosches posits that Liston's idol Joe Louis introduced him to heroin, and that he ultimately overdosed. In 2013 the son of a deceased mafia hitman published a book claiming that his father confessed to murdering Liston via forced drug overdose. Cassius Clay was just 22-years-old when he beat the world champion in a seven round TKO. 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