Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. Paul R Gallender, 2012. 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. His death is still a mystery, but Mike Tyson puts flowers on his grave every year at Paradise Memorial Gardensin Las Vegas. Heavyweight champion Charles "Sonny" Liston, winner of 35 of his 36 professional bouts and one of the most intimidating athletes in any sport, was facing a lightly regarded 22-year-old from. "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. Ali is waiting to hit me, the ref can't control him. [101], Liston played a fist fighter in the 1965 film Harlow, made a cameo appearance in the 1968 film Head, which starred The Monkees, and played the part of The Farmer in the 1970 film Moonfire, which starred Richard Egan and Charles Napier. 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. After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. Also in 1970, Liston appeared on an episode of the TV series Love, American Style and in a television commercial for Braniff Airlines with Andy Warhol.[12][102]. You've probably seen it a thousand times, but you may not have known who the poor bastard on the ground was until now. 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.'" University of Colorado Boulder. ", Chuck Wepner on Liston's intimidating appearance. It's been 43 years since Sonny passed. ", ("You know what they say about big fists, sweetheart?"). 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. Walcott then rushed back to the fighters, who had resumed boxing, and stopped the fightawarding Ali a first-round knockout victory. His fists measured 15 inches (38cm) around, the largest of any heavyweight champion. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. That got him killed. 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. Banker said he was told by police that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a drug raid. [citation needed], Rogin wrote that Patterson backers expected him to "go inside on Liston, fire away and then run like a thief in the night. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Daniel 'Sonny' Liston and others you may know. He particularly resented a 1961 arrest by a black patrolman for loitering, claiming to have merely been signing autographs and chatting with fans outside a drugstore. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. "He said: 'Look what they did!' Many in the small crowd had not even settled in their seats when the fight was stopped. [39] Leading up to the fight, Liston was an 85 betting favorite, although many picked Patterson to win. He also took his gun. He was 6ft 1in (1.85m), and had an exceptionally powerful physique, with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches (2.13m). Sonny Liston's story began with a lonely bus ride in 1944. To this day, I'm convinced that's what the coroner saw in his examthat hospital needle mark. "[54] Hall of Fame matchmaker Teddy Brenner also disputed the shoulder injury, claiming he saw Liston use the same arm to throw a chair in his dressing room after the match. I know it", Liston said afterward. The Devil And Sonny Liston. "[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. [86] Former light-heavyweight champion Jose Torres said, "I have never met an athlete in baseball, basketball or football who is smarter, more intelligent than Sonny Liston". There are no official records of his birth His home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965, but people believe he was born sometime around 1930-1932. 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. Overall, Liston earned around $500,000 during his career. Mother Bridget Sheehan. [50] Or it would be history, if boxing "historians" would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. Because of the shirt he wore during robberies, the St. Louis police called Liston the "Yellow Shirt Bandit." "Yes, it was good and honest". Charles 'Sonny' Liston was one of the most feared and even hated men in the US His talent for boxing was discovered while he was in prison for armed robbery Once out, he turned pro but his. [58] Despite Liston carrying an injury and being undertrained, Clay stated in 1975 that the first fight with Liston was the toughest of his career. [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. 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. What the . Born in Forrest City, Arkansas, sometime in the late 1920s and early. It burned like hell. His family's home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter." Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. Patterson defended against Liston in Comiskey Park, Chicago, on September 25, 1962, and the rest is history. Even Sonny's mother, who was called Big Hela, didn't know, though she believed him to be born during the month of January. All rights reserved. Mike DeJohn was the highest paid boxer at $15,000 while James Dickey received $20,000. Death April 29, 2016 - Carrhubane Beg, Limerick, Ireland. But others contend he just was not the same Liston. In his next fight, he had a rematch with Summerlin and again won an eight-round decision. [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. "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. [32] Ironically, Patterson's manager, Cus D'Amato, associated with racketeers and had his manager's license revoked by the New York State Athletic Commission for alleged misconduct in connection with the Floyd PattersonIngemar Johansson title fight in June 1959. Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating: "Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. In 1950, Sonny Liston was arrested six times for muggings, one . "The public is not with me. And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. Boxer Sonny Liston ducks and covers up as Cassius Clay aims a right at him during their title fight. Banker later learned that the police told Liston the same thing to his face. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. You could feel the deflation, see the look of hurt in his eyes. "But can he hit!" "[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. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. [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. The victim sought out the executioner." Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. There are a ton of other dubious deaths and (hopefully) little-known facts about Vegas in this week's episode. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. Liston stacked up the wins and became the No. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." Sonny Liston FBI Files. dan.liston@colorado.edu. This Day in History: Young Muhammad Ali Knocks out Sonny Liston for First World Title. 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. [42], Liston's run-ins with the police had continued in Philadelphia. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter.". Many did not see the punch land, and some who did questioned that it was powerful enough to knock Liston out. In five months, Sonny Liston had gone from unknown ex-con to amateur champion. The two American fighters met again 15 months later, Ali winning . 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. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and went 15 rounds with Ali before being knocked out (that fight was Stallones inspiration for Rocky), said after his career was over that Liston was by far the hardest puncher he faced. [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. [10][11] It has been suggested Liston himself may not have known what year he was born, as he was not precise on the matter. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. Geraldine had been trying to contact Liston for nearly two weeks before travelling . Listons body was discovered by his wife who was returning home from a two-week trip. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose And the ref needed a new shirt. 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. "[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. He's like Foreman except stronger, more powerful, and slightly smaller. Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. Sit down!' He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." Which means he owned one of the biggest reach in boxing, while "only" being 6'1 tall (which is about 73 inches). Felix later said Clay was seconds from being disqualified. Others have said he may have been murdered in some sort of mob killing. The NAACP had urged Patterson not to fight Liston, fearing that a Liston victory would hurt the civil rights movement. The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. He claimed the officer used racial slurs. 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. A stoic Liston finished the fight, but lost in an eight-round split decision. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). [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! "[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. [89], Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose. After he won the title, Liston relocated to Denver permanently, saying, "I'd rather be a lamppost in Denver than the mayor of Philadelphia. Cassius Clay is embraced by his handlers after he won the world heavyweight championship on a TKO over Sonny Liston in the 7th round. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. Because of that, Cage may have thought Sonny was an informant and shot him with a hot dose as retribution. It was the third-fastest knockout in a world heavyweight title fight, and the first time the defending champion had been knocked out in round one. (2) Professional gambler Lem Banker insists that Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. I know!" He was a heavyweight world champion. [38], Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago. Liston believed his date of birth to be May 8, 1932, and used this for official purposes[11] but by the time he won the world title an aged appearance added credence to rumors that he was actually several years older. 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. Boston: Little, Brown. 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. Machen's mobility enabled him to go the distance but he was clearly outpointed despite Liston being penalised for a low blow in the 11th round. ", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:36. Liston appears as a character in James Ellroy's novel The Cold Six Thousand. "[95], Sgt. Former champions Jim Braddock (Cinderella Man), Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano, and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. In this excerpt from his new book, The Murder of Sonny Liston, ESPN senior writer Shaun Assael recounts the final hectic days of Liston's life, and the controversial police investigation into his death . Maule, Tex (March 9, 1964). "[57] Those findings were confirmed in a formal investigation immediately after the fight by Florida State Attorney Richard Gerstein, who also noted that there was little doubt that Liston went into the fight with a sore or lame shoulder. Biographer Wilfrid Sheed wrote in his book, Muhammad Ali: A Portrait in Words and Photographs, that Clay's protests were heard by ringside members of the Nation of Islam who initially suspected Dundee had blinded his fighter, and that the trainer deliberately wiped his own eyes with the corner sponge to demonstrate to Clay's approaching bodyguards that he had not intentionally blinded him. Last thing I will say about a heavyweight champ who was an ex-con and a leg-breaker for the mob He was deathly afraid of needles. This victory is regarded by some as Liston's most impressive performance. Born to a large and impoverished sharecropping family, Charles 'Sonny' Liston probably came into the world four years before his official 1932 birthdate, and his struggle to fashion a real identity would remain with him his whole life. "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. Curriculum Vitae. Dr. Alexander Robbins, chief physician for the Miami Beach Boxing Commission, diagnosed Liston with a torn tendon in his left shoulder. We cooked up that shoulder thing on the spot. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. On April 21, 1955, he defeated Marshall in a rematch, dropping him four times en route to a sixth-round knockout. Inter-Continental said local veteran Sam Silverman was the promoter. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me.". Facebook gives. Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. So I get him down, I get the sponge and I pour the water into his eyes trying to cleanse whatever's there, but before I did that I put my pinkie in his eye and I put it into my eye. Theories regarding the circumstance of Liston's death. The second round saw Liston continue to pursue Clay. [11][12][10][13][14] One writer concluded that Liston's most plausible date of birth was July 22, 1930, citing census records and statements from his mother during her lifetime. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. That got him killed. The Devil and Sonny Liston. Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. [8] Convicted and sentenced to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary, Liston started his prison time on June 1, 1950. 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 was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. This was his first visit. JustinvR Brown Belt. 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