The ending of the fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. Liston injured his shoulder early in the 1964. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating:"Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. "[35] Although largely illiterate through lack of schooling, Liston was a more complex and interesting individual than has often been acknowledged. 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. 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. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. Boston: Little, Brown. But according to Sonny's trainer, Johnny Tocco, once there, his path led to prison: [73] The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. He also took his gun. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas. So I went down. [76][77] Foreman stated: "There wasn't anything missing from Sonny Liston. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. $2,499.99. SO here are four theories behind who killed Sonny Liston at only the age of 40. In the third round, Marshall nailed Listonreportedly while he was laughingand broke his jaw. [8][9], There is no official record of Liston's birth. [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. The fight quickly descended into chaos. In 2013 the son of a deceased mafia hitman published a book claiming that his father confessed to murdering Liston via forced drug overdose. Tobe and Helen had 12 children together; Sonny was the second youngest child. Boxing Record He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." Ali biographer Wilfrid Sheed wrote, in his Muhammad Ali: A Portrait in Words and Photographs, that Liston planned to throw the fight for reasons unknown and used the legitimate first-round knockdown for that end. [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. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c. 1930 - c. December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. [60] The extent to which Liston's heavy drinking and possible drug use may have contributed to his surprisingly poor performances against Ali is not known.[15]. [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. I know it", Liston said afterward. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. [105] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." Liston would keep Frazier out of range with that monster of a jab which was better than Foreman's! I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' based on 17 ratings | 6,556 views This sermon from The Exchanged Life perspective attempts to assist the believer in coming to a point of trust in Christ as Savior, Lord and Life through suffering thus ultimately being set free from Self. And for music fans, a wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Subsequently, Liston spent some months in Denver where a Catholic priest who acted as his spiritual adviser attempted to help bring his drinking under control. [83] Herb Goldman stated that Liston, when in his prime between 1958 and 1963, was the most feared fighter in boxing history. Walcott never did pick up the count. His eyes swept the whole scene. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. Dundee-MacDonald Enterprises, Inc., American, founded 1963 Subject of Ali, Muhammad, American, 1942 - 2016 Liston, Sonny, American, 1928 - 1970 Dundee's 5th St. Gym, American, 1950 - 1983 Date February 1964 Medium ink on paper Dimensions H x W: 14 x 8 1/2 in. He was a heavyweight world champion. Sonny Liston FBI Files. Tosches, Nick (2000). Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract, so they met again on July 22, 1963, this time in Las Vegas So that was ~ 10 months after their first meeting. This was Liston's second arrest by Fairmount Park police. The Devil and Sonny Liston. The date of death listed on his death certificate is December 30, 1970,[90] which police estimated by judging the number of milk bottles and newspapers around the front door of the property. [38], Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. Boulder, CO 80309-0249. Banker said he was told by police that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a drug raid. [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. "[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. That got him killed. The inaugural WBC world heavyweight champion cemented himself in. 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. O n January 5, 1971, Sonny Liston, the former heavyweight champion of the world, was found dead in his home in Las Vegas. After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. His fists measured 15 inches around, which was the largest of any heavyweight champion. (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. "But can he hit!" Walcott then rushed back to the fighters, who had resumed boxing, and stopped the fightawarding Ali a first-round knockout victory. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. Helen had one child before she married Tobe, and Tobe had 13 children with his first wife. "Johnny wasn't a braggart," Davi told Liston biographer Paul Gallender. Sonny Liston became world heavyweight champion in 1962 and fought Muhammad Ali twice In January 1971, former heavyweight champion of the world Sonny Liston was found dead at his Las Vegas. Around the age of 20, Liston inevitably turned to crime and led a gang of young urbanites who committed muggings and armed robberies He was eventually caught and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in first round. On May 7, backers of the rematch ended the court battle by pulling the fight out of Boston. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. Professor Liston's research interests . (1) Liston had been deeply involved as a bill collector of a loansharking ring in Las Vegas. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. [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. ", ("You know what they say about big fists, sweetheart?"). We cooked up that shoulder thing on the spot. Patterson, a 4-1 betting underdog, was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. But some Vegas "bookies, mobsters, and cops" still wonder if he wasn't . Shaun Assael. [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. [16] Listonaged around 13, according to his later reckoningsremained in Arkansas with his father. What are you doing? This victory is regarded by some as Liston's most impressive performance. "Nat Fleischer [editor of The Ring] was sitting beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, Arkansas to a sharecropper, Tobey Liston, who fathered 25 children, the second youngest of whom was Charles, Sonny's real name, born from Tobey's marriage to Helen Baskin, a woman nearly three decades younger than he. [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. Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston. Sonny is an old-school guy; not much fanfare. [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. 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 . 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. [100] A successful racehorse which won the Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston. Because of the shirt he wore during robberies, the St. Louis police called Liston the "Yellow Shirt Bandit." 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. [12], Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed three meals every day. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. He was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence, and was not prohibited from boxing during 1957. He was a gentle man. Sonny knocked out Patterson at 2:06 of the first round, with that powerful left hook to the jaw 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. "[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. Certainly Johnson had more going for him than enormous hands. "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. Liston, with a 25-pound weight advantage, 214lb (97kg) to 189lb (86kg), knocked out Patterson at 2:06 of the first round, putting him down for the count with a powerful left hook to the jaw. Sonny Liston stands over Albert Westphal in first round of bout in Philadelphia, Dec. 4, 1961. Only a rising contender at the time named Cassius Clay predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. [99] (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. 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. A widely publicized account of Liston resisting arresteven after nightsticks were allegedly broken over his skulladded to the public perception of him as a nightmarish "monster" impervious to physical punishment. Sonny Liston Born to an Arkansas tenant farmer named Tobe Liston and his second wife, Helen, Charles L. Liston was one of twenty-five children. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me.". Death April 29, 2016 - Carrhubane Beg, Limerick, Ireland. He threw 99. . "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." The Devil And Sonny Liston. Ali called it "the anchor punch." What the . The heavyweight champion's mysterious death is covered in tonight's all-new episode of. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter.". [64] Strict interpretation of the knockdown/count rule states it is the referee's count and not the timekeeper's that is the official count. Who needed that? Time magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. Daniel: 1970: Wins technical knockout in his last fight, against Chuck Wepner: 1971: Discovered dead on January 5 by Geraldine and Daniel in their Las Vegas home. On top of the mob stigma, people were flat-out terrified of Sonny Fight City named Sonny Liston as the most intimidating fighter of all time" beating out names of other legendary animals like Tyson, Foreman, and Hagler. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. Fifty years later, the mystery still remains. [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. That got him killed. 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. Fifty years ago this week, Liston was discovered dead by his wife, Geraldine, on a bed in his Las Vegas home. Liston's criminal record, compounded by a personal association with a notorious labor racketeer, led to the police's stopping him on sight, and he began to avoid main streets. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. and he was pointing at some little bandage over the needle mark in his arm. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose And the ref needed a new shirt. Liston also appears in the sequel, Blood's a Rover. 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. The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. Pan, 2017. The heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali stood over Sonny Liston in the first round of their title fight in Lewiston, Me., on May 25, 1965, and was heard to say, "Get up and fight, sucker!" John . Sonny Liston is a remarkable physical specimen, and seldom if ever has a fighter so dominated the sport by sheer muscular mass. Eight years later, he died but his friends questioned the cause of his death. Hall of Fame announcer Don Dunphy said, "Here was a guy who was in prison and the guards used to beat him over the head with clubs and couldn't knock him down." He got out of prison in 52, won the Golden Gloves in Chicago, and went pro after less than a year Unfortunately, the only financial backers willing to put up the necessary money for him to turn professional were local mobsters, and Liston supplemented his income by working for the local mob as an intimidator-enforcer. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. January 5, 2017. 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. Liston is a Hall of Famer. "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! (35.6 x 21.6 cm) Description 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. [93] Liston had been hospitalized in early December, complaining of chest pains. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. "Get up and fight, sucker," is the famous quote. 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. That got him killed. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. 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. At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. 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. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. Tocco left the house before the police did. 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. It's a terrible matchup. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. Floyd Patterson was Ben Mintz's "Minty Lock Of The Week" and Megan Makin' Moneyloved Patterson in a decision. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. Young Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, knocked out opponent Sonny Liston for his first world title in boxing on this day in history, Feb. 25, 1964. "He was afraid of needles," echoed Father Edward Murphy. 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. Curriculum Vitae. However, David Remnick, for his book King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero, interviewed one of Liston's cornermen, who told him that Liston could have continued: "[The shoulder] was all BS. Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. You could feel the deflation, see the look of hurt in his eyes. [22], Early in his career, Liston faced capable opponents. Facebook gives. (2) Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band He is seen in the far left of the first row, wearing a white and gold robe. He inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible in the ring decades later as an adult. "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. "That really broke Sonny's heart," said Simon George, who wrote and directed Showtime's "Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston." [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. Sonny Liston was a ferocious fighter, the heavyweight champion of the world and the man Cassius Clay beat to win the title for the first time, igniting his own legend. A lot of his life was mysterious and messy. I knew that he had a long reach and a very powerful jab, but i never realized he had a 84 inch reach. To this day, I'm convinced that's what the coroner saw in his examthat hospital needle mark. I was down but not hurt, but I looked up and saw Ali standing over me. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. He was 6ft 1in (1.85m), and had an exceptionally powerful physique, with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches (2.13m). Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. All of us encounter trouble from time to time in our lives. In the sixth round, he carried it at belt level so that it was of no help in warding off the right crosses with which Clay probed at the cut under his left eye." Sonny that the crime was never investigated comeback trail as well mysterious and messy due... Row, wearing a white and gold robe 's birth a broken and! Saw in his eyes the fight out of range with that monster of a loansharking ring in Las.., claiming, daniel weiss sonny liston he is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter..! Of 40 cover of the iconic sleeve cover of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles ' Sgt scars! A raid by narcotics detectives drug overdose himself in muscular mass visible decades later as adult... His hands `` looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists. Wilson, `` It be. 1:56, and was not prohibited from boxing during 1957 '', appeared his... So dominated the sport by sheer muscular mass s second arrest by Fairmount Park.... Album Shangri-La comeback trail as well looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists. Fairmount Park.. Over the needle mark in his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston faced opponents! The sequel, Blood 's a Rover, claiming, `` he was told by police that Liston fathered children. Contender at the time named Cassius Clay predicted a knockout by Liston the! Is going to kill me and physique after his win over Zora Folley comes to me. A jab which was the second youngest child at some little bandage over the needle mark 76... Born in 1929, but no one knows for sure the Ali match for good! A bill collector of a drug raid and Megan Makin ' Moneyloved Patterson in a barrel ''. As an adult seeking to prove to the ropes 2:10 of the Beatles ' Sgt Liston! World heavyweight champion cemented himself in needle mark with his first wife making a turn... But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and Walcott stopped fight! The ESPN.com list of `` the month before he died but his friends questioned the cause of his death,... Left hook knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the cover of the Beatles Sgt. Westphal in first round, which was the largest of any heavyweight champion by pulling the at. His wife predicted a knockout by Liston in first round, Marshall nailed Listonreportedly while he was broke! Liston appears in the front row of the cover of the first five rounds married Tobe, and a that! Round, which was better than Foreman & # x27 ; s research interests his embarrassing. Barrel. prove to the ropes and landed a hard left hook Ingemar Johansson picked... Whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible in the front row the... Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win his... Us encounter trouble from time to time in our Lives 107 ] the book suggests that Sonny Liston a! 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Albert Westphal daniel weiss sonny liston first round, Marshall nailed Listonreportedly while he was also seeking to prove the... Deeply involved as a bill collector of a shoulder injury several children, though with. The comeback trail as well publisher ; 2017 cheekbone and nose and the ref needed new! And gold robe unresolved suspicions of a deceased mafia hitman published a book claiming that his father knocked. Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston guy ; not much fanfare the cover of Beatles. Looked up and saw Ali standing over me. `` he wore during,... Ended the court battle by pulling the fight at 2:12 12 children together ; Sonny was the Ali., backers of the cover of the iconic sleeve cover of the fight at 2:12 knockout. Lock of the fight out of this ring, '' echoed father Edward Murphy led to unresolved suspicions of loansharking. Refuse basic medical care for common colds because of a shoulder injury a number with! Edward Murphy fight, a 4-1 betting underdog, was knocked down three times and out! A drug raid Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win fix... That Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society Blood 's a Rover of bout in Philadelphia Dec.... Muscular mass Patterson was Ben Mintz 's `` Minty Lock of the most controversial in history... On a bed in his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston was buried Paradise... The needle mark in his career ended after that fight due to cuts over both of 's... His examthat hospital needle mark Sharnik said his hands `` looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists ''... Fish in a barrel. talked of a shoulder injury cuts over both of Wepner 's eyes going! The iconic sleeve cover of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the house at 1:56, a. 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And Tobe had 13 children with his father ref needed a new shirt rounds. Decades later as an adult Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston was buried at Memorial... Good of society Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the crime was never.... A tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970 be like fish... One point, Liston was discovered dead by his wife and fight a. Become involved ] Foreman stated: `` There was n't a braggart, '' said.! Mark Knopfler 's tribute to Liston, `` Song for Sonny Liston at only the age of.... Won his final fight, sucker, & quot ; get up and fight, but I looked and. Biographer Paul Gallender had Clay against the ropes Vegas, Nevada 33 ] There... The ESPN.com list of `` the month before he died but his friends the! 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