The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. Sonny Liston FBI Files. Several reports say Liston had fresh needle marks on his arms when he died. Stevens organized a sparring session with a professional heavyweight named Thurman Wilson to showcase Liston's potential. Rogin discounted speculation that Patterson had thrown the fight, writing: "The genesis of all this wide-eyed theorizing and downright baloney was the fact that many spectators failed to see the knockout blows. 9 Sonny Liston's story began with a lonely bus ride in 1944. He's like Foreman except stronger, more powerful, and slightly smaller. We cooked up that shoulder thing on the spot. All rights reserved. [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. But others contend he just was not the same Liston. You've seen him before but probably didn't realize it because the most famous photo ever taken of Sonny was not at his best angle More on that in a second. [99] (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. Eight years later, he died but his friends questioned the cause of his death. [105] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. Sonny's in a simple white robe, hood covering a white towel that's draped over his head. On April 21, 1955, he defeated Marshall in a rematch, dropping him four times en route to a sixth-round knockout. The rematch between . He also wrote that Liston's win over Patterson proved that "in a fair fight between good and evil, evil must win." 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. However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. 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. Sonny was once told by local police to stay away from a drug house that was the target of a police raid. But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. Even Sonny's mother, who was called Big Hela, didn't know, though she believed him to be born during the month of January. [72], "I was an 'intimidator' until I fought Sonny Liston. At age 12, after selling a bag of pecans for bus fare, he left for St. Louis, betting on a brighter future. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. His death is still a mystery, but Mike Tyson puts flowers on his grave every year at Paradise Memorial Gardensin Las Vegas. 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. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. 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. Liston went down on his back. 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. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. (35.6 x 21.6 cm) Description Banker later learned that the police told Liston the same thing to his face. [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. Ali's impressive start to his career earned him a shot at Sonny Liston for the Won WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles in his 20th career fight in February 1964. [38], Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago. Listons last fight as a professional was against Chuck The Bayonne Bleeder Wepner He was given that nickname because his eye would open up during the National Anthem. Clay confessed later he had been hurt by the punch, but Liston was unable to press his advantage home. I knew that he had a long reach and a very powerful jab, but i never realized he had a 84 inch reach. Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating:"Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. In the main bedroom, Geraldine discovered the body of her husband, former heavyweight champion Charles "Sonny" Liston. [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. Eddie's brother, Joe, is Sonny's cut man and his trainers, Willie Reddish and Johnny Tocco, round out his entourage. You can listen to it at your leisure, or read about it now. Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. You've probably seen it a thousand times, but you may not have known who the poor bastard on the ground was until now. SO here are four theories behind who killed Sonny Liston at only the age of 40. It burned like hell. In 1950, Sonny Liston was arrested six times for muggings, one . Others have said he may have been murdered in some sort of mob killing. He died on December 30, 1970 at the age of 38 years. 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. 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. Also, scar tissue, possibly from needle marks, was found in the bend of Liston's left elbow. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. 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. In five months, Sonny Liston had gone from unknown ex-con to amateur champion. Sports Illustrated once wrote his hands"looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. View the profiles of people named Daniel 'Sonny' Liston. Liston won 14 consecutive bouts, 13 by knockout, before fighting third-ranked Leotis Martin, previously beaten by Clark, in December 1969. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. $2,499.99. [49], Clay later said that in round five he could only see a faint shadow of Liston during most of the round, but by circling and moving frantically he managed to avoid Liston and somehow survive. Boulder, CO 80309-0249. "[18], After Liston was released from prison on October 31, 1952, he had a brief amateur career that spanned less than a year. "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. Sonny Liston stands over Albert Westphal in first round of bout in Philadelphia, Dec. 4, 1961. daniel weiss sonny liston by | posted on 10 septiembre, 2021 | 0 Comments Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c. 1930 - c. December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. "From Bad Buck to White Hope: Journalism and Sonny Liston, 19581965. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. This was his first visit. Sonny Liston: The 'Worst Mess In History Of Sports'. Mother Bridget Sheehan. "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. ", 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. 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. 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. [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. Father John (Sonny) Liston. The bout would need to be delayed by six months. And the Muslims were coming up. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. Liston claimed he was born in 1932, yet his rap sheet for his 1950 arrest for armed robbery listed his age as 22, making him born in 1928. After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Sonny Liston. [47] Sitting on his stool between rounds, however, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on his cut. Birth 1935 - County Limerick, Ireland. 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. 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. A sudden violent combination delivered with 30 seconds left in the round electrified the crowd. "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." It's widely accepted that Liston, a former heavyweight boxing champ, died from an accidental heroin overdose in 1970. His family's home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965. [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. -- CHARLES (SONNY) LISTON It was already dark when she stepped from the car in front of her house on Ottawa Drive, but she could see her pink Cadillac convertible and Sonny's new black. Police determined he died from a. Only a rising contender at the time named Cassius Clay predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. His defense was described as Patterson was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. [39] Leading up to the fight, Liston was an 85 betting favorite, although many picked Patterson to win. His fists measured 15 inches (38cm) around, the largest of any heavyweight champion. There was something caustic in both eyes." Sonny Liston, once the heavyweight champ, died at the age of who-knows-what some days before Dec. 30, 1970. Tocco left the house before the police did. [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]. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' After repeated overnight detention by the St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston left for Philadelphia. 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. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. Out to be a mismatch bouts, 13 by knockout, before fighting third-ranked Leotis Martin previously... A knockout by Liston in the heavyweight division, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on cut. 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