BOXING Correction: July 15, 2005, Friday A sports picture caption on Wednesday with an article about Mark Knopfler's ballad for the boxer Sonny Liston referred incorrectly in some copies to the year in which Muhammad Ali knocked out Liston in Lewiston, Me. He died circa December 30,. It was a shocking result, not only because Liston was favored in the match, but because hardly anybody saw the punch that took him down. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. Standing 185 centimeters (6'1) tall and packing over 90 kilograms (200 lb) of pure muscle, there's a reason he was nicknamed "The Big Bear," and it wasn't for the hugs he gave.. His career in heavyweight boxing spanned from 1953 to 1970, and he spent all 17 of those years going guts for glory against the . Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before his death in May 2009, Liston said he regretted . When Machen clinched in . 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.". "He was afraid of needles," echoed Father Edward Murphy. Sad how they portrayed sonny in such a negative light he seems like a genuinely kind person. [93] Liston had been hospitalized in early December, complaining of chest pains. 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. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. And the Muslims were coming up. 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. "Some songs just seem to reverberate with people.". Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. He rounded out the year by stopping Nino Valdez and Willi Besmanoff. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me. Authorities theorized that he was undressing for bed when he fell over backward with such force that he broke the rail of the bench. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and his infamously intimidating appearance. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter." I didn't want anything to do with him. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. One mile up on a mountain 13 miles west of Denver is the Shrine of Mother Cabrini. "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. 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. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. 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. "[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. I don't think there was any way for him to beat Clay at that time, but if he entered the ring in a different mindset, to box and not try and get him like Patterson and others, he could of went the distance. Tosches, Nick (2000). Sonny Liston in his prime . Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c.1930 December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. [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. Remembering One Of Boxing's Storied Bouts Robert Siegel and Melissa Block recall the fight between Cassius Clay and and Sonny Liston, the fight at the heart of the off-Broadway play Fetch Clay, . "The public is not with me. At about 30 seconds into the round he hit Liston with several combinations, causing a bruise under Liston's right eye and a cut under his left, which eventually required eight stitches to close. Be respectful and come chat with us. He said it was taught to him by comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchit, who learned it from Jack Johnson. 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 In his next fight, he had a rematch with Summerlin and again won an eight-round decision. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection. He had been deliberately snubbed. He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. 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. Boston: Little, Brown. Caputo, one of the investigating police officers, "The whole department knew about it." A stoic Liston finished the fight, but lost in an eight-round split decision. [8][9], There is no official record of Liston's birth. The Devil and Sonny Liston. In the 2020 film One Night in Miami, Liston is played by Aaron D. Alexander. Banker later learned that the police told Liston the same thing to his face. But others contend he just was not the same Liston. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. Hed shown up to the fight in the best shape of his life no hot dogs or beer in his diet this time and promised to take down Ali. For me, the most fascinating thing about Liston was the fact that his birth date is unknown. A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. On May 7, backers of the rematch ended the court battle by pulling the fight out of Boston. Skeptics called the knockout blow "the phantom punch." [100] A successful racehorse which won the Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston. Sonny Liston vs Eddie Machen (1960) As usual, Liston wasted no time throwing his jab and keeping Machen at bay, who was trying to get his hands off with minimal success. 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. "[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. Ali would lose his title a year later, though it didnt happen in the ring. While valuing the photograph, appraiser Kathleen Guzman told. 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. 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. Tobe and Helen had 12 children together; Sonny was the second youngest child. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, The Man Behind the First All-Black Basketball Team, 8 Times Brothers Have Faced Off in a Championship, Every Black Quarterback to Play in the Super Bowl, Soccer Star Christian Atsu Survived an Earthquake. "[40][41], Upon winning the world heavyweight title, Liston had a speech prepared for the crowd that friends had assured him would meet him at the Philadelphia airport. "But can he hit!" He would later employ McCarter as a sparring partner. Rogin wrote. His death was, too. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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 highly-anticipated May 1965 rematch between the heavyweight champions almost didn't happen. It was 1965, not 1955. Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. 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. 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. Watch the interview you be the judge. Roy Harris, who had gone 13 rounds with Floyd Patterson in a title match, was crushed in one round by Liston. Mike DeJohn was the highest paid boxer at $15,000 while James Dickey received $20,000. "When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". To the rest of the world, it would be known as "The Phantom Punch." That shot, which Ali dropped Sonny Liston with on May 25, 1965, was far from a phantom. However, when Clay returned to his corner, he started complaining that there was something burning in his eyes and he could not see. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. There are echoes of slavery in his upbringing." [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. Naturally, they decided that Ali would take on Liston. [72], "I was an 'intimidator' until I fought Sonny Liston. QUESTION 1 With Clay quickly ducking his head left, right or away, Liston's leading left jabs largely failed to land. "He was scared of the police. ", Still, some found it hard to believe that the punch could have floored a man like Liston. "[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. . World light-heavyweight champion Jos Torres said, "It was a perfect punch." Two of the best-known are "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel and "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan. The ending of the fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. The toxicology report said his body was too decomposed for the tests to be conclusive. Sonny Liston Interview 82,818 views Apr 2, 2014 1.3K Dislike Share Save haNZAgod 93.2K subscribers Subscribe A rare interview with former Heavyweight champion of the world, Sonny Liston.. 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People around the world tuned in via satellite to watch the match, which was fought in front of 2,434 paying ticket-holders, the smallest crowd in heavyweight championship fight history; people there suggested the crowd was more like 4,000, but nonetheless, it was a very small in-person audience. "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. "Yes, it was good and honest". The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. After repeated overnight detention by the St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston left for Philadelphia. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. Beat me to it! He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. That would prove to be an understatement. He also took his gun. "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. 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. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas. He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." 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. That got him killed. [35] There are several theories as to why: (1) publicist Harold Conrad and others believed Liston had been deeply involved as a bill collector of a loansharking ring in Las Vegas. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. [38], Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago. But then again, he took a pretty good beating in the fight. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. [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! [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. [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. Never seen this one before, thanks alot. 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. Ira Gay Sealy/The Denver Post via Getty Images According to the post, he returned back home later that morning and called his sparring partner Gary Bates to tell him he was leaving for Los Angeles but that they should get together when he returned in a couple of days. Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. At the IBHOF, the casts of Listons hands were bigger than Lennox Lewis' which were also gigantic. and "Nobody will believe this!"[63]. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. During the interim, officials in Boston also got cold feet. He then outpointed Julius Griffin, winner of the New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, to capture the Intercity Golden Gloves Championship on March 26 (representing Chicago). In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. 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. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. Two of the three official scorers, or judges, awarded the round to Liston, and the other scored the round even. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. In "Sailing to Philadelphia," a duet with James Taylor, Knopfler told of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon traveling from England to North America to draw the Mason-Dixon line. Liston was a heavy favorite. Many did not see the punch land, and some who did questioned that it was powerful enough to knock Liston out. Liston had never been knocked out before, and most people didnt even see the punch happen. [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". 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. Helen had one child before she married Tobe, and Tobe had 13 children with his first wife. He allegedly later told an assistant that he took a dive because he was afraid of the consequences of beating Ali he thought it would put a target on his own back. 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. The photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground. [99] (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. [103], Sonny Liston was featured in a novel "Girl Fighter" with a brief reference to his early life, his rise to WBC heavyweight champion and his eventual losses to Clay/Ali.[104]. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. 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. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. Sonny Liston in Denver, Colorado. 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. "And I suppose Sonny Liston always stuck with me. Knopfler, who was born in Scotland and grew up in northern England, said Liston's story was "exciting subject matter because it's so mysterious." Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. "[95], Sgt. Anyone can read what you share. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. that startles everyone in a 100 foot radius. The World Boxing Association one of several boxing organizations was not too pleased, moving to strip Ali of his title and advising states not to agree to host the rematch. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" He had a whiplash, so they took him to the hospital," said boxing trainer Johnny Tocco. He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. 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. Liston also appears in the sequel, Blood's a Rover. I remember thinking as a child that this was a man who wanted to be left alone.". ", 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. He used the platform to expound on the political theory that was so reviled in white America, defending Malcolm X and condemning racial oppression this was still months before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Liston had thrown a jab with his left arm and, leaning forward, took a right hook from Ali right to the skull. We cooked up that shoulder thing on the spot. A grateful Liston found there was no need to give chase. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? Rocky Marciano, the former heavyweight champion, said that he appreciated the punchs strength upon re-examination. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Furthermore, that count cannot be started until the fighter scoring the knockdown goes to and remains in a neutral corner. When Walcott got back to Liston and looked at the knockdown timekeeper, Francis McDonough, to pick up the count, Liston had fallen back on the canvas. [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. Then again, you can also have guys like Ali or Mike Tyson. "Now (after seeing video) I think Clay, seeing the opening, snapped the punch the last six inches. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. Support this Channel: https://www.patreon.com/join/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise: https://www.redbubble.com/peo. This interview is missing a "BOOOOOOOMZQUAD!!" One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. When you can kill almost anybody in the world with your bare hands, you don't really have to go around proclaiming it to everyone. Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, during which the photo was snapped, was already shaping up to be the stuff of legends. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well.
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