Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. [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". Liston didn't seem to mind though. Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread and all them sluggers went down like lead. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. And the face, it was an unforgettable face. Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, said after his career was over that Liston was the hardest puncher he faced. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. 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. ", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:36. 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. However, when Clay returned to his corner, he started complaining that there was something burning in his eyes and he could not see. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. "Johnny wasn't a braggart," Davi told Liston biographer Paul Gallender. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. He died circa December 30,. He could have remained typecast as a musician performing rock songs. "[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. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. This is a clip out of the \"The Other Side\" Documentary. Support this Channel:https://www.patreon.com/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise:LegendsofBoxing.redbubble.com I restore \u0026 colorize your projects, PayPal Donations:
[email protected] you!________________________________________________________________________________ Credit Original B\u0026W Footage:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CLMlEpRb9wSonny Liston Interview uploaded by haNZAgodAll My YouTube ChannelsMy Main Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73ffQAknNEWJlRoFSWH_awMy Second Boxing Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-QLrFyDnskqz5_z95mcOAMy History Channel \"Time Travel: Colorized Archive\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC29VFkNvVVi6_OzwFV2oTqQMy Documentary Channel \"Tales From The Past\":https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpFIIYrCc1lOHbG-fUo5vwMein Dokumentation Channel \"Geschichten aus der Vergangenheit\" (Tales From The Past in Deutsch) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXBfWoE1KVXEzh9d2NrwBhASocial https://www.instagram.com/legends_of_boxing1/ At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Boston: Little, Brown. Sonny Liston is considered by many as the most intimidating boxer of all time with a devastating jab which is widely regarded as one of the best in heavyweight history. While true he also sent women to the hospital, which his sparring partner confirms. Before he left for his bout with Clay, Sonny's training in Denver took him to some strange places. Many in the small crowd had not even settled in their seats when the fight was stopped. 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. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. Rare interview of Sonny Liston colorized. Liston returned to the United States and won seven fights, all by knockout, in 1968, increasing his string to eleven. ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. On May 5, 1956, a policeman confronted Liston and a friend about a cab parked near Liston's home. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. The photo captures the champions exhortations, with all the fire and passion and dynamic physicality that made him such a phenomenon. [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. For me, the most fascinating thing about Liston was the fact that his birth date is unknown. Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before his death in May 2009, Liston said he regretted . Another depicts Liston's death scene and autopsy: "There was dope in his veins and a pistol on the drawer Criss-crossed on his back, scars from his daddy like slavery tracks.". [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. 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. For his part, Liston said that the referees inability to keep track of time doomed him, as he didnt know when to get up from the mat. [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. [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. Sad how they portrayed sonny in such a negative light he seems like a genuinely kind person. Frank Mir was around that height and was noticeably taller than Carwin. But others contend he just was not the same Liston. Knopfler said he enjoys boxing and other sports but reflected on a conversation he had with a friend about the fights. 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. 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. Liston knocked out Hermann Schreibauer of West Germany at 2:16 of the first round. [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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. In these feckless clinches he only managed to tie up one of Liston's arms. He would not close in until the accumulated inside damage and Liston's own frustration had sapped the challenger's strength and will." Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. ", One of the most vivid verses creates a word-picture of Liston in his prime with photographic clarity: "Black Cadillac, alligator boots, money in the pockets of his sharkskin suits." It'll just be for slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell.". [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." Both fights were in Summerlin's hometown of Detroit.[23]. After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. Muhammad Ali called it his "anchor punch," a quick right hand that the young heavyweight champion claimed he had learned from his friend, actor Stepin Fetchit. [16] Listonaged around 13, according to his later reckoningsremained in Arkansas with his father. He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. "He was afraid of needles," echoed Father Edward Murphy. 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. Ali did neither. "I didn't know what the heck was going on", Angelo Dundee, Clay's trainer, recalled on an NBC special 25 years later. 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. [12], Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed three meals every day. Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. 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.. "At about noon on the day of the fight, (Magids) reached Resnick again by phone," the memo read. Midway through the first round, Liston threw a left jab and Ali went over it with a fast right, knocking the former champion down. Please read the rules before posting/commenting. [105], Singer/Songwriter Rod Picott wrote and recorded a song titled "Sonny Liston" for his 2022 album "Paper Hearts and Broken Arrows. Clay confessed later he had been hurt by the punch, but Liston was unable to press his advantage home. A few months after Alis fight, Liston was dead from lung congestion though even that was shrouded in mystery and controversy. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. As Liston pursued his target Clay retreated, using his foot speed to slip away into open space in the ring, largely circling to the left and away from the threat of a Liston left hook. The film starred Ving Rhames as Liston and was produced by Rhames, Hassain Zaidi and Marek Posival. 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. "From Bad Buck to White Hope: Journalism and Sonny Liston, 19581965. ", Hutchison, Phillip J. Roy Harris, who had gone 13 rounds with Floyd Patterson in a title match, was crushed in one round by Liston. 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. All Rights Reserved. "He said, 'Cut the gloves off. Although Clay often carried his gloves down at his waist, seemingly open to attack, he proved very difficult to hit. However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. It made a champion out of Clay, who declared that hed shook up the world.. 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. Paul R Gallender, 2012. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. 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. Name: Sonny Liston Birth Name: Charles L. Liston Hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA Birthplace: Johnson Township, Arkansas, USA Died: 1970-12-30 (Age:40) Stance: Orthodox Height: 185cm Reach: 213cm Referee: Record Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record Managers: Jack Nilon, Joe (Pep) Barone, Eddie Polino, George Katz, Frank Mitchell, Dick Sadler Elizabeth Bear wrote the short story "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall", published in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2008. Clay countered in verse, "If you want to lose your money, then bet on Sonny! Liston was supremely confident of easily beating Clay, trained minimally for the fight and went ahead with it despite an injury to his left shoulder.[44]. Odds makers gave Liston 71 to win. "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! Interview Date: March 13, 1989 Camera Rolls: 2104-2105 Sound Rolls: 248 Editorial Notes: Interview with , conducted by Blackside, Inc. on March 13, 1989, for . Stevens organized a sparring session with a professional heavyweight named Thurman Wilson to showcase Liston's potential. Watch the interview you be the judge. Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with 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. Muhammad Ali biographer Jonathan Eig shared a new theory as to why Sonny Liston may have taken a dive in the boxers' second bout. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. No, I'm Alexanderhe's no Alexander. Traduo Context Corretor Sinnimos Conjugao Conjugao Documents Dicionrio Dicionrio Colaborativo Gramtica Expressio Reverso Corporate .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. Because of that, Cage may have thought Sonny was an informant and shot him with a hot dose as retribution. I never saw. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. Ali would lose his title a year later, though it didnt happen in the ring. He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." 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. Either way, nat fleisher as the KD timekeeper had NO right telling Walcott the fight was over. "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). There's never been anybody as ruthless. The bout would need to be delayed by six months. 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.'" [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. One of the victories was over Amos Johnson, Liston's former sparring partner, who had recently defeated British champion Henry Cooper. "He was scared, he was scared of so many things," Knopfler said. Walcott never did pick up the count. Also, scar tissue, possibly from needle marks, was found in the bend of Liston's left elbow. The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. ", Ali clearly did not think he knocked Liston out. 1 contender in 1960, but the handlers of world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson refused to give him a shot at the title because of Liston's links to organized crime. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. One of the reasons why sports stays alive in us is that there's part of us that wants to keep the child alive and recognizes that there is something important in doing that. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. "[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. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. that startles everyone in a 100 foot radius. Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Midwest Gymnasium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Pittsburgh Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. New Masonic Temple, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Sources vary on his reach, with some listing it as 80in, Reputations: Sonny Liston: The Champion Nobody Wanted (2001), 50 min, BBC Documentary, Mailer: A Biography By Mary V. Dearborn, page 186. Maybe he was. In a pre-fight poll, 43 of 46 sportswriters picked Liston to win by knockout. Due to Listons long association with the mafia and the reputation as a peerless tough guy, there was speculation that hed thrown the fight for some financial reward. 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. I dont have to be what you want me to be, Clay told agitated reporters. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. Geraldine remembered her husband as "Great with me, great with the kids. Muhammad Ali stands over Sonny Liston after dropping Liston with a short hard right to the jaw on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine, Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston: The Controversial Fight Behind Their Iconic Boxing Photo, Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, an official member of the Nation of Islam, Senate subcommittee hearing turned up no evidence, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. The Devil And Sonny Liston. Tradues em contexto de "with Sonny" en ingls-portugus da Reverso Context : I think you should stay here with Sonny. Very rare interview of Sonny Liston talking about how he got started in boxing, his fights with Williams and Patterson and his training routine. The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. "He was scared of the police. The most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. This is a place for friendly and civil debate about the greatest sport on earth. Liston won 14 consecutive bouts, 13 by knockout, before fighting third-ranked Leotis Martin, previously beaten by Clark, in December 1969.