Some found it suspicious that authorities could not locate any drug paraphernalia that Liston presumably would have needed to inject the fatal dose, such as a spoon to cook the heroin or a tourniquet to wrap around his arm. 9, 1 March 2018, p. 8, New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, "Photographic image of 'Tale of the Tape', "Sonny Liston vs. Floyd Patterson (Tale of the tape)", "From THE RING: The greatest heavyweight of all time", "25 Greatest Fighters of All Time (Heavyweight)", "ESPN Classic - Liston was trouble in and out of ring", "Jacob's Beach by Kevin Mitchell: review", "Hard Times, Good Times: Charles "Sonny" Liston - Boxing.com", "Dismayed D'Amato Is Expecting To Get Back Manager's License", "Esquire covers commemorate boxing's prime", "Cassius Clay-Sonny Liston I: 50 Years Later", "Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay (1st meeting) - BoxRec", "1964 Clay vs. Liston Judges' Scorecards from Miami Beach Bout. | Lot #80073 | Heritage Auctions", "Muhammad Ali's Toughest Fight Wasn't Against Joe Frazier", "Fifty Years Later: The Mystery of Muhammad Ali's 'Phantom Punch', "I WAS THERE: George Chuvalo Watches Sonny Liston Take a Dive - YouTube", "Fifty Years Later: The Mystery of Muhammad Ali's 'Phantom Punch' | Boxing News", "Daytona Beach Morning Journal - Google News Archive Search", "Sonny Liston the most talented Heavyweight in history", "George Foreman Discusses Friendship With Sonny Liston", "Sonny Liston: Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy Boxing News", "LOTIERZO'S LOWDOWN Sonny Liston: The Most Underrated Heavyweight Champ In History", "The Most Feared Fighter in Boxing History: Charles 'Sonny' Liston remembered", "Liston KO'd Popular Patterson for Title", "O Unlucky Man: Fortune never smiled on Sonny Liston", "Sonny Liston Meets the Press - Boxing.com", "Like Fights Against Ali, Liston Death a Mystery", "December 30, 1970: Mysterious Death of Sonny Liston", "19 YEARS LATER: Liston Death Remains Mystery to His Friends". 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. Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. Liston is a Hall of Famer. "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. 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. The second fight lasted only four seconds longer than Part I's first-round KO, but Liston's victory was still loudly booed. Geraldine remembered her husband as "Great with me, great with the kids. The interference of ringside reporters regarding interpretation of the rules, the fight stoppage and the controversy after the fight had not been seen since The Long Count Fight between champion Gene Tunney and challenger Jack Dempsey in 1927. (, Shaun Assael. (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. Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." He said that Liston was not quick with his hand or footwork, that he relied too much on his ability to take a punch, and that he could be vulnerable to an opponent with more hand speed. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. "He said, 'Cut the gloves off. and "Nobody will believe this!"[63]. The film starred Ving Rhames as Liston and was produced by Rhames, Hassain Zaidi and Marek Posival. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose And the ref needed a new shirt. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. But some Vegas "bookies, mobsters, and cops" still wonder if he wasn't . Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. Many did not see the punch land, and some who did questioned that it was powerful enough to knock Liston out. Or it would be history, if boxing "historians" would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. And that guy did come along and beat him Twice And it was Muhammad Ali. And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. 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. He had a whiplash, so they took him to the hospital," said boxing trainer Johnny Tocco. 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. America's first look at Liston since the Ali rematch was when he fought fifthranked Henry Clark in a nationally broadcast bout in July 1968. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. [94], On January 1, Liston's wife, Geraldine, called Johnny Tocco and said she had not heard from her husband in three days and was worried. He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. Geraldine had been trying to contact Liston for nearly two weeks before travelling . This is just a glimpse into what was. That got him killed. Gallender claimed, "A lot of officers knew Sonny was dead before Geraldine returned home on January 5, but they chose to let him rot. But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. 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. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. For those too young to remember, Sonny The Big Bear Liston was a legendary heavyweight boxer. [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. Many in attendance did not see Ali deliver the punch. ", ("You know what they say about big fists, sweetheart?"). 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. [91] Coroner Mark Herman said traces of heroin byproducts were found in Liston's system, but not in amounts large enough to have caused his death. "[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. He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. Liston would keep Frazier out of range with that monster of a jab which was better than Foreman's! Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in first round. Time magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. [100] A successful racehorse which won the Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston. 780 46K views 8 years ago Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston's son visits his gravesite. In the third round, Clay began to take control of the fight. Boston: Little, Brown. Several reports say Liston had fresh needle marks on his arms when he died. 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. Sonny Liston, once the heavyweight champ, died at the age of who-knows-what some days before Dec. 30, 1970. 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). Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and his infamously intimidating appearance. Twenty-two-year-old Clay achieved. [105] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. 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. So I went down. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. February 25, 1964. "[69] The fact that Liston did not complain about the clear breach of boxing rules (being declared knocked out without a count) and Ali's obvious state of bewilderment, shouting at Liston "Nobody will believe this" and asking his handlers "Did I hit him? Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. So that means his reach was practically a . Sonny Liston ( The Big Bear) was an American professional boxer. Paul R Gallender, 2012. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas. "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. Liston was found dead by his wife in their Las Vegas home on Jan. 5, 1971. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. Only a rising contender at the time named Cassius Clay predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. 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. 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. Liston's last fight was a 10-round beating he delivered to Chuck Wepner in June 1970. (2) Professional gambler Lem Banker insists that Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. Mickey Mantle, who could hit a baseball as far as any man, had the forearms of a blacksmith but only average-sized hands. Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. "He would do everything to avoid taking shots." He was a gentle man. In these feckless clinches he only managed to tie up one of Liston's arms. [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. As the years passed and Liston's financial situation worsened, he got angry and told the mob he'd go public with the story unless they gave him the money. He was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence, and was not prohibited from boxing during 1957. Liston was a heavy favorite. "But can he hit!" Shaun Assael. There are a ton of other dubious deaths and (hopefully) little-known facts about Vegas in this week's episode. The rematch between . I never realized how much of a freak of nature Sonny Liston was. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. I know it", Liston said afterward. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston canceled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. Liston won 14 consecutive bouts, 13 by knockout, before fighting third-ranked Leotis Martin, previously beaten by Clark, in December 1969. You can listen to it at your leisure, or read about it now. Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. 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. Which means he owned one of the biggest reach in boxing, while "only" being 6'1 tall (which is about 73 inches). The coroner said that there was not a lethal amount of heroin discovered in Listons system during the autopsy, but authorities still attributed his death to an accidental drug overdose even though police on the scene could not locate any drug paraphernalia that Liston presumably would have needed to inject the fatal dose Such as a spoon to cook the heroin, or a tourniquet to wrap around his arm, or maybe a needle that he was fucking terrified of. Born in Forrest City, Arkansas, sometime in the late 1920s and early. He died on December 30, 1970 at the age of 38 years. Police determined he died from a. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. ", Hutchison, Phillip J. "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! (. 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. [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. ", Still, some found it hard to believe that the punch could have floored a man like Liston. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. Charles "Sonny" Liston was an enigma that, by way of testimonial, put fear in the hearts of men all throughout the 1960s. [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. In the 2001 film Ali, Liston was portrayed by former WBO Heavyweight Champion Michael Bentt. The NAACP had urged Patterson not to fight Liston, fearing that a Liston victory would hurt the civil rights movement. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. 15 months earlier, they'd accused him of pulling over a woman around 3 a.m. and impersonating a police officer. Meaning Sonny was number 24 out of 25 kids. Maybe he was. Liston went down on his back. Alois Stevens, suggested to Liston that he try boxing, and his obvious aptitude, along with an endorsement from Stevens, who was also a priest, aided Liston in getting an early parole. When Patterson met with the president in January 1962, Kennedy suggested that Patterson avoid Liston, citing Justice Department concerns over Liston's ties to organized crime. Boxing Record Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. To this day, I'm convinced that's what the coroner saw in his examthat hospital needle mark. However, when Clay returned to his corner, he started complaining that there was something burning in his eyes and he could not see. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. Patterson finally agreed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago And everyone had Patterson. [67] Some felt the knockdown was real but the knockout was fake. Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. He was more angry about that shot than he was about the car wreck. His father, Tobe Liston, was in his mid 40s when he and his wife, Helen Baskin, who was almost 30 years younger than Tobe, moved to Arkansas from Mississippi in 1916. "He had a deadly fear of needles," said Davey Pearl, a boxing referee and friend of Liston's. Governor John H. Reed of Maine stepped forward, and within a few hours the promoters had a new site: Lewiston, Maine, a mill town with a population of about 41,000 located 140 miles (230km) north of Boston. He's like Foreman except stronger, more powerful, and slightly smaller. Walcott never did pick up the count. Other than that, little is definite about his birth, but he seems to have been born in a shack on the cotton plantation where his parents worked, a little outside Forrest City, in Arkansas, which did . With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. (2) Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. [83] Herb Goldman stated that Liston, when in his prime between 1958 and 1963, was the most feared fighter in boxing history. At age 12, after selling a bag of pecans for bus fare, he left for St. Louis, betting on a brighter future. (1) Liston had been deeply involved as a bill collector of a loansharking ring in Las Vegas. I wasn't hit. [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. "[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. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. 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