Less than 10 days later, he was Muhammad Ali, a name given him to Elijah Muhammad, the head of the Nation of Islam. Technically, contracts for boxing matches werent supposed to have rematch clauses, though pretty much all of them had some sort of loophole and agreement when each side wanted to guarantee a return bout again, the laws by which boxing governed itself were really more suggestions at the time. Shaun Assael. There were plenty of tough questions after the first fight for Liston, too, namely, why didnt he come out for another round? [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. Although Clay often carried his gloves down at his waist, seemingly open to attack, he proved very difficult to hit. Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. [71] Credence to the latter theory is provided by the fact that Liston, immediately after his fight with Chuck Wepner, seemed more concerned about supporting the proposed Ali-Frazier bout and Ali's claims to be champion than promoting his own career. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. It was probably Liston's best moment in the entire fight. 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. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. 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". I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' He died circa December 30,. 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. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. But a Senate subcommittee hearing turned up no evidence of any match-fixing, and doctors confirmed his explanation that hed taken such damage to his shoulder that he couldnt feel his arm. Banker said he was told by police that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a drug raid. The suspension was honored in all states. That would prove to be an understatement. [37] Frustrated, Liston changed his management in 1961 and applied pressure through the media by remarking that Patterson, who had faced mostly white challengers since becoming champion, was drawing the color line against his own race. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. Many in the small crowd had not even settled in their seats when the fight was stopped. [27][28], Liston's streak of nine straight knockout victories ended when he won a unanimous twelve-round decision against Eddie Machen on September 7, 1960. I know!" [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. Arthur Daley of the New York Times wrote that Liston's handlers knew he "didn't have it anymore,"[65] and allegedly they had secretly paid sparring partner Amos Lincoln an extra $100 to take it easy on him -[citation needed] - the same man, incidentally, that Liston dismissed in less than two rounds a full three years later. The NAACP had urged Patterson not to fight Liston, fearing that a Liston victory would hurt the civil rights movement. On the album's lyric sheet, below the Liston song, Knopfler includes a famous quotation from Liston from 1962: "Some day, they're gonna write a blues for fighters. But then again, he took a pretty good beating in the fight. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. "[35] However, in 1963 in the aftermath of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Liston broke off a European boxing exhibition tour to return home and was quoted as saying he was "ashamed to be in America. "He said: 'Look what they did!' "He was scared of the police. Rogin wrote. 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. The FBI was on the hunt for evidence for match-fixing, given Listons mob ties mobsters still owned much of his fight promotion contract and the sports shady business model. Book Review: Was Sonny Liston Murdered? - The Arts Fuse QUESTION 1 Reminds me of former UFC fighter Shane Carwin. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. [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. Two of the three official scorers, or judges, awarded the round to Liston, and the other scored the round even. The second round saw Liston continue to pursue Clay. 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 . Sonny was definitely a specimen. 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. Who needed that? Sonny Liston - Wikipedia [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. In the 2015 British crime film Legend, Liston is played by Mark Theodore in a scene where gangster Reggie Kray poses for a picture with the boxer. 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. He is seen in the far left part of the row, wearing a white and gold robe, standing beside the original-look Beatle wax figures. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. 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. 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. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color 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. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. Also, scar tissue, possibly from needle marks, was found in the bend of Liston's left elbow. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter." You could feel the deflation, see the look of hurt in his eyes. Both fights were in Summerlin's hometown of Detroit.[23]. "He was scared, he was scared of so many things," Knopfler said. "[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. Also in 1970, Liston appeared on an episode of the TV series Love, American Style and in a television commercial for Braniff Airlines with Andy Warhol.[12][102]. "But can he hit!" At the IBHOF, the casts of Listons hands were bigger than Lennox Lewis' which were also gigantic. After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. 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. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. 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. Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. Felix later said Clay was seconds from being disqualified. Genuinely kind mobster who had been convicted of armed robbery and assault. 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. 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. Sonny Liston in his prime . Maybe he was. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. Sonny Liston Interview - Rare - YouTube There's never been anybody as ruthless. After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. In "Song for Sonny Liston," Knopfler's voice is backed by electric guitar, a bass and drums as he tells the story of a sharecropper's son who went from prison to the championship to an early. He said he could not hear McDonough, who did not have a microphone. [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. [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. In his sixth bout, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin (18-1-2) on national television and won in an eight-round decision. [83] Herb Goldman stated that Liston, when in his prime between 1958 and 1963, was the most feared fighter in boxing history. He had a whiplash, so they took him to the hospital," said boxing trainer Johnny Tocco. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. "[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. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. 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. Sonny Liston was one of the hardest hitters the boxing world has ever seen. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose. Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. Sonny Liston: The Tragic Story of a Terrifying Man I dont have to be what you want me to be, Clay told agitated reporters. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. There are echoes of slavery in his upbringing." 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 . During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. Liston decked Martin with a left hook in the fourth round and dominated most of the fight, but Martin came back and knocked Liston out cold in the ninth round. 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. I didn't think it was a powerful punch when I saw the fight from ringside," he said. [50] Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. THE PREFIGHT MOODS OF SONNY LISTON. This victory is regarded by some as Liston's most impressive performance. [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. 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. 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. ", It was later theorized that a substance used on Liston's cuts by Joe Pollino, his cut man, may have caused the irritation. ", 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. [19], On June 23, 1953, a team consisting of ten recent St. Louis Golden Gloves champions of all weight classes, with Liston on top as the heavyweight, was gathered to represent the United States in an International Golden Gloves (USA vs. West Europe) competition at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. The second fight? Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." 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. He also wrote that Liston's win over Patterson proved that "in a fair fight between good and evil, evil must win." Boston: Little, Brown. [42], Liston's run-ins with the police had continued in Philadelphia. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. Clay brought Malcolm X along with him to Miami, and amid the controversy, the fight was almost canceled. The highly-anticipated May 1965 rematch between the heavyweight champions almost didn't happen. In the third round, Clay began to take control of the fight. According to a New York Times report the day after the fight, Clay was indeed an official member of the Nation of Islam. 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. [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. ", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:36. 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. Patterson, a 4-1 betting underdog, was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. "From Bad Buck to White Hope: Journalism and Sonny Liston, 19581965. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. #muhammadali #henrycooper #sonnyliston #dougjones #heavyweight #greatness #boxing #legend #larryholmes #ironmike #sonnyliston #intimidating #bad #big #greatb. "He was afraid of needles," echoed Father Edward Murphy. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" Geraldine remembered her husband as "Great with me, great with the kids. . "When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". In a pre-fight poll, 43 of 46 sportswriters picked Liston to win by knockout. 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. [24], In 1958, Liston returned to boxing. [70] There have been a number of unproven theories as to the background to the purported dive including that Liston was threatened by the Muslims, or agreed to lose in return for a share in the more marketable Ali's future purses. I know it", Liston said afterward. [10] His family, but not one Charles (or Sonny) Liston, can be found in the 1930 census, and in the 1940 census he was listed as 10 years old. The rumors swirling nearly canceled the fight the night prior, and when a reporter that morning broke tradition and asked if Clay was a member of the Black Muslims, as the group was often called, the boxer confirmed his new religion. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. One Journalist's Attempt To Solve 'The Murder Of Sonny Liston' - WBUR Joe Frazier vs Sonny Liston : r/Boxing - Reddit "[35] Although largely illiterate through lack of schooling, Liston was a more complex and interesting individual than has often been acknowledged. (, Shaun Assael. Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. He also took his gun. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. 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We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color Legends of Boxing in Color 2.47K subscribers Subscribe 16K views 8 months ago Very Rare interview with Sonny Liston and. 10 Wild Stories From The Life Of Sonny Liston - Listverse Unlike Dylan or Carter, however, Knopfler does not present Liston as innocent of a crime for which he was imprisoned. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. (. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. [31] While Liston began working into shape with hopes for a heavyweight title shot, he also continued his criminal behavior. [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. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas. Very rare interview of Sonny Liston talking about how he got started in boxing, his fights with Williams and Patterson and his training routine. "[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. Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating: "Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. (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. 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 | Boxing's Most Intimidating and Unwanted Champion [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. 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." Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. 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 photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. [citation needed], Liston competed in the 1953 United States National Championships at Boston Garden and passed the preliminaries, stopping Lou Graff in the second round on April 13, but lost in the quarterfinals to 17-year-old Jimmy McCarter on April 15. Naturally, they decided that Ali would take on Liston. 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." Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." Liston's noticeably more muscular left arm, crushing left jab and powerful left hook lent credence to the widely held belief that he was left-handed, although he fought in an orthodox stance.
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