He could have remained typecast as a musician performing rock songs. 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. [citation needed] At this time, the head coach of the St. Louis Golden Gloves team, Tony Anderson, stated that Liston was the strongest fighter he had seen. Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston . He was poking the bear a bit there . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. He sunk to the canvas, and as he was down, Ali stood over him, taunting and demanding his stunned opponent get back up. Top contender Zora Folley was stopped in three rounds. [84], Liston married Geraldine Chambers in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 3, 1957. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. In the third round, Marshall nailed Listonreportedly while he was laughingand broke his jaw. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. At one point, Clay was wiping his eyes with his right hand while extending his left arm"like a drunk leaning on a lamppost" Bert Sugar wroteto keep Liston at bay. [99] (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. 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.". [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. [105], Singer/Songwriter Rod Picott wrote and recorded a song titled "Sonny Liston" for his 2022 album "Paper Hearts and Broken Arrows. 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. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. In these feckless clinches he only managed to tie up one of Liston's arms. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. . Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. "And I suppose Sonny Liston always stuck with me. 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. He said he could not hear McDonough, who did not have a microphone. It was the first time in his career that Liston had been cut. Machen's mobility enabled him to go the distance but he was clearly outpointed despite Liston being penalised for a low blow in the 11th round. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. I didn't want anything to do with him. The photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground. Muhammad Ali biographer Jonathan Eig shared a new theory as to why Sonny Liston may have taken a dive in the boxers' second bout. ", Hutchison, Phillip J. 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. "At about noon on the day of the fight, (Magids) reached Resnick again by phone," the memo read. These transcripts contain material that did not appear in the final program. 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. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. ", confirmed most people's belief that Liston had taken a dive. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. There's never been anybody as ruthless. He claimed the officer used racial slurs. In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before his death in May 2009, Liston said he regretted . I know!" "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. "I'm doing a portrait of a life, really, in a way, so you are trying to get the whole thing into just a few verses. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. Knopfler said he enjoys boxing and other sports but reflected on a conversation he had with a friend about the fights. Both fights were in Summerlin's hometown of Detroit.[23]. 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. However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. 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". "Johnny wasn't a braggart," Davi told Liston biographer Paul Gallender. I'm Sonny Liston, I'm Jack Dempsey, there's no one like I'm from their . Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. [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. that startles everyone in a 100 foot radius. He said it was taught to him by comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchit, who learned it from Jack Johnson. He offered no comment on the matter, but his victory would soon turn it into an international story. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color Legends of Boxing in Color 22K views 10 months ago On the Spot show with Max Goldberg featuring the heavyweight champion. Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection. . Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. "[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. When he tried to muscle in for a bigger share, Conrad thinks his employers got him very drunk, took him home and stuck him with a needle. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? 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. [24], In 1958, Liston returned to boxing. Very rare interview of Sonny Liston talking about how he got started in boxing, his fights with Williams and Patterson and his training routine. Then again, you can also have guys like Ali or Mike Tyson. There were plenty of tough questions after the first fight for Liston, too, namely, why didnt he come out for another round? At that point, the fight was scored as even on the official scorecards. ", Chuck Wepner on Liston's intimidating appearance. On April 21, 1955, he defeated Marshall in a rematch, dropping him four times en route to a sixth-round knockout. 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 The grave's marker-plate bears the dedication: "A Man. [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. [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. Inter-Continental said local veteran Sam Silverman was the promoter. When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. I know it", Liston said afterward. 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. The match had more storylines than a soap opera. [16] Listonaged around 13, according to his later reckoningsremained in Arkansas with his father. Tosches, Nick (2000). [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. 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. 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. In the 2001 film Ali, Liston was portrayed by former WBO Heavyweight Champion Michael Bentt. "[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. Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. Rogin called Liston's physique "awesomearms like fence posts, thighs like silos." Never seen this one before, thanks alot. "[57] Those findings were confirmed in a formal investigation immediately after the fight by Florida State Attorney Richard Gerstein, who also noted that there was little doubt that Liston went into the fight with a sore or lame shoulder. Reminds me of former UFC fighter Shane Carwin. 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. ", Still, some found it hard to believe that the punch could have floored a man like Liston. He won by a seventh-round technical knockout, and seemed on the verge of making a comeback to the big time. In the months ahead of the fight, Muhammad Ali went all sorts of routes to get into Sonny Liston's head. (2) Professional gambler Lem Banker insists that Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. Ali called it "the anchor punch." 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, . [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. There are no official records of his birth 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 was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence, and was not prohibited from boxing during 1957. Two of the best-known are "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel and "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. 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. [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! [76][77] Foreman stated: "There wasn't anything missing from Sonny Liston. Although Liston was widely regarded as unbeatable, he lost the title in 1964 to Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), who entered as a 71 underdog. No, I'm Alexanderhe's no Alexander. Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." [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. Many did not see the punch land, and some who did questioned that it was powerful enough to knock Liston out. The fight lasted less than one full round, with Ali knocking out Liston at the 1:44 mark. 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 . Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. 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." What are you doing? Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating: "Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. There was something caustic in both eyes." He was still a world-ranked boxer when he died in mysterious circumstances in 1970. He pulled the same stuff Walcott did against Marciano. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. 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. While valuing the photograph, appraiser Kathleen Guzman told. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. 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.. 589 Share 23K views 1 year ago Rare interview of Sonny Liston colorized. "[54] Hall of Fame matchmaker Teddy Brenner also disputed the shoulder injury, claiming he saw Liston use the same arm to throw a chair in his dressing room after the match. And it was probably for the best ticket-buyers didnt exactly get their moneys worth. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. Support this Channel:https://www.patreon.com/join/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise:https://www.redbubble.com/people/LegendsofBoxing/shop I restore \u0026 colorize your projects, PayPal Donations: LegendsofBoxingYT@gmail.comThank you!______________________________________________________________________ Footage Credit:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4oGEeOJ7-Ahttps://archives.denverlibrary.org/repositories/3/resources/9093______________________________________________________________________ Join my Discord Server:https://discord.gg/9QzFSw4TvfAll My YouTube ChannelsMy Main Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/c/LegendsofBoxingMy Second Boxing Channel \"Legends of Boxing in Color\": 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-fUo5vwMy German Channel/ Deutscher Kanal: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXBfWoE1KVXEzh9d2NrwBhASocial https://www.instagram.com/legends_of_boxing1/#boxing #LegendsofBoxing #boxingclassics #Legend #boxinghistory #fight #knockout #boxingstories #athletestories #lifestories #pugilism #bareknuckle #fighting #boxinghistory #boxer #boxingclassics #boxinglegends #halloffame #boxinghalloffame #goldenera #boxinggoldenera #boxergram #boxerlife #boxerlifestyle #boxing #boxinghistory #barefist #pugilist #bareknuckle #houseofdevlin #legendaryfighter #classics #Legendary #motivation #boxingmotivation #dempsey #boxers #UnseenHistories #VisualHistory #ColorGraph #Colorized #Colorization #ColorizedPhoto #History #HistoricalPhotos #Deoldify #AIcolorization #colorizao #colourised #historia #colourise #colorization #restauracao #colourisedphoto #colorizedphoto #colouryourpast #colorizedhistory #colorizedhistoricalphotos
Obits From Henderson Funeral Home Rome, Ga, Articles S