He became a professional fighter in 1953. Liston didn't find gainful employment in St. Louis. On top of the mob issue, Liston had to overcome more problems with the law before he could be free to fight Patterson for the title. 100 Rock Street Auspiciously, the massive man is known as The Bear then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. On the same night at a different location, but on the same closed-circuit broadcast, Patterson defeated unheralded Tom McNeeley in four rounds in what would be the final successful defense of his crown. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against "Bayonne Bleeder" Chuck Wepner. With Cus DAmato as his coach, Liston reigned as champion for seventeen months. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. With the help of a farsighted, black St. Louis businessman and some other backers who were aware of Sonny's potential, Liston pursued a ring career after leaving the joint and rejoining society at large. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. He won in the first round against Don Smith. Tosches believes the latter. That doesn't make sense. Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2020-2022? There's no question that the hard-scrabble existence of youth prepared Liston for the success he would later enjoy as a prizefighter. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. lis! He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders. He had been dead for some time, an ending every bit as murky as the Clay/Ali fights. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. His epitaph reads: A Man.. Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. Liston moved to Las Vegas in 1966 and was found dead there on Jan. 5, 1971, when his wife returned to their home from a Christmas visit with her mother. It has been rumored that the crime boss John Vitale arranged for his early release. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. WebListon retired on his stool citing an injured shoulder; After this fight Cassius Clay changed his name to Cassius X and then to Muhammad Ali; 1964 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. In 1956, he found himself on the wrong side of the law again. His alcoholic and violent father was thirty years older than Sonnys mother. Liston continued to fight in the ring until June 1970. He was arrested twice in a period of months in Philadelphia in the summer of 1961. The tactic worked. Though it appeared that Liston had barely been grazed by Clay's right fist, the boxer went down just one minute and 45 seconds into the first round. He was one of many childrenone account lists twenty-two siblings and half-siblings. WebThe son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. He maintained a winning streak in eight matches. Big Hela had moved there in 1946. As most boxing fans know, it was in the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City that Sonny learned to box. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. In 1950, Liston was arrested at his apartment at 1006 O'Fallon Street for robbing the Unique Cafe on 1502 Market Street in St. Louis for 37 dollars. 72201. When Liston died, he was rated 7th in the world heavyweight rankings by Ring Magazine. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Sand Slough, Arkansas, United States of America, Sonny Liston is still regarded as the best heavyweight boxer with a taste of violence. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. New York: Skyhorse, 2011. By all accounts, Liston had a woeful childhood. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Nous sommes tous His trademark shirt during his illegal raids was yellow. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. The rematch in Las Vegas on July 22, 1963, was another first-round knockout. It was a defense mechanism designed to keep people from getting too close. Made a comeback in 1968-1969 and won 14 straight before losing to Leotis Martin. When he won the heavyweight title in 1962 at age 30, he had a daughter age 25. Sanders was the reigning Olympic heavyweight champion. Liston, in fact, had great respect for Father Murphy and behaved admirably around him. Jack Dempsey and Roberto Duran are two cases in point. 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. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. He had the biggest fist of any heavyweight champion: 15 inches. Even as a grown up, the physical scars were still visible. Mee, Bob. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. With the proceeds he traveled to St. Louis and reunited with his mother and siblings. All Rights Reserved. He compiled a career record of The official date of Charles L. Liston is given as May 8, 1932. He was thirty-eight years. Sonny never really had a Prime. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. Read our Privacy Policy. There, he became a thug, committing various muggings and robbery. As the top fighter in the world, Liston became an easy target for sports columnists who remarked frequently on not only his menacing demeanor and vicious punching power but also his criminal background. Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. Liston was beholdin' to the mob and everybody knew it. Survived by his wife Geraldine and a step-daughter. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up The rematch in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 22 1963, was another first-round knockout, with Patterson counted out in two minutes, twenty-three seconds. At 6 feet 1 inch and 217 pounds, Liston had devastating punching power, an iron chin, and lightning reflexes, along with a powerful jab. Sonny Liston lost his title to the little known Cassius Clay in the seventh round in February 1964. L'arbre Publicity Listings in Sand Slough, Arkansas, USA , United States, Died on December 30, 1970 Sonny Liston: The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. Tosches, who hails from Newark, writes in an engaging style that is as beautifully stylish as a Liston left jab and as savagely straightforward. He died in Vegas as mysteriously as he had lived, a man bent under a great shadow, afflicted by a legion of personal demons that no one could exorcise. Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, around 1932. Liston destroyed the champion in one round and destroyed him again in the rematch. During that same period, he got married (in 1957 to Geraldine Clark), moved from St. Louis to Philadelphia, and was questioned by a congressional committee about the takeover of his management by mob elements in 1960. The most noticeable being his win over Ed Sanders. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. The rematch, in Lewiston, Maine, on May 25, 1965, was even more controversial. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Dowling Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights. Outside of the ring, Liston had a charming personality. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Boxer. Liston, one of 25 children by his father, is reputed to have been born in May 1932, yet prison records show various birth dates, among them 1928. For all his womanizing, Liston had a respect for his wife Geraldine and was faithful to her in his own way. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. Sonny Liston, hard-luck son of Arkansas sharecroppers, was champion of the world. Username and password are case sensitive. She was working in a shoe factory when her son Charles unexpectedly came to the city and looked her up. Liston, who was viewed as nearly invincible before the fight, was unable to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay (soon to take the nameMuhammad Ali) was named champion on February 25, 1964. In 1950, he was arrested by the police. He never shied away from street fights. He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous "phantom punch." Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. But there is another side. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. Knocked out #2-rated heavyweight contender Roy Harris (27-1) in one round. Yet, Tosches postulates that Liston threw his first fight with Cassius Clay in Miami in February of 1964 at the behest of the mob. This enabled him to get hired as a manual laborer in the farms. Before his sentencing, Liston had been arrested more than twenty times. . George Foreman was his sparring partner from 1969 to 1970. After a little while, Liston followed his mother and was reunited with his other siblings. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. At the age of 14, he was almost 6 feet tall. The second was a boy. He overcame tremendous odds to win the title and earn a measure of fame, but even so he was never embraced by the public. angelsunchained, Other Works Liston was arrested more than 20 times. Assael, Shaun. Charles L. Sonny Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. His father was 30 years older than his mother. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. He, however, won in the subsequent rematch. Liston's career was interrupted for nine months beginning in December 1956, when he was sent to the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a policeman and stealing the officer's gun. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children.
1776 To 1976 American Revolution Bicentennial Coin Value,
Articles S