A story is told of Liston ordering his driver to stop on a busy highway, so that Liston could go and buy some pencils from an obviously poor, old, white women whom he had observed. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover. Sanders was the reigning Olympic heavyweight champion. Tosches believes the latter. Sonny Liston turned professional in September 1953. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous phantom punch. Though it appeared that Liston had barely been grazed by Clays right fist, the boxer went down just one minute and 45 seconds into the first round. Mee, Bob. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. Liston destroyed the champion in one round and destroyed him again in the rematch. 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. Is mentioned in the song "Swinging" by Tom Petty. Why he died remains one of sport's most enduring mysteries. 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. At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. Instead, he and some friends took to robbing people on the street and robbing gas stations with a loaded pistol. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1991. London: Aurum Press, 2008. She had been away on holiday. L'arbre Tosches, Nick. Folley knocked down twice in 2nd round; 9 count and saved by the bell at 9 count. He was sired by Lawman out of the Galileo mare Stars In Your Eyes. in rural St. Francis County. In 1956, he found himself on the wrong side of the law again. Wrong username or password. Liston was arrested more than 20 times. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. He became a professional fighter in 1953. WebTogether with his 24 siblings and half siblings, Sonny grew up in the local cotton fields. In October 1952, Liston was released on parole. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. We are all related! Thus, cloaking the heavyweight champion of the world--the epitome of masculinity and male supremacy--in a Santa Claus hat was the height of irony at the time. Owing to his bold physique and strict upbringing, Liston loved training. Liston was arrested more than 20 times. The tactic worked. Because of this alliance, which was public knowledge, Liston was called before the committee investigating organized crime that had been established by Tennessee Democratic Senator Estes Kefauver. Tosches here betrays an ignorance of boxing that no doubt hurts his credibility with those know know the sport. | Gallender, Paul. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. With the proceeds he traveled to St. Louis and reunited with his mother and siblings. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. He had the biggest fist of any heavyweight champion: 15 inches. His relationship status is single. Sonny Liston - Biography - IMDb While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Ivn Popoca estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. {{ mediasCtrl.getTitle(media, true) }} His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. William Friedkin was intended to direct his biopic "Night Train" with Ving Rhames as Sonny Liston. Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2020-2022? A Champion of Something New - by Eli Jones - The Riverside At least two sexual assaults. Liston went down in the first round, felled by a punch few saw. Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932, but that is off by at least two years. Liston claimed he was born in He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. On the side of Tobe Liston, born in 1872 - Choctaw Co., MS, deceased. His alcoholic and violent father was thirty years older than Sonnys mother. For all his womanizing, Liston had a respect for his wife Geraldine and was faithful to her in his own way. Womanizing. Big Hela had moved there in 1946. He put himself under the care of still another Catholic priest, Father Edward P. Murphy, a kindly Jesuit who was the pastor of a predominantly black church in Denver. Again rumors were rife that the match was fixed by the criminal underworld. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. Owing to his many siblings and a brutal, hardscrabble Arkansas childhood with an abusive father (excruciatingly detailed in the movie and book), Liston had an affinity for needy children. Liston relocated to Denver with his wife Geraldine and friend/sparring partner Foneda Cox and underwent extensive counseling with Father Murphy. Family tree of Sonny LISTON - Geneastar By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. Those dark forces were also at work when Liston willingly placed himself in the hands of the mob that ran the fight game during the time of Liston's ascendancy to the crown. in Sand Slough, Arkansas, USA , United States, Died on December 30, 1970 He overcame tremendous odds to win the title and earn a measure of fame, but even so he was never embraced by the public. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. The reader can form his own conclusion based on the reports of those involved. Less than a year later, on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali) when he refused to answer the bell for the seventh round, claiming a shoulder injury. Liston scored another knockout in a rematch with Patterson, but his 17-month reign as heavyweight champion ended at the hands of a brash fighter named Cassius Clay. James Ellroy portrayed Sonny Liston as a fight loser, a heroin addict, a black racist, and a Mafia jawbreaker in his novel "The Cold Six Thousand.". He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on May 8, 1932. Liston is another. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. Liston continued to fight in the ring until June 1970. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. WebPatterson defended against Liston in Comiskey Park, Chicago, on September 25, 1962, and the rest is history. For a while, he even lost his license to box in the United States. Because of his arrest and prison term, Liston didn't have a fight between March of 1956, when he decisioned Marty Marshall in Pittsburgh, to January of 1958, when he knocked out Bill Hunter in two rounds in Chicago. Appeared in a Santa Claus hat on the cover of the December 1963 edition of Esquire Magazine. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born into a sharecropping family who farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. Liston was inducted into the international Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born circa 1930 into a sharecropping family who farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. In the end, one can't help feeling some sympathy for Liston. First heavyweight title challenger to earn a purse of $1,000,000. At 6 feet 1 inch and 217 pounds, Liston had devastating punching power, an iron chin, and lightning reflexes, along with a powerful jab. He was officially knocked out by Muhammad Ali in one minute for the fastest KO in heavyweight history up to that time. From the start, Liston was a devastating puncher. Foes like the murderous-punching Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn and Nino Valdez succumbed to Liston's heavy fists. That hurt him deeply, though he instinctively hid the scars behind a scowl. WebThe son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Liston had a short and successful amateur career, following which he turned pro. Soon caught (his crimes were inept, spur-of-the-moment, strong arm jobs) and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, he was sentenced in 1950 to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. He was arrested twice in a period of months in Philadelphia in the summer of 1961. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous "phantom punch." Later, films of the fight showed the bout ended at the 1:25 mark. The second was a boy. He won in the first round against Don Smith. During the years that Liston was champ, the mob was in retreat. Liston, who posted a career record of 50 wins and 4 losses with 39 knockouts, reveled in this role of the fighter America loved to hate. Was the favorite fighter of the famous Fab Four, the Beatles, and he appears on their "Sgt. WebHe had seven siblings. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. But the champ went down in a hurry: two minutes and six seconds in the first round. Joe Louis rated Liston's jab one of the best in boxing history. He also has a position among the list of Most popular Boxer. Sonny Liston is a 4 year old colt and has raced in 2022. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. Served time in prison for robbery and later for assaulting a police officer. On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Boxer. Sonny Liston Wife According to our records, Sonny Liston married to Geraldine Seithel. He died under mysterious conditions on December 30, 1970. Liston was beholdin' to the mob and everybody knew it. Less than a year later in Miami Beach, Liston lost his title to Cassius Clay when he refused to answer the bell for the seventh round, claiming a shoulder industry. Armed robbery. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. He became a professional fighter in 1953. They called it Sand Slough. Celebrating Sonny Liston Survived by his wife Geraldine and a step-daughter. WebSonny Liston Photo Gallery. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. In Michael Mann's Ali, Liston was portrayed by famous boxer Michael Bentt, with whom he shares a strong resemblance. For those interested in knowing more about the life and times of one of the most enigmatic and troubled heavyweight champs, the book "The Devil and Sonny Liston," by Nick Tosches (Copyright 2000, published by Little, Brown and Company), is a wealth of knowledge. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Perhaps no keener insight can be gained from those early years, though, than from what Sonny himself was quoted as saying: "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a whipping.". His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. At the age of 16, Listonmore than 6 feet tall and weighing 200 poundsbecame a menacing presence in his neighborhood, occasionally working as a strike-breaking labor goon. In 1966, following his loss to Clay, Liston launched a comeback. 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. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. Tosches goes to great lengths in his book to convey the ubiquitous presence of the mob in those days and the power that men like Frank "Gray Man" Carbo and Frank "Blinky" Palermo wielded in boxing. Maybe Liston realized that he couldn't beat the youthful Clay/Ali, and he opted not to get up off the canvas in round one instead of absorbing another beating. (Which isn't to say that Liston took advantage of Father Murphy, or that he had a disregard for what Father Murphy had to say. He served brief prison terms and on one occasion was introduced to boxing by a prison chaplain. His heavyweight title-winning victory on September 25, 1962, was indicative of his powerful style: After a mere two minutes, he knocked out Floyd Patterson, which marked the first time in history that a reigning heavyweight champion was counted out in the first round. Sonny Liston Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. The official cause of death was lung congestion and heart failure, although Liston had fresh needle marks on his arm and police discovered heroin and a syringe in the house. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. His parents were peasant farmers who grew cotton in the south. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. Sonny Listons height Unknown & weight Not Available right. 1932-1970 Sonny Liston was the heavyweight boxing champion from 1962 to 1964. He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders Cleveland Williams, Nino Valdes, Roy Harris, Zora Folley, and Eddie Machen (all knockouts except for Machen). He was a victim before he was ever a brute. 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. Tosches insists that films of Liston losing to Clay reveal that Liston was missing punches intentionally. His 17-year ring log was an impressive 50-4 with 39 knockouts. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. Little Rock, AR. BoxRec Steen, Rob. In accordance with the legal provisions, you can ask for the removal of your name and the name of your minor children. There were also times when he showed surprising compassion for the less fortunate. The continual conflicts with the police. Liston's formative years were spent growing up as a physically and mentally abused child living in a forsaken patch of land known as Sand Slough, Ark. The local police classified him as the yellow shirt bandit.. That doesn't make sense. Much of what Tosches gleans about Liston's youth stem from interviews with people who lived on the Morledge Plantation in the 1930s and from Sonny's older half-brother E.B. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. His best years were 195862 when he destroyed everyone while Patterson shamelessly ducked him. However, it turned out to be his stepdaughter, the daughter of his wife. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. Ali and Liston: The Boy Who Would Be King and the Ugly Bear. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again.