Sonny was definitely a specimen. During the interim, officials in Boston also got cold feet. 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. Sonny Liston | Boxing's Most Intimidating and Unwanted Champion Rainy Day Boxing 302K subscribers 5.6M views 1 year ago Join Rainy Day Boxing for an in depth career tribute to arguably the most. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c. 1930 - December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." 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. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. Suddenly, the world had to come to grips with a new kind of heavyweight champion. With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. [83] Herb Goldman stated that Liston, when in his prime between 1958 and 1963, was the most feared fighter in boxing history. [16] Listonaged around 13, according to his later reckoningsremained in Arkansas with his father. There's something really primal about the whole thing, obviously. [8][9], There is no official record of Liston's birth. "I didn't know what the heck was going on", Angelo Dundee, Clay's trainer, recalled on an NBC special 25 years later. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, The Man Behind the First All-Black Basketball Team, 8 Times Brothers Have Faced Off in a Championship, Every Black Quarterback to Play in the Super Bowl, Soccer Star Christian Atsu Survived an Earthquake. Less than 10 days later, he was Muhammad Ali, a name given him to Elijah Muhammad, the head of the Nation of Islam. He was still a world-ranked boxer when he died in mysterious circumstances in 1970. [39] Leading up to the fight, Liston was an 85 betting favorite, although many picked Patterson to win. His eyes swept the whole scene. [8] Convicted and sentenced to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary, Liston started his prison time on June 1, 1950. [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. The governor of nearby Maine, John Reed, stepped up and volunteered to host it in the small town of Lewiston, where a resort and ice rink could provide some infrastructure. "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. Only Massachusetts was willing to host the fight, though it was delayed from November 1964 to May 1965 so that Ali could recover from hernia surgery. Sonny Liston was a bad, bad guy who was also a victim, and I dont know that anyone can point to when a victim becomes a perpetrator and how much sympathy he deserves, but I also think any holistic take is fair this far in history. Audiences at home were confused and outraged. [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. When Machen clinched in . Liston also appears in the sequel, Blood's a Rover. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. 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Joe Frazier vs Sonny Liston : r/Boxing - Reddit [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. The Murder of Sonny Liston is an absorbing, albeit speculative, attempt at addressing the mystery that died with the man. No, I'm Alexanderhe's no Alexander. In his next fight, he had a rematch with Summerlin and again won an eight-round decision. World light-heavyweight champion Jos Torres said, "It was a perfect punch." You really never watched the first fight did you? His wife said he was a kind & gentle hearted person who cared deeply for children & that no one ever saw that side of him except those closest to him, I believe theres a documentary somewhere on YouTube Id recommend watching it. At that point, the fight was scored as even on the official scorecards. He could have remained typecast as a musician performing rock songs. Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". He could probably drive his thumb through your skull like Michael Myers, It's crazy to think about the fact that Sonny Liston was an actual gangster running with gangs.. and then he looks so soft spoken in the interview. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. 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". "[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. Sonny Liston interview with Max Goldberg before his fight with Cassius In the 2001 film Ali, Liston was portrayed by former WBO Heavyweight Champion Michael Bentt. 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. #1 December 1963 extended Interview with Champion Sonny Liston - discusses Ali defense, his contenders, even the JFK Assassination 12-02-2022, 12:32 PM Pretty cool interview. 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. Watch the interview you be the judge.. "At about noon on the day of the fight, (Magids) reached Resnick again by phone," the memo read. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. The victim sought out the executioner." [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. 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. Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." Ira Gay Sealy/The Denver Post via Getty Images According to the post, he returned back home later that morning and called his sparring partner Gary Bates to tell him he was leaving for Los Angeles but that they should get together when he returned in a couple of days. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. 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. He said it was taught to him by comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchit, who learned it from Jack Johnson. Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. #muhammadali #henrycooper #sonnyliston #dougjones #heavyweight #greatness #boxing #legend #larryholmes #ironmike #sonnyliston #intimidating #bad #big #greatb. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. 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. Sonny Liston Interview in Color - YouTube "Nat Fleischer [editor of The Ring] was sitting beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." Liston retired in his corner due to an inflamed shoulder. [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. It was more likely that Liston was out of shape according to a story in Esquire at the time, Liston trained as normal, running around five miles a day, eating hot dogs and drinking beer. He was also possibly much older than his listed 32 years than anything else Liston was the second-youngest of 25 children to parents who didnt exactly keep records of birthdates. "[78] While much has been written about the effectiveness of his left jab, others have commented favorably on Liston's wide range of boxing skills. On May 7, backers of the rematch ended the court battle by pulling the fight out of Boston. ", One of the most vivid verses creates a word-picture of Liston in his prime with photographic clarity: "Black Cadillac, alligator boots, money in the pockets of his sharkskin suits." [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. "From Bad Buck to White Hope: Journalism and Sonny Liston, 19581965. There was something caustic in both eyes." Walcott then rushed back to the fighters, who had resumed boxing, and stopped the fightawarding Ali a first-round knockout victory. In the months ahead of the fight, Muhammad Ali went all sorts of routes to get into Sonny Liston's head. The Murder of Sonny Liston is an absorbing, albeit speculative, attempt at addressing the mystery that died with the man. A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. [72], "I was an 'intimidator' until I fought Sonny Liston. "It really has made an impact, actually from the very first time I performed it on 'A Prairie Home Companion,"' Knopfler said in a telephone interview. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. 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. Either way, nat fleisher as the KD timekeeper had NO right telling Walcott the fight was over. However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. Sonny Liston, once the heavyweight champ, died at the age of who-knows-what some days before Dec. 30, 1970. He was a gentle man. The photo captures the champions exhortations, with all the fire and passion and dynamic physicality that made him such a phenomenon. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. Watch the interview you be the judge. "I remember him telling me one day that he found himself watching boxing but he didn't like the way it made him feel," Knopfler said. The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter." The Ring magazine ranks Liston as the tenth greatest heavyweight of all time,[4] while boxing writer Herb Goldman ranked him second and Richard O'Brien, Senior Editor of Sports Illustrated, placed him third. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. There's never been anybody as ruthless. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. 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. 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. Banker later learned that the police told Liston the same thing to his face. 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. [88] On returning home from a two-week trip, Geraldine had smelled a foul odor emanating from the main bedroom and on entering saw him slumped up against the bed, a broken foot bench on the floor. The Devil And Sonny Liston. 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. [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. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color (, Shaun Assael. The bout would need to be delayed by six months. [67] Some felt the knockdown was real but the knockout was fake. [21], Liston made his professional debut on September 2, 1953, knocking out Don Smith in the first round in St. Louis, where he fought his first five bouts. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. Very rare interview of Sonny Liston talking about how he got started in boxing, his fights with Williams and Patterson and his training routine. 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, . 589 Share 23K views 1 year ago Rare interview of Sonny Liston colorized. And Tex Maule of Sports Illustrated wrote, "The blow had so much force it lifted Liston's left foot, upon which most of his weight was resting, well off the canvas. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. Who needed that? Good lord, Sonny's mitts are massive. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. "[95], Sgt. I don't think there was any way for him to beat Clay at that time, but if he entered the ring in a different mindset, to box and not try and get him like Patterson and others, he could of went the distance. 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." [60] The extent to which Liston's heavy drinking and possible drug use may have contributed to his surprisingly poor performances against Ali is not known.[15]. Never seen this one before, thanks alot. One mile up on a mountain 13 miles west of Denver is the Shrine of Mother Cabrini. Numerous fans booed and started yelling, "Fix!" Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. Any objective observer would have had to concede that Ali's counterpunch had landed, and landed with enough force to turn Liston's head, Rob Sneddon wrote in The Phantom Punch: The Story Behind Boxing's Most Controversial Bout. To this day, I'm convinced that's what the coroner saw in his examthat hospital needle mark. [64] Strict interpretation of the knockdown/count rule states it is the referee's count and not the timekeeper's that is the official count. 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. Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. [51], Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by technical knockout. Hed shown up to the fight in the best shape of his life no hot dogs or beer in his diet this time and promised to take down Ali. Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. Sit down!' Mark Knopfler enjoyed widespread popularity in the 1980's as the leader of Dire Straits, lending his husky voice to hit songs like "Sultans of Swing" and "Money for Nothing." He was poking the bear a bit there . He particularly resented a 1961 arrest by a black patrolman for loitering, claiming to have merely been signing autographs and chatting with fans outside a drugstore. Sonny Liston | Boxing's Most Intimidating and Unwanted Champion Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. He died circa December 30,. Midway through the first round, Liston threw a left jab and Ali went over it with a fast right, knocking the former champion down. Also, scar tissue, possibly from needle marks, was found in the bend of Liston's left elbow. Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. and "Nobody will believe this!"[63]. Banker said he was told by police that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a drug raid. Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, during which the photo was snapped, was already shaping up to be the stuff of legends. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. Press J to jump to the feed. In that same book Liston was quoted two years after the fight: "Ali knocked me down with a sharp punch. Caputo, one of the investigating police officers, "The whole department knew about it." Liston assaulted the officer, breaking his knee and gashing his face. [103], 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.[104]. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. with Sonny - Traduo em portugus - Reverso Context [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. Sheed says that the punch and the knockdown "may have been genuine, but when referee Joe Walcott blew the count and gave him all evening to get up, Liston's rendition of a coma wouldn't have fooled a possum. 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. Beat me to it! [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. Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread and all them sluggers went down like lead.
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