His fists measured 15 inches (38cm) around, the largest of any heavyweight champion. 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. [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]. "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. In this case, Intercontinental Promotions Inc., which had the rights to Listons fight, also got to choose the first opponent for the new champion, should Liston lose. 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. For Sonny Liston, a Ballad to a Heavyweight, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/13/sports/othersports/for-sonny-liston-a-ballad-to-a-heavyweight.html. The Murder of Sonny Liston is an absorbing, albeit speculative, attempt at addressing the mystery that died with the man. He said they found Liston lying on his bed with a needle sticking out of his arm. Liston's story, Knopfler said, "is great for a writer for many reasons. ", 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." [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. "A blues song just for fighters: The legend of Sonny Liston. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. Also, scar tissue, possibly from needle marks, was found in the bend of Liston's left elbow. He was a gentle man. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. The year 1959 was a banner one for Liston: after knocking out contender Mike DeJohn in six rounds he faced Cleveland Williams, a fast-handed fighter who was billed as the hardest-hitting heavyweight in the world against whom he showed durability, power and skill, nullifying Williams' best work before stopping him in the third round. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. Rogin called Liston's physique "awesomearms like fence posts, thighs like silos." [66], Former champions Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson and Gene Tunney, as well as contender George Chuvalo all declared they considered the fight to be a fake. He offered no comment on the matter, but his victory would soon turn it into an international story. 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." 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. And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. In the 2001 film Ali, Liston was portrayed by former WBO Heavyweight Champion Michael Bentt. Naturally, they decided that Ali would take on Liston. 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. Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. [92] He had been suffering from hardening of the heart muscle and lung disease before his death. Tobe and Helen had 12 children together; Sonny was the second youngest child. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. "[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. 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. . #muhammadali #henrycooper #sonnyliston #dougjones #heavyweight #greatness #boxing #legend #larryholmes #ironmike #sonnyliston #intimidating #bad #big #greatb. 589 Share 23K views 1 year ago Rare interview of Sonny Liston colorized. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. So I went down. Boston: Little, Brown. Press J to jump to the feed. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" For me, the most fascinating thing about Liston was the fact that his birth date is unknown. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. [30], Liston became the No. "[35] Although largely illiterate through lack of schooling, Liston was a more complex and interesting individual than has often been acknowledged. [84], Liston married Geraldine Chambers in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 3, 1957. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. 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. Top contender Zora Folley was stopped in three rounds. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." Liston did eventually rise from the mat, but soon after, the referee broke up the two boxers once again the former champion had been down for more than 10 seconds, ending the fight. In an unearthed, unaired TV interview, Sonny Liston's wife once said that the fighter needed to get out of the ring as fast as possible because he had diarrhea. 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. "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. In these feckless clinches he only managed to tie up one of Liston's arms. "You're putting things on and you're taking this out and molding it," Knopfler said. Patterson, a 4-1 betting underdog, was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. Knopfler said he enjoys boxing and other sports but reflected on a conversation he had with a friend about the fights. Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." [55], There is ample evidence that Liston did carry an injury to his left shoulder into the fight. "[95], Sgt. [105], Singer/Songwriter Rod Picott wrote and recorded a song titled "Sonny Liston" for his 2022 album "Paper Hearts and Broken Arrows. The torn tendon had bled down into the mass of the biceps, swelling and numbing the arm. [16] Listonaged around 13, according to his later reckoningsremained in Arkansas with his father. 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 cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. 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. On April 21, 1955, he defeated Marshall in a rematch, dropping him four times en route to a sixth-round knockout. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. There were plenty of tough questions after the first fight for Liston, too, namely, why didnt he come out for another round? 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. For those too young to remember, Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston was a legendary heavyweight boxer. [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. Because of that, Cage may have thought Sonny was an informant and shot him with a hot dose as retribution. These transcripts contain material that did not appear in the final program. Liston kept running into trouble with the law and Ali had a target on his back after the assassination of Malcolm X, whom he had disavowed after Elijah Muhammad forced him out of the Nation of Islam. He claimed the officer used racial slurs. Then again, you can also have guys like Ali or Mike Tyson. He also took his gun. [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 first fight, in Miami, a 22-year-old Cassius Clay danced around the ring, taunted Liston, promised reporters hed shock the world, and then delivered on that promise with a blistering late attack that prompted Liston to toss in the towel after the sixth round. "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. Don't confuse shyness with dullness, Sonny was reluctant to talk to the press - the always painted a bad picture of him.Dwight Muhammad Qawi Braxton ATG Philly Joe Frazier Bernard HopkinsTags:pernell whitaker jersey joe walcott louis julio chavez evander holyfield lennox lewis felix sturm oscar de la hoya floyd mayweather miguel cotto marquez manny pacquiao pacman boxing boxer ko knockout tribute robbery mike tyson rocky marciano oscar de la hoya manny pacquiao foreman fight miguel cotto dead death muhammad ali cassius mike tyson clay lennox lewis eric morales barrera floyd mayweather fedor emelianenko ufc boxing ko k.o. Once he went down, I got excited. [87], Liston was found dead by his wife, Geraldine, in their Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971. That would prove to be an understatement. "Yes, it was good and honest". "[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. [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. [58] Despite Liston carrying an injury and being undertrained, Clay stated in 1975 that the first fight with Liston was the toughest of his career. Subsequently, Liston spent some months in Denver where a Catholic priest who acted as his spiritual adviser attempted to help bring his drinking under control. 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. After repeated overnight detention by the St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston left for Philadelphia. [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. The story goes that Liston was born somewhere . "[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. Tale of the tape: Fight poster for Sonny Liston v Cassius Clay in 1964. . Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. 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. Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. 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. His family's home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965. And the face, it was an unforgettable face. Less than 10 days later, he was Muhammad Ali, a name given him to Elijah Muhammad, the head of the Nation of Islam. 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. . [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. Name: Sonny Liston Birth Name: Charles L. Liston Hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA Birthplace: Johnson Township, Arkansas, USA Died: 1970-12-30 (Age:40) Stance: Orthodox Height: 185cm Reach: 213cm Referee: Record Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record Managers: Jack Nilon, Joe (Pep) Barone, Eddie Polino, George Katz, Frank Mitchell, Dick Sadler After Ali's win against Sonny Liston, he wouldn't . The Devil And Sonny Liston. The champion was stripped of the belt when he refused to be drafted into the armed services during the Vietnam War, and he didnt box again in a match that counted until 1970. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' "There was nothing Sonny feared more than a needle. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. Sonny Liston fought for only $10,000 during his career. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. 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. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. Liston was overwhelmed by an abusive father, confrontations with the law, underworld managers and a change in African-American culture represented by Ali, Knopfler said. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. His eyes swept the whole scene. Reminds me of former UFC fighter Shane Carwin. I didn't think it was a powerful punch when I saw the fight from ringside," he said. ", Knopfler compared writing a song about Liston to the work a sculptor performs on a statue. Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. Night Train is like $11 on Amazon, peep that if you want to get more of the story, i don't like how max was squeezing sonny's bicep. Frank Mir was around that height and was noticeably taller than Carwin. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. Liston also appears in the sequel, Blood's a Rover. Banker said he was told by police that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a drug raid. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. [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. The ending of the fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. It'll just be for slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell.". Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, said after his career was over that Liston was the hardest puncher he faced. 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." During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later.