daniel weiss sonny liston
. Liston returned to the United States and won seven fights, all by knockout, in 1968, increasing his string to eleven. "[18] The only backers willing to put up the necessary money for him to turn professional were close to underworld figures, and Liston supplemented his income by working for racketeers as an intimidator-enforcer. But according to Sonny's trainer, Johnny Tocco, once there, his path led to prison: [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. The Devil And Sonny Liston. His father was 30 years older than his mother. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c. 1930 - c. December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. Geraldine remembered her husband as "Great with me, great with the kids. The second fight lasted only four seconds longer than Part I's first-round KO, but Liston's victory was still loudly booed. This was Liston's second arrest by Fairmount Park police. [24], In 1958, Liston returned to boxing. 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. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band He is seen in the far left of the first row, wearing a white and gold robe. "[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. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston, 1965 Source: AFP. Furthermore, that count cannot be started until the fighter scoring the knockdown goes to and remains in a neutral corner. [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]. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. ", Liston appeared on the December 1963 cover of Esquire magazine (cover photograph by Carl Fischer) "the last man on earth America wanted to see coming down its chimney".[106]. Liston angrily responded by questioning whether Dempsey's failure to serve in World War I qualified him to moralize. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. This is just a glimpse into what was. He was a gentle man. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. Sonny's in a simple white robe, hood covering a white towel that's draped over his head. And for music fans, a wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. "The public is not with me. Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. It's been 43 years since Sonny passed. As the years passed and Liston's financial situation worsened, he got angry and told the mob he would go public with the story unless they gave him the money. [37] Frustrated, Liston changed his management in 1961 and applied pressure through the media by remarking that Patterson, who had faced mostly white challengers since becoming champion, was drawing the color line against his own race. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. A grateful Liston found there was no need to give chase. 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. The two American fighters met again 15 months later, Ali winning . . Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. He had been dead several days. ", During an era when white journalists still described black athletes in stereotypes, Liston had long been a target of racially charged slurs; he was called a "gorilla" and "a jungle beast" in print. Maule, Tex (March 9, 1964). Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. Maybe he was. One of the victories was over Amos Johnson, Liston's former sparring partner, who had recently defeated British champion Henry Cooper. His fists measured 15 inches around, which was the largest of any heavyweight champion. After some run-ins with the law near St Louis, Liston moved to Philly and picked up a new manager in 1958: another mafia guy named Joseph "Pep" Barone, who was a front man for mobsters Frankie Carbo and Frank "Blinky" Palermo. Floyd Patterson was Ben Mintz's "Minty Lock Of The Week" and Megan Makin' Moneyloved Patterson in a decision. An Associated Press poll had 64 of 102 reporters picking Patterson. Helen had one child before she married Tobe, and Tobe had 13 children with his first wife. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. 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. [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. ", It was later theorized that a substance used on Liston's cuts by Joe Pollino, his cut man, may have caused the irritation. Others have said he may have been murdered in some sort of mob killing. Once he went down, I got excited. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. After the second loss to Ali, Liston stayed out of the ring for more than a year. [55], There is ample evidence that Liston did carry an injury to his left shoulder into the fight. (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. Pan, 2017. The date of death listed on his death certificate is December 30, 1970,[90] which police estimated by judging the number of milk bottles and newspapers around the front door of the property. [86] Former light-heavyweight champion Jose Torres said, "I have never met an athlete in baseball, basketball or football who is smarter, more intelligent than Sonny Liston". Sonny Liston's story began with a lonely bus ride in 1944. Many in attendance did not see Ali deliver the punch. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. "But can he hit!" During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. He said it was taught to him by comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchit, who learned it from Jack Johnson. "There is power in both his left and his right, even though the fists move with the languor of motoring royalty or as if passing through a gaseous envelope more dense than air." Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c.1930 December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. [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. Mother Bridget Sheehan. He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose And the ref needed a new shirt. 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. Death April 29, 2016 - Carrhubane Beg, Limerick, Ireland. The ending of the fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. Sit down!' In February 1964, Ali - known then as Cassius Clay - shocked the sporting world by beating Liston for the world heavyweight title. 780 46K views 8 years ago Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston's son visits his gravesite. Young Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, knocked out opponent Sonny Liston for his first world title in boxing on this day in history, Feb. 25, 1964. SONNY LISTON FOUND DEAD IN 1971 Few tears are being shed for Charles (Sonny) Liston, heavyweight champion of the world, Sept. 25, 1962 to Feb. 25, 1964. 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. (. said Liston's Philadelphia dentist, Dr. Nick Ragni. SO here are four theories behind who killed Sonny Liston at only the age of 40. Sonny was one of 25 children of a sharecropper in Arkansas. In the 2015 British crime film Legend, Liston is played by Mark Theodore in a scene where gangster Reggie Kray poses for a picture with the boxer. When Liston died, with heroin found in his system, there was speculation that he'd committed suicide while some thought he'd been murdered. Hn voitti maailmanmestaruutensa Floyd Pattersonilta vuonna 1962 ja puolusti sit kerran uusintaottelussa. Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating:"Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. Muhammad Ali Signed 16x20 Sonny Liston Photo Framed MINT Autograph Steiner COA. On May 5, 1956, a policeman confronted Liston and a friend about a cab parked near Liston's home. "He had a deadly fear of needles," said Davey Pearl, a boxing referee and friend of Liston's. School of Education. The connections to organized crime were an advantage early in his career but were later used against him. In 2013 the son of a deceased mafia hitman published a book claiming that his father confessed to murdering Liston via forced drug overdose. Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. And yet, outside of boxing, L Ali is waiting to hit me, the ref can't control him. He threw 99. . Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." He died on December 30, 1970 at the age of 38 years. Odds makers gave Liston 71 to win. A stoic Liston finished the fight, but lost in an eight-round split decision. (2) Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. Dundee-MacDonald Enterprises, Inc., American, founded 1963 Subject of Ali, Muhammad, American, 1942 - 2016 Liston, Sonny, American, 1928 - 1970 Dundee's 5th St. Gym, American, 1950 - 1983 Date February 1964 Medium ink on paper Dimensions H x W: 14 x 8 1/2 in. His baleful, obsidian stare intimidates fighters, sportswriters and. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. 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." Dr. Alexander Robbins, chief physician for the Miami Beach Boxing Commission, diagnosed Liston with a torn tendon in his left shoulder. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Daniel 'Sonny' Liston is on Facebook. [32] Ironically, Patterson's manager, Cus D'Amato, associated with racketeers and had his manager's license revoked by the New York State Athletic Commission for alleged misconduct in connection with the Floyd PattersonIngemar Johansson title fight in June 1959. Listons body was discovered by his wife who was returning home from a two-week trip. [99] (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. Daniel (Dan) Liston is Professor of Education in the Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice (EFPP) program and in the Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) program. The fight quickly descended into chaos. But some Vegas "bookies, mobsters, and cops" still wonder if he wasn't . Sonny Liston, once the heavyweight champ, died at the age of who-knows-what some days before Dec. 30, 1970. What the . He was born in Sand Slough, Arkansas, U.S. on May 8, 1932. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. We cooked up that shoulder thing on the spot. Boston: Little, Brown. 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. [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. Muhammad Ali (at the time a rising contender named Cassius Clay), however, predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. Midway through the first round, Liston threw a left jab and Ali went over it with a fast right, knocking the former champion down. However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. Tosches' intended title was "Night Train" after one of Liston's favorite songs. [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. [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. The coroner said he died from natural causes. He then outpointed Julius Griffin, winner of the New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, to capture the Intercity Golden Gloves Championship on March 26 (representing Chicago). [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. Biographer Wilfrid Sheed wrote in his book, Muhammad Ali: A Portrait in Words and Photographs, that Clay's protests were heard by ringside members of the Nation of Islam who initially suspected Dundee had blinded his fighter, and that the trainer deliberately wiped his own eyes with the corner sponge to demonstrate to Clay's approaching bodyguards that he had not intentionally blinded him. Sonny couldnt read or write because his father worked him in the fields from the time he could walk Years later, he got his wife to teach him how to sign his name just so he could give it to kids who asked him for it his autograph. Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. "[75], Future world heavyweight champion George Foreman, who sparred with Liston after Foreman's amateur career, assessed Liston's jab as the most formidable he faced and Liston as the strongest man he encountered in the ring, describing Liston as having the most natural talent and skill. January 5, 2017. Around the age of 20, Liston inevitably turned to crime and led a gang of young urbanites who committed muggings and armed robberies He was eventually caught and sentenced to 5 years in prison. [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. 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. In the third round, Clay began to take control of the fight. Cassius Clay is embraced by his handlers after he won the world heavyweight championship on a TKO over Sonny Liston in the 7th round. At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. He was found dead in his Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971 Six months after the Wepner fight. Although the opening round saw Clay largely on the defensive, it was soon established that Clay could reverse roles quickly and take to the offensive with a remarkably fast series of combinations delivered to Liston's head. [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. He was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence, and was not prohibited from boxing during 1957. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. 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. "[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. 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. He got out of prison in 52, won the Golden Gloves in Chicago, and went pro after less than a year Unfortunately, the only financial backers willing to put up the necessary money for him to turn professional were local mobsters, and Liston supplemented his income by working for the local mob as an intimidator-enforcer. [29] Machen's taunting and his spoiling tactics of dodging and grapplingat one point almost heaving Liston over the ropesso alienated the audience that Liston received unaccustomed support from the crowd. Liston's life was marked with numerous arrests, before and after he entered boxing. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me.". [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. However, when Clay returned to his corner, he started complaining that there was something burning in his eyes and he could not see. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. Was Pariah boxing legend Sonny Listons OD really a mob murder? In a pre-fight poll, 43 of 46 sportswriters picked Liston to win by knockout. Tosches, Nick (2000). Ali called it "the anchor punch." ", Ali clearly did not think he knocked Liston out. [43] A month later, Liston was accused of impersonating a police officer by using a flashlight to wave down a female motorist in Fairmount Park, although all charges were later dropped. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston canceled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born c. 1930 into a sharecropping family that farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. On July 28, 1963, Liston joined a group of 500 African Americans in Denver who marched to a post office to mail letters urging the Colorado congressional delegation to pass the Kennedy administration's civil rights package. The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. Ali biographer Wilfrid Sheed wrote, in his Muhammad Ali: A Portrait in Words and Photographs, that Liston planned to throw the fight for reasons unknown and used the legitimate first-round knockdown for that end. 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. 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. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." "[69] The fact that Liston did not complain about the clear breach of boxing rules (being declared knocked out without a count) and Ali's obvious state of bewilderment, shouting at Liston "Nobody will believe this" and asking his handlers "Did I hit him? Born to a large and impoverished sharecropping family, Charles 'Sonny' Liston probably came into the world four years before his official 1932 birthdate, and his struggle to fashion a real identity would remain with him his whole life. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. I wasn't hit. Many did not see the punch land, and some who did questioned that it was powerful enough to knock Liston out. When Walcott got back to Liston and looked at the knockdown timekeeper, Francis McDonough, to pick up the count, Liston had fallen back on the canvas. Liston retired in his corner due to an inflamed shoulder. It was 55 years ago that the world's attention focused on Lewiston, Maine, for a world heavyweight boxing title fight. [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. [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. Heavyweight champion Charles "Sonny" Liston, winner of 35 of his 36 professional bouts and one of the most intimidating athletes in any sport, was facing a lightly regarded 22-year-old from. 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". Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. There are a ton of other dubious deaths and (hopefully) little-known facts about Vegas in this week's episode. I was down but not hurt, but I looked up and saw Ali standing over me. It's a terrible matchup. [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. He was a heavyweight world champion. 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. Gallender claimed, "A lot of officers knew Sonny was dead before Geraldine returned home on January 5, but they chose to let him rot. Sports Illustrated once wrote his hands"looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists. I know it", Liston said afterward. Sonny Liston. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' Underworld connections and his unrecorded dates of birth and death added to the enigma. Liston wins, 10 times out of 10. He was 6ft 1in (1.85m), and had an exceptionally powerful physique, with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches (2.13m). While "doing his nickel", the athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary suggested that Liston try boxing The prison organized sparring sessions and Sonny dominated his incarcerated brethren. That was in Liston's eight fight, in Detroit, and Marshall went on to capture the 10-round decision. 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. His family's home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965. "Nat Fleischer [editor of The Ring] was sitting beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. Liston's last fight was a 10-round beating he delivered to Chuck Wepner in June 1970. Liston's death four decades ago was. Join Facebook to connect with Daniel 'Sonny' Liston and others you may know. and "Nobody will believe this!"[63]. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. BOXING legend Sonny Liston was murdered by the MAFIA in a death staged to look like an overdose, a new documentary has claimed. [12], Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed three meals every day. "He said, 'Cut the gloves off. Liston was found dead by his wife in their Las Vegas home on Jan. 5, 1971. "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! [73] The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. Banker said, "Sheriff [Ralph] Lamb told me, 'Tell your pal Sonny to stay away from the West Side because we're going to bust the drug dealers.'" "A blues song just for fighters: The legend of Sonny Liston. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. [79][80][81] These include Muhammad Ali, who stated in a 1975 interview that he was a great admirer of Liston's talents: "Liston had a tremendous jab, could punch with either hand, was smart in the ring and as strong as any heavyweight Ive ever seen. 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. [30] Before his bout with Liston, Muhammad Ali consulted Machen and was advised that the key to survival was to make Liston lose his temper. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Sonny Liston was a ferocious fighter, the heavyweight champion of the world and the man Cassius Clay beat to win the title for the first time, igniting his own legend. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. The heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali stood over Sonny Liston in the first round of their title fight in Lewiston, Me., on May 25, 1965, and was heard to say, "Get up and fight, sucker!" John . [67] Some felt the knockdown was real but the knockout was fake. The following year, Sonnydetermined to reunite with his mother and siblingsthrashed the pecans from his brother-in-law's tree and sold them in Forrest City, Arkansas. 126 pages of former heavy weight boxing champion, Sonny Liston, FBI files.. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born in 1932, into a family where he became one of twenty-five children. . Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." Sonny Liston stands over Albert Westphal in first round of bout in Philadelphia, Dec. 4, 1961. John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. He found a quarter-ounce of heroin in a balloon in the kitchen, and a half-ounce of marijuana in Liston's pants pocket, but no syringes or needles. And yelling at him, `` I watched Sonny in Arkansas most controversial in boxing history fighter the... Nose and the ref ca n't control him `` Great with the.... Miami Beach boxing Commission, diagnosed Liston with a lonely bus ride in.! In Arkansas and heart failure surly and hostile attitude toward journalists the Wepner fight mafia hitman published book. 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