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. BOXING legend Sonny Liston was murdered by the MAFIA in a death staged to look like an overdose, a new documentary has claimed. (. Liston's death four decades ago was. It was 55 years ago that the world's attention focused on Lewiston, Maine, for a world heavyweight boxing title fight. "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. [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. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. 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. His death is still a mystery, but Mike Tyson puts flowers on his grave every year at Paradise Memorial Gardensin Las Vegas. "Get up and fight, sucker," is the famous quote. [50] Charles "Sonny" Liston was an enigma that, by way of testimonial, put fear in the hearts of men all throughout the 1960s. He won eight fights that year, six by knockout. They fought for a third time on March 6, 1956, which Liston won by a ten-round unanimous decision. (2) Professional gambler Lem Banker insists that Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. However, David Remnick, for his book King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero, interviewed one of Liston's cornermen, who told him that Liston could have continued: "[The shoulder] was all BS. Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract, so they met again on July 22, 1963, this time in Las Vegas So that was ~ 10 months after their first meeting. [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]. said Liston's Philadelphia dentist, Dr. Nick Ragni. [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. (, Shaun Assael. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. Which means he owned one of the biggest reach in boxing, while "only" being 6'1 tall (which is about 73 inches). Because of that, the dealers may have thought Sonny ratted on them and they shot him with a hot dose as retribution. So I get him down, I get the sponge and I pour the water into his eyes trying to cleanse whatever's there, but before I did that I put my pinkie in his eye and I put it into my eye. After he won the title, Liston relocated to Denver permanently, saying, "I'd rather be a lamppost in Denver than the mayor of Philadelphia. The film starred Ving Rhames as Liston and was produced by Rhames, Hassain Zaidi and Marek Posival. [24], In 1958, Liston returned to boxing. 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 that guy did come along and beat him Twice And it was Muhammad Ali. 780 46K views 8 years ago Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston's son visits his gravesite. 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. In February 1964, Ali - known then as Cassius Clay - shocked the sporting world by beating Liston for the world heavyweight title. Sonny Liston FBI Files. 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. I know!" In five months, Sonny Liston had gone from unknown ex-con to amateur champion. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. [93] Liston had been hospitalized in early December, complaining of chest pains. [89], Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. (2) Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. When he tried to muscle in for a bigger share, his employers got him very drunk, took him home, and stuck him with a needle. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. 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. On top of the mob stigma, people were flat-out terrified of Sonny Fight City named Sonny Liston as the most intimidating fighter of all time" beating out names of other legendary animals like Tyson, Foreman, and Hagler. He returned with four consecutive knockout victories in Sweden between July 1966 and April 1967, all four co-promoted by former world heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson. [10][11] It has been suggested Liston himself may not have known what year he was born, as he was not precise on the matter. Advertising InquiriesTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyContent PolicyMessaging Terms, AppAdvertising InquiriesTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyContent PolicyCookie PolicyBest Sports Betting SiteMessaging TermsSubscription Terms. [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. You can listen to it at your leisure, or read about it now. (35.6 x 21.6 cm) Description Authorities theorized that he was undressing for bed when he fell over backward with such force that he broke the rail of the bench. He died on December 30, 1970 at the age of 38 years. . ", Chuck Wepner on Liston's intimidating appearance. His eyes swept the whole scene. In the main bedroom, Geraldine discovered the body of her husband, former heavyweight champion Charles "Sonny" Liston. The heavyweight champion's mysterious death is covered in tonight's all-new episode of. The toxicology report said his body was too decomposed for the tests to be conclusive. He threw 99. . Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. Boxing Record Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. Arthur Daley of the New York Times wrote that Liston's handlers knew he "didn't have it anymore,"[65] and allegedly they had secretly paid sparring partner Amos Lincoln an extra $100 to take it easy on him -[citation needed] - the same man, incidentally, that Liston dismissed in less than two rounds a full three years later. [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. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. We cooked up that shoulder thing on the spot. Helen had one child before she married Tobe, and Tobe had 13 children with his first wife. 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. 2023 Barstool Sports. Sonny Liston fought for only $10,000 during his career. His fists measured 15 inches (38cm) around, the largest of any heavyweight champion. After repeated overnight detention by the St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston left for Philadelphia. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. His baleful, obsidian stare intimidates fighters, sportswriters and. "Yes, it was good and honest". A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. "[68], While Liston publicly denied taking a dive, Sports Illustrated writer Mark Kram said that years later Liston told him, "That guy [Ali] was crazy. Others have said he may have been murdered in some sort of mob killing. After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. ", confirmed most people's belief that Liston had taken a dive. This Day in History: Young Muhammad Ali Knocks out Sonny Liston for First World Title. 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. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. Liston stacked up the wins and became the No. 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. Liston angrily responded by questioning whether Dempsey's failure to serve in World War I qualified him to moralize. Overall, Liston earned around $500,000 during his career. With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. CU Experts. "A blues song just for fighters: The legend of Sonny Liston. [42], Liston's run-ins with the police had continued in Philadelphia. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. He was born in Sand Slough, Arkansas, U.S. on May 8, 1932. He said he could not hear McDonough, who did not have a microphone. Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston rivalry Before Cassius Clay took on the name Muhammad Ali, he was a young and brash fighter who worked his way up the ranks. Or it would be history, if boxing "historians" would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? Tosches' intended title was "Night Train" after one of Liston's favorite songs. Only a rising contender at the time named Cassius Clay predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. Father John (Sonny) Liston. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c.1930 December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. (1) Liston had been deeply involved as a bill collector of a loansharking ring in Las Vegas. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. Both fights were in Summerlin's hometown of Detroit.[23]. He was not the tear-shedding type.. [101], Liston played a fist fighter in the 1965 film Harlow, made a cameo appearance in the 1968 film Head, which starred The Monkees, and played the part of The Farmer in the 1970 film Moonfire, which starred Richard Egan and Charles Napier. 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. Sonny was one of 25 children of a sharecropper in Arkansas. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. Sports Illustrated once wrote his hands"looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists. [1] The book's title is a reference to the story "The Devil and Daniel Webster". When Patterson met with the president in January 1962, Kennedy suggested that Patterson avoid Liston, citing Justice Department concerns over Liston's ties to organized crime. Liston is a Hall of Famer. One of the victories was over Amos Johnson, Liston's former sparring partner, who had recently defeated British champion Henry Cooper. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. He was more angry about that shot than he was about the car wreck. "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. and "Nobody will believe this!"[63]. The bout would need to be delayed by six months. Who needed that? [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. [48] The challenger, his arms held high in surrender, was demanding that the fight be stopped and Dundee, fearing the fight might indeed be halted, gave his charge a one-word order: "Run! Boston: Little, Brown. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. And in 1961 . [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. This was Liston's second arrest by Fairmount Park police. A dominant contender of his era, he became the world heavyweight champion in 1962 after knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, repeating the knockout the following year in defense of the title; in the latter fight he also became the inaugural WBC heavyweight champion. All of us encounter trouble from time to time in our lives. As the years passed and Liston's financial situation worsened, he got angry and told the mob he'd go public with the story unless they gave him the money. He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." Muhammad Ali Signed 16x20 Sonny Liston Photo Framed MINT Autograph Steiner COA. Daniel 'Sonny' Liston is on Facebook. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. Daniel: 1970: Wins technical knockout in his last fight, against Chuck Wepner: 1971: Discovered dead on January 5 by Geraldine and Daniel in their Las Vegas home. The inaugural WBC world heavyweight champion cemented himself in. Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. A sudden violent combination delivered with 30 seconds left in the round electrified the crowd. I know it", Liston said afterward. Liston wins, 10 times out of 10. In 1950, Sonny Liston was arrested six times for muggings, one . In the 2020 film One Night in Miami, Liston is played by Aaron D. Alexander. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. 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. Felix later said Clay was seconds from being disqualified. Patterson finally agreed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago And everyone had Patterson. In his sixth bout, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin (18-1-2) on national television and won in an eight-round decision. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston canceled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. [31] While Liston began working into shape with hopes for a heavyweight title shot, he also continued his criminal behavior. School of Education. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. A lot of his life was mysterious and messy. In fact, Sonny Liston had not been right for a long time, and not only for the strangely dual life he had been leadingspells of choirboy abstinence squeezed between binges of drinking and. 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