Before he left for his bout with Clay, Sonny's training in Denver took him to some strange places. Many did not see the punch land, and some who did questioned that it was powerful enough to knock Liston out. "He would do everything to avoid taking shots." [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. His fists measured 15 inches (38cm) around, the largest of any heavyweight champion. Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". He rounded out the year by stopping Nino Valdez and Willi Besmanoff. And the face, it was an unforgettable face. 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. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. Liston had never been knocked out before, and most people didnt even see the punch happen. Tocco left the house before the police did. "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. "He said: 'Look what they did!' Many in attendance did not see Ali deliver the punch. It was the first time in his career that Liston had been cut. [8][9], There is no official record of Liston's birth. He died circa December 30,. Knopfler, 55, said inspiration for the Liston song has been growing for a long time. [10] His family, but not one Charles (or Sonny) Liston, can be found in the 1930 census, and in the 1940 census he was listed as 10 years old. [67] Some felt the knockdown was real but the knockout was fake. He had the whole package. On September 7, 1954, Liston suffered defeat for the first time in his eighth professional fight, losing to Marty Marshall, a journeyman with an awkward style. [47] Sitting on his stool between rounds, however, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on his cut. with Sonny - Traduo em portugus - Reverso Context . [31] While Liston began working into shape with hopes for a heavyweight title shot, he also continued his criminal behavior. December 1963 extended Interview with Champion Sonny Liston - discusses The commotion was not lost on referee Barney Felix, who was walking toward Clay's corner. "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! Anyone can read what you share. The toxicology report said his body was too decomposed for the tests to be conclusive. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. The suspension was honored in all states. After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. Sonny Liston shot a gun at Muhammad Ali. "[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. 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. 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 In his next fight, he had a rematch with Summerlin and again won an eight-round decision. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. It was 1965, not 1955. 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. Sonny Liston - Wikipedia 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. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. Rogin wrote. The grave's marker-plate bears the dedication: "A Man. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. I never saw. These transcripts contain material that did not appear in the final program. 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. It became known as the phantom punch and has been the subject of controversy and speculation for the last 55 years. Paul R Gallender, 2012. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." With Clay quickly ducking his head left, right or away, Liston's leading left jabs largely failed to land. Welcome to r/boxing, the official home of pro boxing on Reddit! There are no official records of his birth "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. 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 had a deadly fear of needles," said Davey Pearl, a boxing referee and friend of Liston's. Furthermore, that count cannot be started until the fighter scoring the knockdown goes to and remains in a neutral corner. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. . [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. Liston assaulted the officer, breaking his knee and gashing his face. Once he went down, I got excited. A lot of his life was mysterious and messy. During the interim, officials in Boston also got cold feet. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. Concert Preview/Interview: John Lodge of the Moody Blues on Reprising "Days of Future Passed . Watch the interview you be the judge. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. "He was scared, he was scared of so many things," Knopfler said. One mile up on a mountain 13 miles west of Denver is the Shrine of Mother Cabrini. [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. [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Then again, you can also have guys like Ali or Mike Tyson. [39] Leading up to the fight, Liston was an 85 betting favorite, although many picked Patterson to win. "Sonnyboyliston | Race Record & Form | Racing Post", "Moonfire (1972), a film by Michael Parkhurst -Theiapolis", NYSAC World Heavyweight Champion - BoxRec, Lyrics to a song about Liston by Mark Knopfler, FBI Records: The Vault - Charles Sonny Liston, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Liston&oldid=1137950795, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Hackman, Timothy. "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. When Machen clinched in . Rocky Marciano, the former heavyweight champion, said that he appreciated the punchs strength upon re-examination. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. 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. Muhammad Ali talking about Henry Cooper, Sonny Liston, and - YouTube Liston went down on his back. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. It'll just be for slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell.". [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. 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." Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. said Liston's Philadelphia dentist, Dr. Nick Ragni. [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. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. Muhammad Ali biographer Jonathan Eig shared a new theory as to why Sonny Liston may have taken a dive in the boxers' second bout. "[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. To the rest of the world, it would be known as "The Phantom Punch." That shot, which Ali dropped Sonny Liston with on May 25, 1965, was far from a phantom. He was 6ft 1in (1.85m), and had an exceptionally powerful physique, with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches (2.13m). He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. For those too young to remember, Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston was a legendary heavyweight boxer. The most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. 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. There's never been anybody as ruthless. 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. Tosches, Nick (2000). 10 Wild Stories From The Life Of Sonny Liston - Listverse Naturally, they decided that Ali would take on Liston. Liston has been referenced in many songs by artists such as Curtis Eller, Sun Kil Moon, the Animals, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, Phil Ochs, Morrissey, Freddy Blohm, Chuck E. Weiss, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, the Roots, Wu-Tang Clan, Gone Jackals, Billy Joel, the Mountain Goats, Lil Wayne, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the Killers. [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. But audiences attending Knopfler's concerts around North America this summer are hearing and responding favorably to a song of a different genre, a bluesy narrative ballad called "Song for Sonny Liston," about the troubled fighter who preceded Muhammad Ali as heavyweight champion in the early 1960's. Suddenly, the world had to come to grips with a new kind of heavyweight champion. 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. [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 most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. [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. 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. "When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. Support this Channel: https://www.patreon.com/join/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise: https://www.redbubble.com/peo. [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]. 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. [89], Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose. Numerous fans booed and started yelling, "Fix!" Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. 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. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. In the months ahead of the fight, Muhammad Ali went all sorts of routes to get into Sonny Liston's head. He had been deliberately snubbed. Sonny Liston Interview - YouTube Technically, contracts for boxing matches werent supposed to have rematch clauses, though pretty much all of them had some sort of loophole and agreement when each side wanted to guarantee a return bout again, the laws by which boxing governed itself were really more suggestions at the time. Shaun Assael. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? Sit down!' Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Gary Robinov, director of Raising Ali, a film about the 50th anniversary of the heavyweight boxing match between Muhammed Ali and Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine.. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas. Reminds me of former UFC fighter Shane Carwin. Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. A widely publicized account of Liston resisting arresteven after nightsticks were allegedly broken over his skulladded to the public perception of him as a nightmarish "monster" impervious to physical punishment. 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. He said he could not hear McDonough, who did not have a microphone. The second round saw Liston continue to pursue Clay. 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. Sonny Liston in Denver, Colorado. This interview is missing a "BOOOOOOOMZQUAD!!" I was about to say look at those mitts! There are echoes of slavery in his upbringing." When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. [8] Convicted and sentenced to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary, Liston started his prison time on June 1, 1950. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. 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. Mike DeJohn was the highest paid boxer at $15,000 while James Dickey received $20,000. [55], There is ample evidence that Liston did carry an injury to his left shoulder into the fight. The mysterious life of Sonny Liston. At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. No, I'm Alexanderhe's no Alexander. . 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.

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