[92] He had been suffering from hardening of the heart muscle and lung disease before his death. Some found it suspicious that authorities could not locate any drug paraphernalia that Liston presumably would have needed to inject the fatal dose, such as a spoon to cook the heroin or a tourniquet to wrap around his arm. Banker said he was told by police that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a drug raid. Suddenly, the world had to come to grips with a new kind of heavyweight champion. "He said: 'Look what they did!' Odds makers gave Liston 71 to win. "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. A few months after Alis fight, Liston was dead from lung congestion though even that was shrouded in mystery and controversy. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. I wasn't hit. [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. (4) Liston was supposed to take a dive when he fought Chuck Wepner six months earlier, and killing him was payback for his failure to do so. He was scared of the black-power movement. At about 30 seconds into the round he hit Liston with several combinations, causing a bruise under Liston's right eye and a cut under his left, which eventually required eight stitches to close. Who needed that? 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 death under mysterious circumstances. Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. 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. [73] The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. Support this Channel: https://www.patreon.com/join/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise: https://www.redbubble.com/peo. Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. At the IBHOF, the casts of Listons hands were bigger than Lennox Lewis' which were also gigantic. "I didn't know what the heck was going on", Angelo Dundee, Clay's trainer, recalled on an NBC special 25 years later. And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. 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. But he spoke to his friend Resnick on the day of the fight and was told not to bet on the champion. The toxicology report said his body was too decomposed for the tests to be conclusive. [31] While Liston began working into shape with hopes for a heavyweight title shot, he also continued his criminal behavior. 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. 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. ", Still, some found it hard to believe that the punch could have floored a man like Liston. Entire books have been written about the fight, and one, released in 2015, sought to end the suggestion that Liston took another fall. But as it approached, there were fears that the promoters were tied to organized crime and Massachusetts officials, most notably Suffolk County District Attorney Garrett H. Byrne, began to have second thoughts. Maule, Tex (March 9, 1964). "Some songs just seem to reverberate with people.". Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. The torn tendon had bled down into the mass of the biceps, swelling and numbing the arm. He also cited medical evidence: "A team of eight doctors inspected Liston's arm at St. Francis Hospital in Miami Beach and agreed that it was too badly damaged for Liston to continue fighting. More on that in a second. 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. 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. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' Ali is waiting to hit me, the ref can't control him. Tradues em contexto de "with Sonny" en ingls-portugus da Reverso Context : I think you should stay here with Sonny. [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. You really never watched the first fight did you? "The public is not with me. But a Senate subcommittee hearing turned up no evidence of any match-fixing, and doctors confirmed his explanation that hed taken such damage to his shoulder that he couldnt feel his arm. Muhammad Ali (at the time a rising contender named Cassius Clay), however, predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. 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. With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. "[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. [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. It was 1965, not 1955. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. Then again, you can also have guys like Ali or Mike Tyson. 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 with Sonny Liston and Joe Louis. Support this Channel:https://www.patreon.com/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise:LegendsofBoxing.redbubble.com I restore \u0026 colorize your projects, PayPal Donations: LegendsofBoxingYT@gmail.comThank you!________________________________________________________________________________All My YouTube ChannelsMy Main Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73ffQAknNEWJlRoFSWH_awMy Second Boxing Channel \"Legends of Boxing Strikes Back\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-QLrFyDnskqz5_z95mcOAMy History Channel \"Time Travel: Colorized Archive\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC29VFkNvVVi6_OzwFV2oTqQMy Documentary Channel \"Tales From The Past\":https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpFIIYrCc1lOHbG-fUo5vwMein Dokumentation Channel \"Geschichten aus der Vergangenheit\" (Tales From The Past in Deutsch) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXBfWoE1KVXEzh9d2NrwBhASocial https://www.instagram.com/legends_of_boxing1/ Gallender claimed, "A lot of officers knew Sonny was dead before Geraldine returned home on January 5, but they chose to let him rot. Watch the interview you be the judge.. "Yes, it was good and honest". Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. I'm Sonny Liston, I'm Jack Dempsey, there's no one like I'm from their . Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating: "Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. I was about to say look at those mitts! He allegedly later told an assistant that he took a dive because he was afraid of the consequences of beating Ali he thought it would put a target on his own back. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. The NAACP had urged Patterson not to fight Liston, fearing that a Liston victory would hurt the civil rights movement. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. In his sixth bout, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin (18-1-2) on national television and won in an eight-round decision. Liston, with a 25-pound weight advantage, 214lb (97kg) to 189lb (86kg), knocked out Patterson at 2:06 of the first round, putting him down for the count with a powerful left hook to the jaw. Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. ", It was later theorized that a substance used on Liston's cuts by Joe Pollino, his cut man, may have caused the irritation. [22], Early in his career, Liston faced capable opponents. [99] (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. [24], In 1958, Liston returned to boxing. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. Liston knocked out Hermann Schreibauer of West Germany at 2:16 of the first round. Interview Date: March 13, 1989 Camera Rolls: 2104-2105 Sound Rolls: 248 Editorial Notes: Interview with , conducted by Blackside, Inc. on March 13, 1989, for . In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. He was 6ft 1in (1.85m), and had an exceptionally powerful physique, with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches (2.13m). But others contend he just was not the same Liston. that startles everyone in a 100 foot radius. Sonny Liston was one of the hardest hitters the boxing world has ever seen. I know it", Liston said afterward. Furthermore, that count cannot be started until the fighter scoring the knockdown goes to and remains in a neutral corner. On May 7, backers of the rematch ended the court battle by pulling the fight out of Boston. [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. Boston: Little, Brown. 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 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. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. There's never been anybody as ruthless. For those too young to remember, Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston was a legendary heavyweight boxer. Tobe and Helen had 12 children together; Sonny was the second youngest child. r/boxing does not tolerate racism or intolerance of any kind. "[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. 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 . "[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. As Liston pursued his target Clay retreated, using his foot speed to slip away into open space in the ring, largely circling to the left and away from the threat of a Liston left hook. During the interim, officials in Boston also got cold feet. "But can he hit!" 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.'" As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. He would not close in until the accumulated inside damage and Liston's own frustration had sapped the challenger's strength and will." The commotion was not lost on referee Barney Felix, who was walking toward Clay's corner. 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. Knopfler, 55, said inspiration for the Liston song has been growing for a long time. And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. I didn't want anything to do with him. My man. 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.. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." QUESTION 1 Stevens organized a sparring session with a professional heavyweight named Thurman Wilson to showcase Liston's potential. Mike DeJohn was the highest paid boxer at $15,000 while James Dickey received $20,000. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" 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. Ali did neither. Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. But then again, he took a pretty good beating in the fight. Walcott then rushed back to the fighters, who had resumed boxing, and stopped the fightawarding Ali a first-round knockout victory. 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. "When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". "[35] However, in 1963 in the aftermath of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Liston broke off a European boxing exhibition tour to return home and was quoted as saying he was "ashamed to be in America. Sonny Liston shot a gun at Muhammad Ali. Before he left for his bout with Clay, Sonny's training in Denver took him to some strange places. 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. Unlike Dylan or Carter, however, Knopfler does not present Liston as innocent of a crime for which he was imprisoned. Rocky Marciano, the former heavyweight champion, said that he appreciated the punchs strength upon re-examination. It made a champion out of Clay, who declared that hed shook up the world.. This is a clip out of the \"The Other Side\" Documentary. Support this Channel:https://www.patreon.com/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise:LegendsofBoxing.redbubble.com I restore \u0026 colorize your projects, PayPal Donations: LegendsofBoxingYT@gmail.comThank you!________________________________________________________________________________ Credit Original B\u0026W Footage:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CLMlEpRb9wSonny Liston Interview uploaded by haNZAgodAll My YouTube ChannelsMy Main Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73ffQAknNEWJlRoFSWH_awMy Second Boxing Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-QLrFyDnskqz5_z95mcOAMy History Channel \"Time Travel: Colorized Archive\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC29VFkNvVVi6_OzwFV2oTqQMy Documentary Channel \"Tales From The Past\":https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpFIIYrCc1lOHbG-fUo5vwMein Dokumentation Channel \"Geschichten aus der Vergangenheit\" (Tales From The Past in Deutsch) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXBfWoE1KVXEzh9d2NrwBhASocial https://www.instagram.com/legends_of_boxing1/ [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. He used the platform to expound on the political theory that was so reviled in white America, defending Malcolm X and condemning racial oppression this was still months before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. The story goes that Liston was born somewhere . said Liston's Philadelphia dentist, Dr. Nick Ragni. [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. 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". Liston didn't seem to mind though. 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. [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. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. [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. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. The rumors swirling nearly canceled the fight the night prior, and when a reporter that morning broke tradition and asked if Clay was a member of the Black Muslims, as the group was often called, the boxer confirmed his new religion. ", Hutchison, Phillip J. Due to Listons long association with the mafia and the reputation as a peerless tough guy, there was speculation that hed thrown the fight for some financial reward. "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. ", 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]. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. [51], Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by technical knockout. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. For confetti we can use torn-up arrest warrants." [72], "I was an 'intimidator' until I fought Sonny Liston. And the Muslims were coming up. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. Don't confuse shyness with dullness, Sonny was. He also took his gun. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter." Im free to be who I want.. After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. He had the whole package. Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. "And I suppose Sonny Liston always stuck with me. Liston had never been knocked out before, and most people didnt even see the punch happen. He was more angry about that shot than he was about the car wreck. "[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. In a pre-fight poll, 43 of 46 sportswriters picked Liston to win by knockout. "[35] Although largely illiterate through lack of schooling, Liston was a more complex and interesting individual than has often been acknowledged. Sit down!' Beat me to it! . Standing 185 centimeters (6'1) tall and packing over 90 kilograms (200 lb) of pure muscle, there's a reason he was nicknamed "The Big Bear," and it wasn't for the hugs he gave.. His career in heavyweight boxing spanned from 1953 to 1970, and he spent all 17 of those years going guts for glory against the . Watch the interview you be the judge. [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. The Devil and Sonny Liston. Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. I didn't think it was a powerful punch when I saw the fight from ringside," he said. Dr. Alexander Robbins, chief physician for the Miami Beach Boxing Commission, diagnosed Liston with a torn tendon in his left shoulder. He said they found Liston lying on his bed with a needle sticking out of his arm. [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! "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. "Now (after seeing video) I think Clay, seeing the opening, snapped the punch the last six inches. The suspension was honored in all states. He won by a seventh-round technical knockout, and seemed on the verge of making a comeback to the big time. [16] Listonaged around 13, according to his later reckoningsremained in Arkansas with his father. Rare interview of Sonny Liston colorized. I'm the best ever. That saw him drive a big red bus to Liston's home that read, "Sonny Liston is a great but will fall in eight" along with the words "World's most colorful fighter Cassius Clay.". Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. 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. The Devil And Sonny Liston. Either way, nat fleisher as the KD timekeeper had NO right telling Walcott the fight was over.
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