He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. But there is another side. Auspiciously, the massive man is known as The Bear then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). Liston turned professional in September 1953, earning his first paycheck in St. Louis with a first-round knockout of Don Smith. The coroner picked December 30, 1970, as the date of death, and Liston was buried in the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas under the simplest of epitaphs: A MAN.. Outside of the ring, Liston had a charming personality. L'arbre Sonny Listons height Unknown & weight Not Available right. Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife, and the Phantom Punch. In 1950, Liston was arrested at his apartment at 1006 O'Fallon Street for robbing the Unique Cafe on 1502 Market Street in St. Louis for 37 dollars. Big Hela had moved there in 1946. Reverend Stevens was both the prisons chaplain and sports director. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. It was just a matter of semantics, though. WebListon retired on his stool citing an injured shoulder; After this fight Cassius Clay changed his name to Cassius X and then to Muhammad Ali; 1964 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. Tosches is admirably objective in his presentation of Liston. Sonny had to put the proper face forward to the public. in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Sonny LISTON (1932), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. Tosches goes to great lengths in his book to convey the ubiquitous presence of the mob in those days and the power that men like Frank "Gray Man" Carbo and Frank "Blinky" Palermo wielded in boxing. He defeated heavyweight contenders Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn, Henry Clark, and Chuck Wepner. We are all related! The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Auspiciously, the massive man is known as "The Bear" then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. Time magazine photograph of Ali standing over Liston, taunting him, is one of the most popularly published in boxing. Because of this alliance, which was public knowledge, Liston was called before the committee investigating organized crime that had been established by Tennessee Democratic Senator Estes Kefauver. Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, around 1932. Nine years of steady fighting later, and following additional scrapes with the law (fourteen arrests between 1953 and 1958 and a conviction in 1956 for assaulting a police officer), Liston finally fought Floyd Patterson for the Heavyweight Championship. Ward, who resides today in Forrest City, Ark. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. WebHis parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. From the start, it was apparent that he had a future in the ring. After the court case, he was sentenced to a five-year jail term in the Missouri State Prison. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. He cleared out his opponents to become the topmost contender. On September 25, 1962, Liston made history by becoming the heavyweight champion. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Liston had a huge physique. Clay, later to be known as Muhammad Ali, may have had the fastest hands of any heavyweight ever to lace on a pair of gloves. He was one of many {{ mediasCtrl.getTitle(media, true) }} He won in the first round against Don Smith. When Liston died, he was rated 7th in the world heavyweight rankings by Ring Magazine. Charles "Sonny" Liston was pronounced dead at the scene. Creating an account gives you access to all these features. On the side of Tobe Liston, born in 1872 - Choctaw Co., MS, deceased. Following his release from the workhouse, Liston quickly returned to the ring against Hunter and got his career back on track. When Sonny KO'd Floyd Patterson in 1962 for The World Heavyweight Championship,he became the only challenger to win that title by a first round KO. He never shied away from street fights. At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. Drinking. WebThe son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Less than a year later, on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali) when he refused to answer the bell for the seventh round, claiming a shoulder injury. For those interested in knowing more about the life and times of one of the most enigmatic and troubled heavyweight champs, the book "The Devil and Sonny Liston," by Nick Tosches (Copyright 2000, published by Little, Brown and Company), is a wealth of knowledge. Sonny never really had a Prime. Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Family Liston claimed he was born in Sonny Liston estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. He served brief prison terms and on one occasion was introduced to boxing by a prison chaplain. In 1957, he was sentenced to nine months in the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a police officer. Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. When Liston became the top challenger to champion Floyd Patterson by 1960, it was a Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. It was a defense mechanism designed to keep people from getting too close. Served 7 months in jail for beating up a police officer over a parking ticket in St. Louis in the mid-1950s. In June of the following year, Liston won the rematch with another knockout. Some suspect foul play; others believe Liston died of a self-inflicted drug overdose. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. He was trained by Charles Hills and has raced for Chelsea Thoroughbreds, and was bred in [Add Data] by [Add Data] . He kept fighting and kept winning against a progressively better grade of opponents. His father physically molested him. Reverend Stevens arranged the match for him. Sonny, who was known by his proper name Charles while growing up, rarely attended school and never learned to read or write, a fact that haunted him as an adult and fed a lifelong problem with insecurity. The official cause of his death was given as cardiac arrest and lung congestion. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The most noticeable being his win over Ed Sanders. Liston went back to the ring. They called it Sand Slough. At 6 feet 1 inch and 217 pounds, Liston had devastating punching power, an iron chin, and lightning reflexes, along with a powerful jab. Dowling Mee, Bob. Liston was sentenced to nine months in jail. Liston was beholdin' to the mob and everybody knew it. His heavyweight title-winning victory on September 25, 1962, was indicative of his powerful style: After a mere two minutes, he knocked out Floyd Patterson, which marked the first time in history that a reigning heavyweight champion was counted out in the first round. . Sand Slough, Arkansas, United States of America, Sonny Liston is still regarded as the best heavyweight boxer with a taste of violence. This is how Tosches describes Liston's birth place: "It was in the sector of Morledge Plantation that lay in Johnson Township, St. Francis County, that Tobe Liston and his family came to live and farm, on a low patch where a rill of muddy water, a mile and a half or so long, dribbled dead to its end in a slough of sandy dirt where nothing could grow. WebAsuncin "Sunny" Cummings Hostin (/ h s t n /; born October 20, 1968) is an American lawyer, journalist, and television host.Hostin is co-host on ABC's morning talk show The He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. There's no question that the hard-scrabble existence of youth prepared Liston for the success he would later enjoy as a prizefighter. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Let's check, How Rich is Mario, Ben Villaflor estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. His relationship status is single. Liston moved to Las Vegas in 1966 and was found dead there on Jan. 5, 1971, when his wife returned to their home from a Christmas visit with her mother. He was trained by Willie Redish and later by Dick Sadler. His mother believed he was born in January, 1928, but Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932. His death was as mysterious as his birth. He compiled a career record of 50-4, competing against such boxing legends as Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights. Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932, but that is off by at least two years. angelsunchained, Other Works Liston's career was interrupted for nine months beginning in December 1956, when he was sent to the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a policeman and stealing the officer's gun. She was working in a shoe factory when her son Charles unexpectedly came to the city and looked her up. 72201. Liston, who was viewed as nearly invincible before the fight, was unable to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay (soon to take the name .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Muhammad Ali) was named champion on February 25, 1964. Steen, Rob. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. In 1962, Liston went officially from being the poverty-stricken, illiterate child of an abusive tenant farmer in Arkansas to being the heavyweight champion of the whole world. Liston, who was viewed as nearly invincible before the fight, was unable to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay (soon to take the nameMuhammad Ali) was named champion on February 25, 1964. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. Liston emptied his pockets of bills and returned to the car with all of the women's pencils. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. He also has a position among the list of Most popular Boxer. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. He knocked out the reigning world champion in the first round. Knocked out #2-rated heavyweight contender Roy Harris (27-1) in one round. He became a professional fighter in 1953. To give back to society, he supported many children. His parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, The Man Behind the First All-Black Basketball Team, 8 Times Brothers Have Faced Off in a Championship, Every Black Quarterback to Play in the Super Bowl, Soccer Star Christian Atsu Survived an Earthquake. 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Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American. Did he need Liston's cooperation to beat the rapidly aging champion that night in February of 1964? New York: Blue Rider Press, 2016. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. The place had a name, but it was not to be found on any map. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. His parents were peasant farmers who grew cotton in the south. From the start, Liston was a devastating puncher. All Rights Reserved. He had been dead for some time, an ending every bit as murky as the Clay/Ali fights. As Liston made himself a serious challenger to Floyd Patterson for the heavyweight title, Liston made his alliance with the Devil, as Tosches refers to the mob. He was a victim before he was ever a brute. Geraldine married Sonny Liston in 1950 Encyclopedia of Arkansas Basically, for a guy like Liston, it meant that you either dealt with them, or you didn't deal at all. Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. Why he died remains one of sport's most enduring mysteries. He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders Cleveland Williams, Nino Valdes, Roy Harris, Zora Folley, and Eddie Machen (all knockouts except for Machen). Liston didn't find gainful employment in St. Louis. Even as a grown up, the physical scars were still visible. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. WebHalf-siblings. Or it would be history, if boxing historians would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. As a young man in 1949, Liston left Arkansas for good and followed his mother's footsteps to St. Louis. In a short amount of time, he rose to prominence as a contender in the heavyweight division. World heavyweight boxing champion, 1962-1964. Liston, who posted a career record of 50 wins and 4 losses with 39 knockouts, reveled in this role of the fighter America loved to hate. WebHe had seven siblings. Won his last fight on June 29, 1970, at the Jersey City Armory, stopping. He married Geraldine Chambers on June 10, 1950. But the champ went down in a hurry: two minutes and six seconds in the first round. Liston was an excellent boxer. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 100 Rock Street The tactic worked. Jack Dempsey and Roberto Duran are two cases in point. As the top fighter in the world, Liston became an easy target for sports columnists who remarked frequently on not only his menacing demeanor and vicious punching power but also his criminal background. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. William Friedkin was intended to direct his biopic "Night Train" with Ving Rhames as Sonny Liston. He earned the money being a professional Boxer. Liston on his age: "I'm like Jack Benny, I never tell my age.". This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. | In September of 1953, he knocked out Don "Toro" Smith in two rounds in St. Louis, setting in motion a career which would span 17 years and bring Sonny to the pinnacle of success in his sport. There were rumors of drug peddling, heroin use, and murder, but no answers. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. Is mentioned in the song "Swinging" by Tom Petty. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover. Pacific Grove, CA: Park Place Publications, 2012. As for the rematch between the two fighters in an ice rink in Lewiston, Maine, in May of 1965, there are a lot of possible explanations for Liston's bizarre actions that night. (LogOut/ If two unmarried celebrities are seen in public together, they are often described as dating which means they were seen in public together, and it is not clear whether they are merely friends, exploring a more intimate relationship, or are romantically involved. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, 1932 in Sand Slough, AR. Tobe was mean to his children, and especially to Sonny. Tosches here betrays an ignorance of boxing that no doubt hurts his credibility with those know know the sport. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against Bayonne Bleeder Chuck Wepner. Some Thoughts on Boxing, Jake Paul, and Asking Why We Fight in rural St. Francis County. Liston had a rough and violent childhood. Change). His final record as a professional was fifty wins, thirty-nine by knockout, and four losses. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. The rematch in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 22 1963, was another first-round knockout, with Patterson counted out in two minutes, twenty-three seconds. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. Liston lost his rematch to Ali in May 1965. Cox, who was interviewed extensively by Tosches, went as far as to say that Liston would still be alive if he had "spent more time with Father Murphy."). He was one of many childrenone account lists twenty-two siblings and half-siblings. Best Known For: Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. He told them that he had no education, couldn't write and worked as a child to help feed his 24 siblings. | Clay was no debtor to the mob. While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing.
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