"But can he hit!" [30], Liston became the No. Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. [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. [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. [8] Convicted and sentenced to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary, Liston started his prison time on June 1, 1950. #1 December 1963 extended Interview with Champion Sonny Liston - discusses Ali defense, his contenders, even the JFK Assassination 12-02-2022, 12:32 PM Pretty cool interview. What are you doing? "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." During the interim, officials in Boston also got cold feet. He won eight fights that year, six by knockout. Lennox is a conqueror? [19], On June 23, 1953, a team consisting of ten recent St. Louis Golden Gloves champions of all weight classes, with Liston on top as the heavyweight, was gathered to represent the United States in an International Golden Gloves (USA vs. West Europe) competition at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. The fight quickly descended into chaos. When you can kill almost anybody in the world with your bare hands, you don't really have to go around proclaiming it to everyone. Midway through the first round, Liston threw a left jab and Ali went over it with a fast right, knocking the former champion down. In an unearthed, unaired TV interview, Sonny Liston's wife once said that the fighter needed to get out of the ring as fast as possible because he had diarrhea. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. You could feel the deflation, see the look of hurt in his eyes. ", Chuck Wepner on Liston's intimidating appearance. "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. ", 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 was knocked down in the first round, but came back to control the next two rounds and had Griffin hanging on at the end. The governor of nearby Maine, John Reed, stepped up and volunteered to host it in the small town of Lewiston, where a resort and ice rink could provide some infrastructure. In these feckless clinches he only managed to tie up one of Liston's arms. Only Massachusetts was willing to host the fight, though it was delayed from November 1964 to May 1965 so that Ali could recover from hernia surgery. Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. At one point, Clay was wiping his eyes with his right hand while extending his left arm"like a drunk leaning on a lamppost" Bert Sugar wroteto keep Liston at bay. He was scared of the black-power movement. He could probably drive his thumb through your skull like Michael Myers, It's crazy to think about the fact that Sonny Liston was an actual gangster running with gangs.. and then he looks so soft spoken in the interview. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. "You're putting things on and you're taking this out and molding it," Knopfler said. Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. I dont have to be what you want me to be, Clay told agitated reporters. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [67] Some felt the knockdown was real but the knockout was fake. kos k.o.s ko.s knockouts fight of the year joe louis lewis primo carnera buddy max baer tony galento lamon brewster monte barrett barret amir khan oleg maskaev nicolai valuev nikolai joe calzaghe sergej sergey liakhovich liakovich shannon briggs evander holyfield zultan ibragimov sultan meldrick taylor pauli ayala paul spadafora prince prinze naseem hamed naz johnny tapia john ruiz wilfredo gomez wilfried benitez george foreman big ron lyle earnie shavers joe frazier ken norton angelo dundee eddie futch riddick bowe Henry Akinwande Muhammad Ali Max Baer Michael Bentt Riddick Bowe James J. Braddock Shannon Briggs Tommy Burns Primo Carnera Ruslan Chagaev Ezzard Charles Gerrie Coetzee James J. Corbett Francesco Damiani Jack Dempsey Michael Dokes Jimmy Ellis Bob Fitzsimmons Joe Frazier Marvin Hart Herbie Hide Evander Holyfield James J. Jeffries Ingemar Johansson Jack Johnson Vitali Klitschko Sonny Liston Joe Louis Rocky Marciano Ray Mercer Tommy Morrison Greg Page Floyd Patterson John Ruiz Max Schmeling Bruce Seldon Jack Sharkey James Smith John L. Sullivan John Tate Ernie Terrell Tony Tubbs Nikolay Valuev Jersey Joe Walcott Mike Weaver Jess Willard Tim Witherspoon Muhammad Ali Lou Ambers Sammy Angott Fred Apostoli Ray Arcel Alexis Argello Baby Arizmendi Henry Armstrong Abe Attell Max Baer Caleb Baldwin Carmen Basilio Wilfred Bentez Nino Benvenuti Jack Kid Berg Jimmy Bivins Umberto Branchini Joe Brown Panama Al Brown Ken Buchanan Charley Burley Orlando Canizales Miguel Canto Tony Canzoneri Michael Carbajal Jem Carney Jimmy Carter Marcel Cerdan Antonio Cervantes Bobby Chacon Arthur Chambers Ezzard Charles Kid Chocolate Joe Choynski Stanley Christodoulou Billy Conn Eugne Criqui Jos Cuevas Jack Dempsey Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey Jack Dillon Professor Mike Donovan Paddy Duffy Don Dunphy Roberto Durn Lou Duva Billy Edwards Gabriel Elorde Jeff Fenech Bob Fitzsimmons George Foreman Bob Foster Joe Frazier Gene Fullmer Khaosai Galaxy Vctor Galndez Joe Gans Kid Gaviln Joey Giardello Mike Gibbons Wilfredo Gmez Humberto Mike Tyson [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. The FBI was on the hunt for evidence for match-fixing, given Listons mob ties mobsters still owned much of his fight promotion contract and the sports shady business model. 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. "When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". Liston knocked out Hermann Schreibauer of West Germany at 2:16 of the first round. [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. ", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:36. 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. Caputo, one of the investigating police officers, "The whole department knew about it." "[35] Although largely illiterate through lack of schooling, Liston was a more complex and interesting individual than has often been acknowledged. Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. Walcott never did pick up the count. [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. Tosches, Nick (2000). Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. "He said: 'Look what they did!' After he won the title, Liston relocated to Denver permanently, saying, "I'd rather be a lamppost in Denver than the mayor of Philadelphia. Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. The second fight? The fight lasted less than one full round, with Ali knocking out Liston at the 1:44 mark. [12], Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed three meals every day. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me. Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. At that point, the fight was scored as even on the official scorecards. Knopfler, who now records as a soloist and performs with a backup band, has a wide-ranging curiosity that has produced an eclectic collection of songs. Liston did eventually rise from the mat, but soon after, the referee broke up the two boxers once again the former champion had been down for more than 10 seconds, ending the fight. ", 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. I wasn't hit. knockout kimbo slice evander holyfield nogueira wladimir vitali klitschko haye mma brutal bareknuckle headbutt lowblow foul dirty boxer funny bob sapp david cesar chavez joe frazier rocky marciano larry holmes felix trinidad jackson new tribute video highlight dirtiest best brock lesnar julio cesar ricky hatton randy couture israel vasquez juan manuel marquez antonio margarito felix tito trinidad antonio rodrigo minotauro marco antonio barrera john ruiz freddie roach hector camacho pernell whitaker willie pep sugar ray robinson shane mosley antonio tarver roy jones joe cortez lennox lewis david haye haymaker wladimir vitali vladimir klitschko klitchko prediction prefight postfight press conferencetex cobb gerry cooney jerry pierre coetzer floyd roger mayweather arturo gatti rocky graziano graciano tony zale dariusz michalczewski rocky rocchigiani henry maske james toney vassily jirov vasily unbelievable knockout ko k.o. And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. 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. 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. But he spoke to his friend Resnick on the day of the fight and was told not to bet on the champion. [8][9], There is no official record of Liston's birth. He would not close in until the accumulated inside damage and Liston's own frustration had sapped the challenger's strength and will." Hed shown up to the fight in the best shape of his life no hot dogs or beer in his diet this time and promised to take down Ali. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. He said it was taught to him by comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchit, who learned it from Jack Johnson. After Ali's win against Sonny Liston, he wouldn't . [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. There were plenty of tough questions after the first fight for Liston, too, namely, why didnt he come out for another round? 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. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. And the face, it was an unforgettable face. In the 2020 film One Night in Miami, Liston is played by Aaron D. Alexander. [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! [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. Shaun Assael. Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection. . 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.. Ali brought his big personality to the small town, but Liston was still the favorite. The World Boxing Association one of several boxing organizations was not too pleased, moving to strip Ali of his title and advising states not to agree to host the rematch. He pulled the same stuff Walcott did against Marciano. "[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? Tradues em contexto de "with Sonny" en ingls-portugus da Reverso Context : I think you should stay here with Sonny. And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. ", confirmed most people's belief that Liston had taken a dive. Furthermore, that count cannot be started until the fighter scoring the knockdown goes to and remains in a neutral corner. His family's home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. 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. Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. Ali would lose his title a year later, though it didnt happen in the ring. For confetti we can use torn-up arrest warrants." [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. For those too young to remember, Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston was a legendary heavyweight boxer. ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." 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. This victory is regarded by some as Liston's most impressive performance. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The Devil and Sonny Liston. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter." [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. From the opening bell Liston attempted to close with Clay, looking to land a hard punch to the head to end the fight quickly and decisively. McDonough, however, claimed Walcott was looking at the crowd and never at him. This is a clip out of the \"The Other Side\" Documentary. 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