He took one and went down. 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. 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. He was 6ft 1in (1.85m), and had an exceptionally powerful physique, with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches (2.13m). 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. There was something caustic in both eyes." The last of Sonny Liston Andscape He said he could not hear McDonough, who did not have a microphone. [60] The extent to which Liston's heavy drinking and possible drug use may have contributed to his surprisingly poor performances against Ali is not known.[15]. That would prove to be an understatement. [89], Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose. I never saw. 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. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. "[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. [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. [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. (2) Professional gambler Lem Banker insists that Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. The ending of the fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. Good lord, Sonny's mitts are massive. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. He was scared of the black-power movement. [94], On January 1, Liston's wife, Geraldine, called Johnny Tocco and said she had not heard from her husband in three days and was worried. He also went with a new manager in 1958: Joseph "Pep" Barone, who was a front man for mobsters Frankie Carbo and Frank "Blinky" Palermo. [38], Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. [73] The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." As the years passed and Liston's financial situation worsened, he got angry and told the mob he would go public with the story unless they gave him the money. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. Very rare interview of Sonny Liston talking about how he got started in boxing, his fights with Williams and Patterson and his training routine. Then again, you can also have guys like Ali or Mike Tyson. The champion was stripped of the belt when he refused to be drafted into the armed services during the Vietnam War, and he didnt box again in a match that counted until 1970. Asked by a young white reporter why he was not fighting for freedom in the South, Liston deadpanned, "I ain't got no dog-proof ass. "He said: 'Look what they did!' Sonny Liston Interview - YouTube In "Sailing to Philadelphia," a duet with James Taylor, Knopfler told of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon traveling from England to North America to draw the Mason-Dixon line. Liston had never been knocked out before, and most people didnt even see the punch happen. 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. It was a shocking result, not only because Liston was favored in the match, but because hardly anybody saw the punch that took him down. Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. [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]. The suspension was honored in all states. During the interim, officials in Boston also got cold feet. He was still a world-ranked boxer when he died in mysterious circumstances in 1970. Rogin called Liston's physique "awesomearms like fence posts, thighs like silos." 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/ Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." Liston's noticeably more muscular left arm, crushing left jab and powerful left hook lent credence to the widely held belief that he was left-handed, although he fought in an orthodox stance. He then outpointed Julius Griffin, winner of the New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, to capture the Intercity Golden Gloves Championship on March 26 (representing Chicago). Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. Patterson, a 4-1 betting underdog, was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color Legends of Boxing in Color 22K views 10 months ago On the Spot show with Max Goldberg featuring the heavyweight champion. The year 1959 was a banner one for Liston: after knocking out contender Mike DeJohn in six rounds he faced Cleveland Williams, a fast-handed fighter who was billed as the hardest-hitting heavyweight in the world against whom he showed durability, power and skill, nullifying Williams' best work before stopping him in the third round. He was a gentle man. "[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? We cooked up that shoulder thing on the spot. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. After he won the title, Liston relocated to Denver permanently, saying, "I'd rather be a lamppost in Denver than the mayor of Philadelphia. Who are the four people who knocked out Sonny Liston? Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. "The public is not with me. After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. Don't confuse shyness with dullness, Sonny was. 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. Clay confessed later he had been hurt by the punch, but Liston was unable to press his advantage home. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. 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." Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. Sonny Liston: The mysterious death that haunts boxing "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." "There was nothing Sonny feared more than a needle. Rocky Marciano, the former heavyweight champion, said that he appreciated the punchs strength upon re-examination. The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. [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. 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.. My man. 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. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. Ali called it "the anchor punch." Odds makers gave Liston 71 to win. "When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. Although Liston was widely regarded as unbeatable, he lost the title in 1964 to Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), who entered as a 71 underdog. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born c.1930 into a sharecropping family that farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St.Francis County, Arkansas. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. In that same book Liston was quoted two years after the fight: "Ali knocked me down with a sharp punch. Once he went down, I got excited. He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. It'll just be for slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell.". Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston . His wife said he was a kind & gentle hearted person who cared deeply for children & that no one ever saw that side of him except those closest to him I believe there's a documentary somewhere on YouTube I'd recommend watching it MatterUpbeat8803 19 days ago 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. Liston didn't seem to mind though. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me. He also took his gun. Sonny Liston | Boxing's Most Intimidating and Unwanted Champion Rainy Day Boxing 302K subscribers 5.6M views 1 year ago Join Rainy Day Boxing for an in depth career tribute to arguably the most. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. 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. Walcott never began a count in the ring because of Ali's non-compliance and his physical struggle with getting Ali to go to that neutral corner. [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. More on that in a second. 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. Ira Gay Sealy/The Denver Post via Getty Images According to the post, he returned back home later that morning and called his sparring partner Gary Bates to tell him he was leaving for Los Angeles but that they should get together when he returned in a couple of days. Maule, Tex (March 9, 1964). Book Review: Was Sonny Liston Murdered? - The Arts Fuse Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". Gallender claimed, "A lot of officers knew Sonny was dead before Geraldine returned home on January 5, but they chose to let him rot. "[57] Those findings were confirmed in a formal investigation immediately after the fight by Florida State Attorney Richard Gerstein, who also noted that there was little doubt that Liston went into the fight with a sore or lame shoulder. Authorities theorized that he was undressing for bed when he fell over backward with such force that he broke the rail of the bench. [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. Less than 10 days later, he was Muhammad Ali, a name given him to Elijah Muhammad, the head of the Nation of Islam. The second fight? This interview is missing a "BOOOOOOOMZQUAD!!" He said they found Liston lying on his bed with a needle sticking out of his arm. 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. 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. Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and his infamously intimidating appearance. Liston was a heavy favorite. World light-heavyweight champion Jos Torres said, "It was a perfect punch." [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! [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. The mysterious life of Sonny Liston : r/Boxing - Reddit [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. Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, said after his career was over that Liston was the hardest puncher he faced. Skeptics called the knockout blow "the phantom punch." Sonny Liston - Wikipedia Liston knocked out Hermann Schreibauer of West Germany at 2:16 of the first round. Liston assaulted the officer, breaking his knee and gashing his face. That got him killed. Sonny Liston vs Eddie Machen (1960) As usual, Liston wasted no time throwing his jab and keeping Machen at bay, who was trying to get his hands off with minimal success. 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. "And I suppose Sonny Liston always stuck with me. These transcripts contain material that did not appear in the final program. He said it was taught to him by comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchit, who learned it from Jack Johnson. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. Support this Channel: https://www.patreon.com/join/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise: https://www.redbubble.com/peo. The mysterious life of Sonny Liston. Ali did neither. [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. Sonny Liston | Boxing's Most Intimidating and Unwanted Champion Muhammad Ali (at the time a rising contender named Cassius Clay), however, predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. [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. Interviewing and trash-talk have both gone through some tremendous evolutions, havent they? Frank Mir was around that height and was noticeably taller than Carwin. 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. 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 bout would need to be delayed by six months. 1 contender in 1960, but the handlers of world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson refused to give him a shot at the title because of Liston's links to organized crime. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c. 1930 - December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston: The Controversial Fight Behind Their [67] Some felt the knockdown was real but the knockout was fake. . ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." According to a New York Times report the day after the fight, Clay was indeed an official member of the Nation of Islam. ", Hutchison, Phillip J. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. Elizabeth Bear wrote the short story "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall", published in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2008. 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. A few months after Alis fight, Liston was dead from lung congestion though even that was shrouded in mystery and controversy. Sonny Liston, once the heavyweight champ, died at the age of who-knows-what some days before Dec. 30, 1970. Sonny Liston interview with Max Goldberg before his fight with Cassius Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. Felix later said Clay was seconds from being disqualified. The interference of ringside reporters regarding interpretation of the rules, the fight stoppage and the controversy after the fight had not been seen since The Long Count Fight between champion Gene Tunney and challenger Jack Dempsey in 1927. Tobe and Helen had 12 children together; Sonny was the second youngest child. [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. "[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. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" 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. For Sonny Liston, a Ballad to a Heavyweight, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/13/sports/othersports/for-sonny-liston-a-ballad-to-a-heavyweight.html. [64] Strict interpretation of the knockdown/count rule states it is the referee's count and not the timekeeper's that is the official count. 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.
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