And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. At the IBHOF, the casts of Listons hands were bigger than Lennox Lewis' which were also gigantic. Boston: Little, Brown. Liston decked Martin with a left hook in the fourth round and dominated most of the fight, but Martin came back and knocked Liston out cold in the ninth round. Liston had never been knocked out before, and most people didnt even see the punch happen. Hall of Fame announcer Don Dunphy said, "Here was a guy who was in prison and the guards used to beat him over the head with clubs and couldn't knock him down." The toxicology report said his body was too decomposed for the tests to be conclusive. For me, the most fascinating thing about Liston was the fact that his birth date is unknown. Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. The Murder of Sonny Liston is an absorbing, albeit speculative, attempt at addressing the mystery that died with the man. 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. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. The fight quickly descended into chaos. Authorities theorized that he was undressing for bed when he fell over backward with such force that he broke the rail of the bench. Boxings brightest young star was again squaring off against a renowned bruiser in a rematch of their thrilling and controversial heavyweight championship fight one year prior, a fight that was followed by 14 months of international intrigue and the combustible politics of the 1960s. Either way, nat fleisher as the KD timekeeper had NO right telling Walcott the fight was over. Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. Never seen this one before, thanks alot. "[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? 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 "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. The most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. .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. ", It was later theorized that a substance used on Liston's cuts by Joe Pollino, his cut man, may have caused the irritation. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" Liston was a heavy favorite. "You're putting things on and you're taking this out and molding it," Knopfler said. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. [83] Herb Goldman stated that Liston, when in his prime between 1958 and 1963, was the most feared fighter in boxing history. Tradues em contexto de "with Sonny" en ingls-portugus da Reverso Context : I think you should stay here with Sonny. Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread and all them sluggers went down like lead. Soon, he was known as Cassius X, eschewing the last name given to his enslaved family by their owners. The second fight? 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. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. Felix later said Clay was seconds from being disqualified. 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. 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 champion. Tobe and Helen had 12 children together; Sonny was the second youngest child. [73] The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. His death was, too. 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. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. 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. He took one and went down. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. He offered no comment on the matter, but his victory would soon turn it into an international story. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. The match had more storylines than a soap opera. [89], Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose. Caputo, one of the investigating police officers, "The whole department knew about it." The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas. ", One of the most vivid verses creates a word-picture of Liston in his prime with photographic clarity: "Black Cadillac, alligator boots, money in the pockets of his sharkskin suits." Clay brought Malcolm X along with him to Miami, and amid the controversy, the fight was almost canceled. Numerous fans booed and started yelling, "Fix!" Sonny Liston is considered by many as the most intimidating boxer of all time with a devastating jab which is widely regarded as one of the best in heavyweight history. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. 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.". 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. Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. He said he could not hear McDonough, who did not have a microphone. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. 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. [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. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. People around the world tuned in via satellite to watch the match, which was fought in front of 2,434 paying ticket-holders, the smallest crowd in heavyweight championship fight history; people there suggested the crowd was more like 4,000, but nonetheless, it was a very small in-person audience. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. "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. More on that in a second. [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. "[40][41], Upon winning the world heavyweight title, Liston had a speech prepared for the crowd that friends had assured him would meet him at the Philadelphia airport. [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. There are echoes of slavery in his upbringing." He sunk to the canvas, and as he was down, Ali stood over him, taunting and demanding his stunned opponent get back up. Be respectful and come chat with us. 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. 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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 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. 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. ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." 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. [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. [105], Singer/Songwriter Rod Picott wrote and recorded a song titled "Sonny Liston" for his 2022 album "Paper Hearts and Broken Arrows. 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. It was probably Liston's best moment in the entire fight. Another depicts Liston's death scene and autopsy: "There was dope in his veins and a pistol on the drawer Criss-crossed on his back, scars from his daddy like slavery tracks.". Suddenly, the world had to come to grips with a new kind of heavyweight champion. The connections to organized crime were an advantage early in his career but were later used against him. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. Paul R Gallender, 2012. On April 21, 1955, he defeated Marshall in a rematch, dropping him four times en route to a sixth-round knockout. 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. However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. 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Frank Mir was around that height and was noticeably taller than Carwin. 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. "A blues song just for fighters: The legend of Sonny Liston. Muhammad Ali biographer Jonathan Eig shared a new theory as to why Sonny Liston may have taken a dive in the boxers' second bout. "[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. This victory is regarded by some as Liston's most impressive performance. "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. 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. For his part, Liston said that the referees inability to keep track of time doomed him, as he didnt know when to get up from the mat. Geraldine remembered her husband as "Great with me, great with the kids. The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. Arthur Daley of the New York Times wrote that Liston's handlers knew he "didn't have it anymore,"[65] and allegedly they had secretly paid sparring partner Amos Lincoln an extra $100 to take it easy on him -[citation needed] - the same man, incidentally, that Liston dismissed in less than two rounds a full three years later.