Welcome to r/boxing, the official home of pro boxing on Reddit! He was 6ft 1in (1.85m), and had an exceptionally powerful physique, with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches (2.13m). I forgot about the rules." "[75], Future world heavyweight champion George Foreman, who sparred with Liston after Foreman's amateur career, assessed Liston's jab as the most formidable he faced and Liston as the strongest man he encountered in the ring, describing Liston as having the most natural talent and skill. 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. 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. #muhammadali #henrycooper #sonnyliston #dougjones #heavyweight #greatness #boxing #legend #larryholmes #ironmike #sonnyliston #intimidating #bad #big #greatb. Liston didn't seem to mind though. 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. Sonny Liston fought for only $10,000 during his career. 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. The photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground. 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. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. He also took his gun. The last of Sonny Liston Andscape Never seen this one before, thanks alot. It became known as the phantom punch and has been the subject of controversy and speculation for the last 55 years. 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. The Devil And Sonny Liston. "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. When he tried to muscle in for a bigger share, Conrad thinks his employers got him very drunk, took him home and stuck him with a needle. A few months after Alis fight, Liston was dead from lung congestion though even that was shrouded in mystery and controversy. Liston's criminal record, compounded by a personal association with a notorious labor racketeer, led to the police's stopping him on sight, and he began to avoid main streets. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. Ali did neither. Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. Liston believed his date of birth to be May 8, 1932, and used this for official purposes[11] but by the time he won the world title an aged appearance added credence to rumors that he was actually several years older. [50] 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.. In that same book Liston was quoted two years after the fight: "Ali knocked me down with a sharp punch. For those too young to remember, Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston was a legendary heavyweight boxer. [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. [21], Liston made his professional debut on September 2, 1953, knocking out Don Smith in the first round in St. Louis, where he fought his first five bouts. 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. Muhammad Ali: FBI probed 1964 Sonny Liston fight for match-fixing After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. Reminds me of former UFC fighter Shane Carwin. Frank Mir was around that height and was noticeably taller than Carwin. Because of the shirt he wore during robberies, the St. Louis police called Liston the "Yellow Shirt Bandit." But others contend he just was not the same 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." At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. After repeated overnight detention by the St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston left for Philadelphia. Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. He was a gentle man. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. 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. Sonny Liston: The mysterious death that haunts boxing He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter." He could have remained typecast as a musician performing rock songs. [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. Interviewing and trash-talk have both gone through some tremendous evolutions, havent they? Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between .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 and Sonny Liston, during which the photo was snapped, was already shaping up to be the stuff of legends. After the second loss to Ali, Liston stayed out of the ring for more than a year. I didn't think it was a powerful punch when I saw the fight from ringside," he said. "From Bad Buck to White Hope: Journalism and Sonny Liston, 19581965. 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. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. Press J to jump to the feed. Two of the three official scorers, or judges, awarded the round to Liston, and the other scored the round even. (. Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread and all them sluggers went down like lead. Authorities theorized that he was undressing for bed when he fell over backward with such force that he broke the rail of the bench. McDonough, however, claimed Walcott was looking at the crowd and never at him. Book Review: Was Sonny Liston Murdered? - The Arts Fuse A grateful Liston found there was no need to give chase. Liston had never been knocked out before, and most people didnt even see the punch happen. The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. Liston went down on his back. [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. Ali would lose his title a year later, though it didnt happen in the ring. [70] There have been a number of unproven theories as to the background to the purported dive including that Liston was threatened by the Muslims, or agreed to lose in return for a share in the more marketable Ali's future purses. Tradues em contexto de "with Sonny" en ingls-portugus da Reverso Context : I think you should stay here with Sonny. Also, scar tissue, possibly from needle marks, was found in the bend of Liston's left elbow. 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/ These transcripts contain material that did not appear in the final program. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c.1930 December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. For confetti we can use torn-up arrest warrants." I know it", Liston said afterward. [citation needed] At this time, the head coach of the St. Louis Golden Gloves team, Tony Anderson, stated that Liston was the strongest fighter he had seen. He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. It burned like hell. Sonny Liston Once Shot a Gun at Muhammad Ali - Sportscasting "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. 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. After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. That got him killed. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. Then again, you can also have guys like Ali or Mike Tyson. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. Sonny Liston Vs Floyd Patterson What If There Had Been A Third Fight 10 Wild Stories From The Life Of Sonny Liston - Listverse It is hardly the first recording by a rock musician about boxing. His eyes swept the whole scene. "He would do everything to avoid taking shots." He said they found Liston lying on his bed with a needle sticking out of his arm. "The public is not with me. Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. 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. Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. The victim sought out the executioner." The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. Rocky Marciano, the former heavyweight champion, said that he appreciated the punchs strength upon re-examination. Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. Clay confessed later he had been hurt by the punch, but Liston was unable to press his advantage home. In the 2001 film Ali, Liston was portrayed by former WBO Heavyweight Champion Michael Bentt. [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. 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. Knopfler, who was born in Scotland and grew up in northern England, said Liston's story was "exciting subject matter because it's so mysterious." Tosches, Nick (2000). However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. When Machen clinched in . Felix later said Clay was seconds from being disqualified. Interview with Floyd Patterson - Washington University in St. Louis "[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. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. After he won the title, Liston relocated to Denver permanently, saying, "I'd rather be a lamppost in Denver than the mayor of Philadelphia. Ali's "Phantom Punch" Controversy Explained - PBS Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. 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. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. Sonny Liston in Denver, Colorado. America's first look at Liston since the Ali rematch was when he fought fifthranked Henry Clark in a nationally broadcast bout in July 1968. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." Sonny Liston Interview in Color - YouTube Elizabeth Bear wrote the short story "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall", published in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2008. [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. 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. Both fights were in Summerlin's hometown of Detroit.[23]. So I went down. A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. ", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:36. It made a champion out of Clay, who declared that hed shook up the world.. [86] Former light-heavyweight champion Jose Torres said, "I have never met an athlete in baseball, basketball or football who is smarter, more intelligent than Sonny Liston". 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. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." "He said, 'Cut the gloves off. There are echoes of slavery in his upbringing." [citation needed], Rogin wrote that Patterson backers expected him to "go inside on Liston, fire away and then run like a thief in the night. He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. Before he left for his bout with Clay, Sonny's training in Denver took him to some strange places. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. Liston assaulted the officer, breaking his knee and gashing his face. 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. . THE PREFIGHT MOODS OF SONNY LISTON. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. . Knopfler said he enjoys boxing and other sports but reflected on a conversation he had with a friend about the fights. At the IBHOF, the casts of Listons hands were bigger than Lennox Lewis' which were also gigantic. Any objective observer would have had to concede that Ali's counterpunch had landed, and landed with enough force to turn Liston's head, Rob Sneddon wrote in The Phantom Punch: The Story Behind Boxing's Most Controversial Bout. In his next fight, he had a rematch with Summerlin and again won an eight-round decision. [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. The second fight? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I'm the best ever. Paul R Gallender, 2012. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. The Murder of Sonny Liston is an absorbing, albeit speculative, attempt at addressing the mystery that died with the man. "[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. On the album's lyric sheet, below the Liston song, Knopfler includes a famous quotation from Liston from 1962: "Some day, they're gonna write a blues for fighters. Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. Sonny Liston was one of the hardest hitters the boxing world has ever seen. "But can he hit!" Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. Genuinely kind mobster who had been convicted of armed robbery and assault. Night Train is like $11 on Amazon, peep that if you want to get more of the story, i don't like how max was squeezing sonny's bicep. There are no official records of his birth 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. Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win.
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