Sonny Liston Vs Floyd Patterson What If There Had Been A Third Fight At the IBHOF, the casts of Listons hands were bigger than Lennox Lewis' which were also gigantic. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." Was Pariah boxing legend Sonny Listons OD really a mob murder? [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. [51], Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by technical knockout. 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. "He said, 'Cut the gloves off. In this case, Intercontinental Promotions Inc., which had the rights to Listons fight, also got to choose the first opponent for the new champion, should Liston lose. "[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? Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. [88] On returning home from a two-week trip, Geraldine had smelled a foul odor emanating from the main bedroom and on entering saw him slumped up against the bed, a broken foot bench on the floor. Numerous fans booed and started yelling, "Fix!" After Ali's win against Sonny Liston, he wouldn't . He also took his gun. Sonny Liston: The mysterious death that haunts boxing Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. [22], Early in his career, Liston faced capable opponents. Elizabeth Bear wrote the short story "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall", published in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2008. 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 offered no comment on the matter, but his victory would soon turn it into an international story. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. 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 that same book Liston was quoted two years after the fight: "Ali knocked me down with a sharp punch. Sonny Liston became world heavyweight champion in 1962 and fought Muhammad Ali twice In January 1971, former heavyweight champion of the world Sonny Liston was found dead at his Las Vegas. 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. . The last of Sonny Liston Andscape [89], Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose. The photo captures the champions exhortations, with all the fire and passion and dynamic physicality that made him such a phenomenon. 10 Wild Stories From The Life Of Sonny Liston - Listverse A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. The highly-anticipated May 1965 rematch between the heavyweight champions almost didn't happen. But he spoke to his friend Resnick on the day of the fight and was told not to bet on the champion. [100] A successful racehorse which won the Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston. His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. . Sonny Liston RARE Interview - YouTube Skeptics called the knockout blow "the phantom punch." [67] Some felt the knockdown was real but the knockout was fake. 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. Caputo, one of the investigating police officers, "The whole department knew about it." Liston went down on his back. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. (4) Liston was supposed to take a dive when he fought Chuck Wepner six months earlier, and killing him was payback for his failure to do so. 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. Ali called it "the anchor punch." Ali would lose his title a year later, though it didnt happen in the ring. Mark Knopfler enjoyed widespread popularity in the 1980's as the leader of Dire Straits, lending his husky voice to hit songs like "Sultans of Swing" and "Money for Nothing." In the months ahead of the fight, Muhammad Ali went all sorts of routes to get into Sonny Liston's head. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. Walcott never did pick up the count. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. 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. Time magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. Controversy followed with claims that Liston had been drinking heavily the night before the fight and had entered the bout with a lame shoulder. Genuinely kind mobster who had been convicted of armed robbery and assault. 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. "But can he hit!" The toxicology report said his body was too decomposed for the tests to be conclusive. Banker later learned that the police told Liston the same thing to his face. Rocky Marciano, the former heavyweight champion, said that he appreciated the punchs strength upon re-examination. Who needed that? Savant Sundays: Sonny Liston - Bad Left Hook Concert Preview/Interview: John Lodge of the Moody Blues on Reprising "Days of Future Passed . [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. Helen had one child before she married Tobe, and Tobe had 13 children with his first wife. THE PREFIGHT MOODS OF SONNY LISTON. [47] Sitting on his stool between rounds, however, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on his cut. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. "There's no doubt that he was mean," Knopfler said of Liston. His death was, too. 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. 9, 1 March 2018, p. 8, New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, "Photographic image of 'Tale of the Tape', "Sonny Liston vs. Floyd Patterson (Tale of the tape)", "From THE RING: The greatest heavyweight of all time", "25 Greatest Fighters of All Time (Heavyweight)", "ESPN Classic - Liston was trouble in and out of ring", "Jacob's Beach by Kevin Mitchell: review", "Hard Times, Good Times: Charles "Sonny" Liston - Boxing.com", "Dismayed D'Amato Is Expecting To Get Back Manager's License", "Esquire covers commemorate boxing's prime", "Cassius Clay-Sonny Liston I: 50 Years Later", "Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay (1st meeting) - BoxRec", "1964 Clay vs. Liston Judges' Scorecards from Miami Beach Bout. | Lot #80073 | Heritage Auctions", "Muhammad Ali's Toughest Fight Wasn't Against Joe Frazier", "Fifty Years Later: The Mystery of Muhammad Ali's 'Phantom Punch', "I WAS THERE: George Chuvalo Watches Sonny Liston Take a Dive - YouTube", "Fifty Years Later: The Mystery of Muhammad Ali's 'Phantom Punch' | Boxing News", "Daytona Beach Morning Journal - Google News Archive Search", "Sonny Liston the most talented Heavyweight in history", "George Foreman Discusses Friendship With Sonny Liston", "Sonny Liston: Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy Boxing News", "LOTIERZO'S LOWDOWN Sonny Liston: The Most Underrated Heavyweight Champ In History", "The Most Feared Fighter in Boxing History: Charles 'Sonny' Liston remembered", "Liston KO'd Popular Patterson for Title", "O Unlucky Man: Fortune never smiled on Sonny Liston", "Sonny Liston Meets the Press - Boxing.com", "Like Fights Against Ali, Liston Death a Mystery", "December 30, 1970: Mysterious Death of Sonny Liston", "19 YEARS LATER: Liston Death Remains Mystery to His Friends". Sonny Liston Interview in Color - YouTube Either way, nat fleisher as the KD timekeeper had NO right telling Walcott the fight was over. 'What's My Name| Muhammad Ali' Proves Why Ali's The Greatest - VIBE.com 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. Sonny Liston in his prime . After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. 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." THE PREFIGHT MOODS OF SONNY LISTON - Sports Illustrated And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. 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. 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.. I remember thinking as a child that this was a man who wanted to be left alone.". "He had a deadly fear of needles," said Davey Pearl, a boxing referee and friend of Liston's. Tale of the tape: Fight poster for Sonny Liston v Cassius Clay in 1964. . And the face, it was an unforgettable face. Many in the small crowd had not even settled in their seats when the fight was stopped. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. He had the whole package. More on that in a second. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. In the third round, Clay began to take control of the fight. Liston was overwhelmed by an abusive father, confrontations with the law, underworld managers and a change in African-American culture represented by Ali, Knopfler said. 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. Clay countered in verse, "If you want to lose your money, then bet on Sonny! Liston was supremely confident of easily beating Clay, trained minimally for the fight and went ahead with it despite an injury to his left shoulder.[44]. Liston won 14 consecutive bouts, 13 by knockout, before fighting third-ranked Leotis Martin, previously beaten by Clark, in December 1969. At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. I know!" Liston also appears in the sequel, Blood's a Rover. It became known as the phantom punch and has been the subject of controversy and speculation for the last 55 years. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. However, when Clay returned to his corner, he started complaining that there was something burning in his eyes and he could not see. "[18], After Liston was released from prison on October 31, 1952, he had a brief amateur career that spanned less than a year. Sonny Liston: The Tragic Story of a Terrifying Man Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. 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. . Watch the interview you be the judge. Liston returned to the United States and won seven fights, all by knockout, in 1968, increasing his string to eleven. Half a mile above and beyond the shrine, looking down from the summit of the mountain, is a statue of the Sacred Heart. Don't confuse shyness with dullness, Sonny was reluctant to talk to the press - the always painted a bad picture of him.Dwight Muhammad Qawi Braxton ATG Philly Joe Frazier Bernard HopkinsTags:pernell whitaker jersey joe walcott louis julio chavez evander holyfield lennox lewis felix sturm oscar de la hoya floyd mayweather miguel cotto marquez manny pacquiao pacman boxing boxer ko knockout tribute robbery mike tyson rocky marciano oscar de la hoya manny pacquiao foreman fight miguel cotto dead death muhammad ali cassius mike tyson clay lennox lewis eric morales barrera floyd mayweather fedor emelianenko ufc boxing ko k.o. "From Bad Buck to White Hope: Journalism and Sonny Liston, 19581965. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. Muhammad Ali stands over Sonny Liston after dropping Liston with a short hard right to the jaw on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine, Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston: The Controversial Fight Behind Their Iconic Boxing Photo, Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, an official member of the Nation of Islam, Senate subcommittee hearing turned up no evidence, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. "Now (after seeing video) I think Clay, seeing the opening, snapped the punch the last six inches. In the third round, Marshall nailed Listonreportedly while he was laughingand broke his jaw. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. On May 7, backers of the rematch ended the court battle by pulling the fight out of Boston. 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