Two more arrestsfor disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and another for impersonating a copled to Liston being suspended by the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission on July 14, 1961. Watch the interview you be the judge.. It made a champion out of Clay, who declared that hed shook up the world.. Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, said after his career was over that Liston was the hardest puncher he faced. Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. "From Bad Buck to White Hope: Journalism and Sonny Liston, 19581965. 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. 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." "[94], A bronze copy of a marble statue of Liston sculpted by Alfred Hrdlicka in 1964 was erected in 2008 between Old Castle and Karlsplatz in Stuttgart, Germany. Knopfler said he enjoys boxing and other sports but reflected on a conversation he had with a friend about the fights. #muhammadali #henrycooper #sonnyliston #dougjones #heavyweight #greatness #boxing #legend #larryholmes #ironmike #sonnyliston #intimidating #bad #big #greatb. He said he could not hear McDonough, who did not have a microphone. While valuing the photograph, appraiser Kathleen Guzman told. "When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". And it was probably for the best ticket-buyers didnt exactly get their moneys worth. In his sixth bout, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin (18-1-2) on national television and won in an eight-round decision. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. He offered no comment on the matter, but his victory would soon turn it into an international story. 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. Because of the shirt he wore during robberies, the St. Louis police called Liston the "Yellow Shirt Bandit." [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. It was the first time in his career that Liston had been cut. Liston returned to the United States and won seven fights, all by knockout, in 1968, increasing his string to eleven. Who are the four people who knocked out Sonny Liston? 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. [32] Ironically, Patterson's manager, Cus D'Amato, associated with racketeers and had his manager's license revoked by the New York State Athletic Commission for alleged misconduct in connection with the Floyd PattersonIngemar Johansson title fight in June 1959. [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. [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. In that same book Liston was quoted two years after the fight: "Ali knocked me down with a sharp punch. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston . For confetti we can use torn-up arrest warrants." Many in attendance did not see Ali deliver the punch. 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. Ali is waiting to hit me, the ref can't control him. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. "[78] While much has been written about the effectiveness of his left jab, others have commented favorably on Liston's wide range of boxing skills. Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. . I don't think there was any way for him to beat Clay at that time, but if he entered the ring in a different mindset, to box and not try and get him like Patterson and others, he could of went the distance. In the 2020 film One Night in Miami, Liston is played by Aaron D. Alexander. A few years before Tocco died, he allegedly told one of his good friends, Tony Davi, that he went to Liston's house and found the door locked and his car in the driveway. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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.. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. 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. 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/ And the Muslims were coming up. 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. December 1963 extended Interview with Champion Sonny Liston - discusses His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. He would later employ McCarter as a sparring partner. For those too young to remember, Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston was a legendary heavyweight boxer. "[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? Like Dylan's subject, Rubin Carter, Knopfler's version of Liston is sympathetic. "[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. His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. The suspension was honored in all states. "He was afraid of needles," echoed Father Edward Murphy. [84], Liston married Geraldine Chambers in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 3, 1957. "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 was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. 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. 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. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. 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 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. Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. Standing 185 centimeters (6'1) tall and packing over 90 kilograms (200 lb) of pure muscle, there's a reason he was nicknamed "The Big Bear," and it wasn't for the hugs he gave.. His career in heavyweight boxing spanned from 1953 to 1970, and he spent all 17 of those years going guts for glory against the . Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. The date of death listed on his death certificate is December 30, 1970,[90] which police estimated by judging the number of milk bottles and newspapers around the front door of the property. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c. 1930 - December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. He could have remained typecast as a musician performing rock songs. [50] 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. #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. ", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:36. One Journalist's Attempt To Solve 'The Murder Of Sonny Liston' - WBUR "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. Ali brought his big personality to the small town, but Liston was still the favorite. What are you doing? Liston assaulted the officer, breaking his knee and gashing his face. However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. For me, the most fascinating thing about Liston was the fact that his birth date is unknown. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" Liston had thrown a jab with his left arm and, leaning forward, took a right hook from Ali right to the skull. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. "[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. "He was scared of the police. Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. I was down but not hurt, but I looked up and saw Ali standing over me. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. Soon, he was known as Cassius X, eschewing the last name given to his enslaved family by their owners. 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. "I'm doing a portrait of a life, really, in a way, so you are trying to get the whole thing into just a few verses. 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. Patterson, a 4-1 betting underdog, was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. Genuinely kind mobster who had been convicted of armed robbery and assault. It was the third-fastest knockout in a world heavyweight title fight, and the first time the defending champion had been knocked out in round one. Did Sonny Liston Take a Dive in His Second Muhammad Ali - Sportscasting He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. "[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. Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." [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. "[68], While Liston publicly denied taking a dive, Sports Illustrated writer Mark Kram said that years later Liston told him, "That guy [Ali] was crazy. My man. Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". That would prove to be an understatement. Remembering One Of Boxing's Storied Bouts Robert Siegel and Melissa Block recall the fight between Cassius Clay and and Sonny Liston, the fight at the heart of the off-Broadway play Fetch Clay, . The fight lasted less than one full round, with Ali knocking out Liston at the 1:44 mark. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. Muhammad Ali talking about Henry Cooper, Sonny Liston, and - YouTube [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. Unlike Dylan or Carter, however, Knopfler does not present Liston as innocent of a crime for which he was imprisoned. "And I suppose Sonny Liston always stuck with me.