sonny liston interview

Don't confuse shyness with dullness, Sonny was. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. 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. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. 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. 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 . Very Rare interview with Sonny Liston and Joe Louis. 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At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. Watch the interview you be the judge.. [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. [84], Liston married Geraldine Chambers in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 3, 1957. 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. [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. [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. I dont have to be what you want me to be, Clay told agitated reporters. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. No, I'm Alexanderhe's no Alexander. Ali would lose his title a year later, though it didnt happen in the ring. [43] A month later, Liston was accused of impersonating a police officer by using a flashlight to wave down a female motorist in Fairmount Park, although all charges were later dropped. My man. The Devil and Sonny Liston. But he spoke to his friend Resnick on the day of the fight and was told not to bet on the champion. The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. Sonny Liston, once the heavyweight champ, died at the age of who-knows-what some days before Dec. 30, 1970. But a Senate subcommittee hearing turned up no evidence of any match-fixing, and doctors confirmed his explanation that hed taken such damage to his shoulder that he couldnt feel his arm. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. "[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. With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. And the face, it was an unforgettable face. Liston, with a 25-pound weight advantage, 214lb (97kg) to 189lb (86kg), knocked out Patterson at 2:06 of the first round, putting him down for the count with a powerful left hook to the jaw. He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. 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. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas. The story goes that Liston was born somewhere . A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. [55], There is ample evidence that Liston did carry an injury to his left shoulder into the fight. [16] Listonaged around 13, according to his later reckoningsremained in Arkansas with his father. It was 1965, not 1955. 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. 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. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. "[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? [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. On April 21, 1955, he defeated Marshall in a rematch, dropping him four times en route to a sixth-round knockout. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. He took one and went down. [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. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. Banker said he was told by police that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a drug raid. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. ", Still, some found it hard to believe that the punch could have floored a man like Liston. "[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. He was scared of the black-power movement. [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. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. [101], Liston played a fist fighter in the 1965 film Harlow, made a cameo appearance in the 1968 film Head, which starred The Monkees, and played the part of The Farmer in the 1970 film Moonfire, which starred Richard Egan and Charles Napier. Frank Mir was around that height and was noticeably taller than Carwin. The rumors swirling nearly canceled the fight the night prior, and when a reporter that morning broke tradition and asked if Clay was a member of the Black Muslims, as the group was often called, the boxer confirmed his new religion. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. Either way, nat fleisher as the KD timekeeper had NO right telling Walcott the fight was over. [87], Liston was found dead by his wife, Geraldine, in their Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971. 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. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. The Murder of Sonny Liston is an absorbing, albeit speculative, attempt at addressing the mystery that died with the man. [100] A successful racehorse which won the Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. [91] Coroner Mark Herman said traces of heroin byproducts were found in Liston's system, but not in amounts large enough to have caused his death. When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. A grateful Liston found there was no need to give chase. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. He would later employ McCarter as a sparring partner. "And I suppose Sonny Liston always stuck with me. He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." Pan, 2017. 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." After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." There are no official records of his birth 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. "[95], Sgt. 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. 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. Jeffries Ingemar Johansson Jack Johnson Vitali Klitschko Sonny Liston Joe Louis Rocky Marciano Ray Mercer Tommy Morrison Greg Page Floyd Patterson John Ruiz Max Schmeling Bruce Seldon Jack Sharkey James Smith John L. 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 His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. World light-heavyweight champion Jos Torres said, "It was a perfect punch." Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. Theories regarding the circumstance of Liston's death. [42], Liston's run-ins with the police had continued in Philadelphia. [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, when Clay returned to his corner, he started complaining that there was something burning in his eyes and he could not see. 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. [19], On June 23, 1953, a team consisting of ten recent St. Louis Golden Gloves champions of all weight classes, with Liston on top as the heavyweight, was gathered to represent the United States in an International Golden Gloves (USA vs. West Europe) competition at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. There were plenty of tough questions after the first fight for Liston, too, namely, why didnt he come out for another round? Boston: Little, Brown. "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. According to a report in the Miami Herald a few weeks before the 1964 fight, Clay was consorting with members of the Nation of Islam, who Clays father claimed had brainwashed his son. Felix later said Clay was seconds from being disqualified. In that same book Liston was quoted two years after the fight: "Ali knocked me down with a sharp punch. While valuing the photograph, appraiser Kathleen Guzman told. Tosches, Nick (2000). 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. [22], Early in his career, Liston faced capable opponents. Boston: Little, Brown. 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. [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. Audiences at home were confused and outraged. 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. ", confirmed most people's belief that Liston had taken a dive. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. 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. There are echoes of slavery in his upbringing." Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. It burned like hell. "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. I was down but not hurt, but I looked up and saw Ali standing over me. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. It was probably Liston's best moment in the entire fight. Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. 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. I forgot about the rules." Sonny was definitely a specimen. [73] The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. The fight lasted less than one full round, with Ali knocking out Liston at the 1:44 mark. The torn tendon had bled down into the mass of the biceps, swelling and numbing the arm. After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. I remember thinking as a child that this was a man who wanted to be left alone.". I know!" Odds makers gave Liston 71 to win. The organization was seen as an extremist anti-white people hate group and opponents of desegregation and Martin Luther King Jr. Clays propensity for self-promotion and controversy seemed to fit in with the groups inflammatory rhetoric. There was something caustic in both eyes." "There was nothing Sonny feared more than a needle. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. Press J to jump to the feed. The Ring magazine ranks Liston as the tenth greatest heavyweight of all time,[4] while boxing writer Herb Goldman ranked him second and Richard O'Brien, Senior Editor of Sports Illustrated, placed him third. 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]. 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. He also took his gun. Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, said after his career was over that Liston was the hardest puncher he faced. Liston was a heavy favorite. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection. (, Shaun Assael. The connections to organized crime were an advantage early in his career but were later used against him. Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c.1930 December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? Ali called it "the anchor punch." Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. "[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. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. [12], Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed three meals every day. ", It was later theorized that a substance used on Liston's cuts by Joe Pollino, his cut man, may have caused the irritation. [92] He had been suffering from hardening of the heart muscle and lung disease before his death. 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.". [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. 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." Muhammad Ali (at the time a rising contender named Cassius Clay), however, predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. "[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. 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. This is a place for friendly and civil debate about the greatest sport on earth. Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. It'll just be for slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell.". He had the whole package. 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. 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. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. 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. The commotion was not lost on referee Barney Felix, who was walking toward Clay's corner. Helen had one child before she married Tobe, and Tobe had 13 children with his first wife. Knopfler said he enjoys boxing and other sports but reflected on a conversation he had with a friend about the fights. Sit down!' 589 Share 23K views 1 year ago Rare interview of Sonny Liston colorized. [8][9], There is no official record of Liston's birth. [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). . Liston angrily responded by questioning whether Dempsey's failure to serve in World War I qualified him to moralize. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. The victim sought out the executioner." 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." 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. Furthermore, that count cannot be started until the fighter scoring the knockdown goes to and remains in a neutral corner. These transcripts contain material that did not appear in the final program. Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Liston had thrown a jab with his left arm and, leaning forward, took a right hook from Ali right to the skull. The fight quickly descended into chaos. 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. 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.

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