Sonny Liston
Name: Sonny Liston
Birth Name: Charles L. Liston
Born: 1932-05-08
Birthplace: Johnson Township, Arkansas, USA
Died: 1970-12-30 (Age:38)
Nationality: US American
Hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 6′ 0½″ / 184cm
Reach: 84″ / 213cm
Boxing Record: click
Refereeing Record: click
Managers: Jack Nilon, Joe (Pep) Barone, Eddie Polino, George Katz, Frank Mitchell, and Dick Sadler
Trainers: Willie Reddish, Dick Sadler and Johnny Tocco
Cut Men: Joe Polino and Milt Bailey
Officiating Record: Referee
Sonny Liston Gallery
Contents |
Mysteries Surrounding Birth
Charles "Sonny" Liston was born May 8, 1932 in rural Arkansas, one of eleven children of his biological mother, Helen Baskin, and purportedly the twenty-fourth of twenty-five children sired by his father, Tobe Liston. His exact birth date is unclear, however, with his arrest records giving it as 1927 or 1928. Those dates are now confirmed as inaccurate. Birth records released by the National Archives for the Bureau of the Census for 1930 for Forrest City, Arkansas, where Liston was born, list Liston's parents, three sisters and three brothers, but NOT Charles (Sonny). His youngest brother, Curtis, was listed as six months old on those census documents filed in early 1930. Since Liston could only have been born in middle or late 1930 or afterwards, he could not have been older than 40 years old when he died, thus eliminating any of the controversy surrounding Liston's age, and making Sonny Liston no older than 33 when he fought Muhammad Ali for the first time in Liston's first defense of the World Heavyweight Championship on February 26, 1964.
Early Life and Amateur Career
Liston's childhood was one of poverty, pain, and illiteracy. Brutal and frequent beatings from his father caused Liston to pursue his mother to St Louis at age 13.
In St. Louis, Liston was in frequent trouble with the law. After many minor arrests, Liston was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to prison. During his stay, his talent was discovered by a Catholic priest. Through the actions of the Priest, Liston was paroled early and began a career in boxing.
In a brief amateur career, spanning less than a year, Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic gold medalist Ed Sanders, and the Intercity Golden Gloves' championship by decision over Julius Griffin.
| Preceded by: Ed Sanders |
Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions Heavyweight Champion 1953 |
Succeeded by: Garvin Sawyer |
| Preceded by: Norvel Lee |
Intercity Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion 1953 |
Succeeded by: Len Kanthal |
Early Professional Career
Liston began his professional career with a first round knockout of Don Smith and built up a nine fight winning streak against mainly unremarkable opposition. He made his debut on national television against Johnny Summerlin, winning a decision after eight rounds. He was handed his first defeat by awkward journeyman Marty Marshall on 7th September 1954. Whilst laughing at his opponent's unorthodox ring tactics, Liston was caught by a Marshall right hand and suffered a broken jaw, but still lasted the distance, losing on a split decision. He met Marshall again seven months later, this time winning by a sixth round TKO after flooring Marshall four times. Liston also won their rubber match in March 1956 to extend his record to 14-1. However, a few months later he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for assaulting a police officer and banned from boxing for the whole of 1957.
Heavyweight Contender
Following his release from prison, Liston embarked on an rigorous campaign starting in 1958 which would see him level the entire heavyweight division and become the only logical contender to champion Floyd Patterson's crown. But it would be four years before Liston finally earned a shot at the title, with Patterson's handlers citing Liston's links to organised crime as a reason to avoid the match-up. Liston knocked out Nino Valdes in three rounds and Wayne Bethea in one; he twice knocked out the hard punching Cleveland Williams (TKO3 and TKO2) in classic slugfests; Zora Folley (51-3-2) was knocked out in three, Mike DeJohn (37-5-1) in six, Roy Harris (30-1) in one and Albert Westphal in one. The only opponents to last the distance were Eddie Machen and Bert Whitehurst (the latter managed the feat twice, but was knocked through the ropes in the final ten seconds of their bout), although both adopted ultra-cautious tactics and Liston won comfortably on points. Finally, after years of pressure, Patterson defied his manager Cus D'Amato and signed to fight Liston.
Heavyweight Champion
Liston and Patterson finally met in the ring on 25th September 1962 in Chicago. Once the bell rang, it soon became clear that Patterson lacked the strength or power to keep Liston away. Liston pinned Patterson on the ropes in the first round and felled the champion with a series of blows to the head. Patterson was unable to beat the count, and after 2:05 the bout was over. Liston was the new world champion. The rematch a year later lasted just four seconds longer, Liston again winning with a brutal first round knockout.
At around the same time, a brash and talented young heavyweight named Cassius Clay emerged onto the boxing scene. In his bid to earn a title shot, Clay christened Liston a "big, ugly bear" and left bear traps outside his house. The bout took place on 25 February 1964. Despite Liston entering the ring as an 8-1 favourite, the quick and agile Clay proved an elusive target. Liston struggled to land clean blows, while Clay scored with quick combinations. After six rounds it was all over. Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh, claiming an injured shoulder, handing Clay the championship.
The rematch between Liston and Clay (by now known as Muhammad Ali) is among the most controversial bouts in heavyweight history. As the first round got underway, Liston was felled by a seemingly innocuous right hand thrown by Ali as he was moving backwards. Referee, former heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott, ushered Ali to a neutral corner but failed to pick up the count from the timekeeper. Liston got up and Walcott told the fighters to continue boxing, but Nat Fleischer shouted to Walcott from ringside that Liston had been down for more then ten seconds. Walcott stopped the fight. The so-called "phantom punch" (named the Anchor punch by Ali) remains controversial to this day, with rumours persisting that Liston took a dive, under pressure from either the mob or the Black Muslims.
Post Championship
Following the bout with Ali, Liston remained inactive for the rest of 1965. He made a comeback in 1966, winning four consecutive bouts in Sweden promoted by Ingemar Johansson. He won a further seven consecutive bouts in 1968 against relatively obscure opposition, before suffering the only uncontroversial knockout loss of his career, when he was knocked unconscious by a vicious right hand from Leotis Martin, a bout in which Liston was leading on all three scorecards. That would prove to be the penultimate fight of Liston's career. His final bout came against future heavyweight title challenger Chuck Wepner on 29th June 1970; Liston won by a tenth round TKO after Wepner was unable to continue due to heavy cuts.
Mysteries Surrounding Death
On Jan. 5, 1971, Liston's body was discovered by Geraldine, who had been away visiting family, in their Las Vegas home. Coroners determined he had died on December 30, 1970.
Liston had needle tracks in his arms, and heroin was present in his system. His wife and numerous friends, including referee Davey Pearl, claimed he was deathly afraid of needles and could not have been a drug addict. Some believe mobsters murdered him by forcibly giving him a lethal overdose. At least one acquaintance suggested Liston was involved in a loan-sharking ring and was demanding a bigger stake.
Officially, Liston died of heart failure and lung congestion. The medical examiner ruled 'death by natural causes' and no further investigation was conducted.
His funeral was attended by many of boxing's dignitaries, including former heavyweight champion Joe Louis, who was a pall-bearer.
"Ultimately, the true cause of Sonny Liston's death was the mystery in him," Nick Tosches wrote in The Devil and Sonny Liston. "He rode a fast dark train from nowhere, and it dumped him from that falling-off place at the end of the line."
Media
- Liston appeared on the "The Ed Sullivan Show", performing his jump-roping talent, and made an appearance on The Jack Benny Program.
- Liston was in the audience (seated next to Joe Louis), and introduced, during The Beatles' second appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," from Miami Beach, Florida, Feb. 16, 1964: [1]
- Liston also forayed into a career in acting. He appeared in the movies Moonfire, Head, and Harlow (1965).
- Also appeared in a television commercial for Braniff International Airways with acclaimed new age artist Andy Warhol.
External Links
- Grave Site: [2]
- Seconds Out Article: [3]
- Cyber Boxing Zone Article: [4]
- Internet Movie Database: [5]
- ESPN Article: [6]
Published References
- A. S. Young, Sonny Liston: The Champ Nobody Wanted (1963).
- R. Burnes, "Heavyweight with a Past" Saturday Evening Post, 13 August 1960, pp. 56-58.
- J. Flaherty, "A Right to the Jaw-That's Black Power" Esquire, March 1969, pp. 112-14.
- B. J. Friedman, "Requeim for a Heavy" Esquire, Aug. 1971, ppg. 55-57.
- L. V. Davis, "Sonny Liston"; in American National Biography, pp. 733-34. (1999).
Books on Liston: Devil and Sonny Liston
| Preceded by: Floyd Patterson |
WBA Heavyweight Champion NYSAC World Heavyweight Champion 1962 Sep 25 – 1964 Feb 25 |
Succeeded by: Cassius Clay |
| Preceded by: Inaugural Champion |
WBC Heavyweight Champion 1963 Jul 22 – 1964 Feb 25 |
Succeeded by: Cassius Clay |
