BoxRec

The most logical reason I've ever heard regarding Liston's death was that he was supposed to throw the Wepner fight and decided not too. Ergo, the mob got him with a 'hot shot.' The problem with his needle work is that Liston was notoriously afraid of needles, so the self induced theory was debunked. Mob hit? We'll never know for sure.

Watch the HBO documentary about Joe Louis.
I think there may have been a clue there in it.
when they interview the wife of the late Ash Resnick
She said that Ash Resnick threw someone (not named)out of his casino and told them never to come back.
because they were caught supplying Joe Louis with cocaine
( who had been addicted to cocaine previously
and just gotten out of the hospital in Colorado for rehab to it and had recently moved to Las Vegas (in 1970)
Joe Louis and Ash Resnick were buddies going back to WWII.
Ash Resnick owned the Thunderbird Casino and was a "partner" in Caesar's Palace.

Here some info to back up the authors claim anyway from the book THE DEVIL AND SONNY LISTON by Nick Toushes publiushed in 2000.
page 244.

headline of The Las Vegas Sun-January-8-1971.
PROBE REVEALS LISTON MAY HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE NARCO VICTIM

Las Vegas Sun January-9-1971
'The last person known to see Charles (Sonny) Liston alive
was an undercover narcotics agent,Sheriffs Detectives said yesterday.
Liston known as the "bad man" of professional boxing
was visited at his home December 30th by the agent.
They refused to divulge the nature or reason for his visit but did say
Liston was apparently in good health."

also in the same book the author interviewed Lem Banker who was a good friend of Liston
and who believed he was murdered.
he had he had been told by an ex-cop who was imprisioned
in Carson City Nevada who told him that he was been offered a contract by Ash Resnic.k to kill Sonny Liston.

either today or tomorrow would be the anniversary.

I am not a Doctor, but it looks like Sonny liston may have been "feeling a little tooo good" here.

stoned-immaculant !

THANKS, great interview!

yeh, Sonny Liston had began drinking heavily in the late 1960's
(according to his wife Geraldine)
and earlier he had threaten a "Mob Boss" in Palm Springs ("cocking his fist" at him.)
There is no doubt (IMOP)that he was given a "Hot shot" the day he had died.