Sonny Liston - Revision history

Wouter at 18:44, 9 January 2026

2026-01-09T18:44:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:44, 9 January 2026
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	*'''St. Louis Golden Gloves'''		*'''St. Louis Golden Gloves'''
	**Feb 13 Luther Corder KO 2		**Feb 13 Luther Corder KO 2
	**Feb 13 [[~~Lloyd~~ Willis]] W 3 - Finals		**Feb 13 [[Bo Willis]] W 3 - Finals
	*'''Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions'''		*'''Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions'''
	**Feb 24 [[Donnie Fleeman]] KO 3		**Feb 24 [[Donnie Fleeman]] KO 3

Olivares at 23:20, 19 January 2025

2025-01-19T23:20:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:20, 19 January 2025
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	<boxer>009031</boxer>		<boxer>009031</boxer>
	*'''Managers:''' [[Jack Nilon]], [[Joe (Pep) Barone]], [[Eddie Polino]], [[George Katz]], [[Frank Mitchell]], [[Dick Sadler]]		*'''Managers:''' [[Jack Nilon]], [[Joe (Pep) Barone]], [[Eddie Polino]], [[George Katz]], [[Frank Mitchell]], [[Dick Sadler]]
	*'''Trainers:''' [[Willie Reddish]], [[Dick Sadler]], [[Johnny Tocco]]		*'''Trainers:''' [[Jimmy Wilson]], [[Willie Reddish]], [[Dick Sadler]], [[Johnny Tocco]]
	*'''Cut Men:''' [[Joe Polino]], [[Milt Bailey]]		*'''Cut Men:''' [[Joe Polino]], [[Milt Bailey]]
	*'''[[:Category:Sonny Liston Gallery\|Sonny Liston Gallery]]		*'''[[:Category:Sonny Liston Gallery\|Sonny Liston Gallery]]

John at 14:38, 12 May 2022

2022-05-12T14:38:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:38, 12 May 2022
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	[[File:~~Liston BE055243~~.jpg\|left\|~~thumb\|300px\|Charles "Sonny" Liston~~]]		[[File:Liston61.jpg\|left\|250px]]
	{{ibhof \|url=http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/liston.html}}		{{ibhof \|url=http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/liston.html}}
	<boxer>009031</boxer>		<boxer>009031</boxer>
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	== Mysteries Surrounding Birth ==		== Mysteries Surrounding Birth ==
	There is no official record of Sonny Liston's birth. He was born on a farm in Arkansas, a state which did not require mandatory birth certificates until 1965. Liston told sportswriter Jerry Izenberg that his date of birth was carved on a tree, but it was chopped down.		There is no official record of Sonny Liston's birth. He was born on a farm in Arkansas, a state which did not require mandatory birth certificates until 1965. Liston told sportswriter Jerry Izenberg that his date of birth was carved on a tree, but it was chopped down.
	* according to, Kings of the Ring documentary, Sonny Liston was one of 25 children. .
	When Liston was arrested for robbery in 1950, he gave his age as 22. When he filed for a birth certificate for legal reasons in 1953, he said his date of birth as May 8, 1932. And when he testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee in 1960, he said he was born in 1933.		When Liston was arrested for robbery in 1950, he gave his age as 22. When he filed for a birth certificate for legal reasons in 1953, he said his date of birth as May 8, 1932. And when he testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee in 1960, he said he was born in 1933.

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	== Early Professional Career ==		== 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 September 7, 1954. While 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 an eighth-round split decision. He met Marshall again seven months later, on April 21, 1955, and won by a sixth-round TKO after flooring Marshall four times. Liston won their rubber match on March 6, 1956 by a lopsided ten-round unanimous decision to extend his record to 14-1. However, ~~on May 6, 1956 Liston and~~ a friend, William Patterson, were arrested for beating patrolman Thomas Mellow, who was attempting to issue a ticket on Patterson's illegally parked taxi-cab. Mellow suffered head injuries, a broken leg and had his service revolver stolen by the two (it was later ~~recovered). On January 29, 1957 Liston pled guilty to assault, robbery and interfering with an officer and~~ was sentenced to nine months in the ~~City Workhouse~~.		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 September 7, 1954. While 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 an eighth-round split decision. He met Marshall again seven months later, on April 21, 1955, and won by a sixth-round TKO after flooring Marshall four times. Liston won their rubber match on March 6, 1956 by a lopsided ten-round unanimous decision 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 ==		== Heavyweight Contender ==
	Liston returned to the ring in 1958, embarking on an rigorous campaign 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 organized crime as a reason to avoid the match-up. Liston knocked out some of the best heavyweights of the late 1950s and early 1960s: [[Nino Valdes]] (KO 3), [[Wayne Bethea]] (TKO 1), [[Zora Folley]] (KO 3), [[Mike DeJohn]] (TKO 6), [[Roy Harris]] (TKO 1), [[Albert Westphal]] (KO 1), and the hard-punching [[Cleveland Williams]] twice in classic slugfests (TKO 3 and TKO 2). Only two opponents were able to last the distance: [[Bert Whitehurst]] twice in 1958 (he barely survived the second fight, getting knocked through the ropes in the final seconds of the bout) and [[Eddie Machen]] in 1960. Both adopted ultra-cautious tactics, and Liston won comfortably on points. ~~By 1960, Liston was rated the [[National Boxing Association's Quarterly Ratings: 1960\|number one contender]] by the NBA.~~		Liston returned to the ring in 1958, embarking on an rigorous campaign 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 organized crime as a reason to avoid the match-up. Liston knocked out some of the best heavyweights of the late 1950s and early 1960s: [[Nino Valdes]] (KO 3), [[Wayne Bethea]] (TKO 1), [[Zora Folley]] (KO 3), [[Mike DeJohn]] (TKO 6), [[Roy Harris]] (TKO 1), [[Albert Westphal]] (KO 1), and the hard-punching [[Cleveland Williams]] twice in classic slugfests (TKO 3 and TKO 2). Only two opponents were able to last the distance: [[Bert Whitehurst]] twice in 1958 (he barely survived the second fight, getting knocked through the ropes in the final seconds of the bout) and [[Eddie Machen]] in 1960. Both adopted ultra-cautious tactics, and Liston won comfortably on points.

	== World Heavyweight Champion ==		== World Heavyweight Champion ==
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	*The [[Ring Magazine: Holiday 1998\|1998 Holiday issue]] of [[Ring Magazine\|''The Ring'']] ranked Liston as the seventh [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time\|greatest heavyweight of all-time]].		*The [[Ring Magazine: Holiday 1998\|1998 Holiday issue]] of [[Ring Magazine\|''The Ring'']] ranked Liston as the seventh [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time\|greatest heavyweight of all-time]].
	*The Associated Press ranked Liston as the seventh best heavyweight of the twentieth century in 1999.		*The Associated Press ranked Liston as the seventh best heavyweight of the twentieth century in 1999.
	*The [[Ring Yearbook: 2003 Edition\|2003 edition]] of ''The Ring Yearbook'' ranked Liston as the fifteenth [[The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!\|greatest puncher of all-time]].		*The [[Ring Yearbook: 2003 Edition\|2003 edition]] of ''The Ring Yearbook'' ranked Liston as the fifteenth [[The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!\|greatest puncher of all-time]].
	*Liston was named the 8th greatest heavyweight of all time in a 2020 IBRO vote. In the 2005 vote, he was 9th.

	~~==Professional record==~~
	~~'''Championship record'''~~
	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.

	== Media ==		== Media ==

Artur128: /* Professional record */

2022-05-08T14:38:45Z

Professional record

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:38, 8 May 2022
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	'''Championship record'''		'''Championship record'''
	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.

	~~'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|Legitimate]] Championship Record'''~~
	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.

	== Media ==		== Media ==

Journeymen at 11:11, 19 February 2022

2022-02-19T11:11:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:11, 19 February 2022
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	== Mysteries Surrounding Birth ==		== Mysteries Surrounding Birth ==
	There is no official record of Sonny Liston's birth. He was born on a farm in Arkansas, a state which did not require mandatory birth certificates until 1965. Liston told sportswriter Jerry Izenberg that his date of birth was carved on a tree, but it was chopped down.		There is no official record of Sonny Liston's birth. He was born on a farm in Arkansas, a state which did not require mandatory birth certificates until 1965. Liston told sportswriter Jerry Izenberg that his date of birth was carved on a tree, but it was chopped down.
			* according to, Kings of the Ring documentary, Sonny Liston was one of 25 children. .
	When Liston was arrested for robbery in 1950, he gave his age as 22. When he filed for a birth certificate for legal reasons in 1953, he said his date of birth as May 8, 1932. And when he testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee in 1960, he said he was born in 1933.		When Liston was arrested for robbery in 1950, he gave his age as 22. When he filed for a birth certificate for legal reasons in 1953, he said his date of birth as May 8, 1932. And when he testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee in 1960, he said he was born in 1933.

Artur128: /* Professional record */

2021-04-02T21:24:16Z

Professional record

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:24, 2 April 2021
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	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.

	'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|~~Non-Paper~~]] Championship Record'''		'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|Legitimate]] Championship Record'''
	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.

Artur128: /* Professional record */

2020-09-27T13:34:16Z

Professional record

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:34, 27 September 2020
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	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.

	'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|Non-Paper]] Championship ~~Reigns~~ Record'''		'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|Non-Paper]] Championship Record'''
	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.

Artur128: /* Professional record */

2020-08-03T20:18:45Z

Professional record

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:18, 3 August 2020
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	'''Championship record'''		'''Championship record'''
	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.

			'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|Non-Paper]] Championship Reigns Record'''
			*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.

	== Media ==		== Media ==

Artur128: /* Professional record */

2020-08-01T17:59:06Z

Professional record

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:59, 1 August 2020
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	==Professional record==		==Professional record==
	'''Championship record'''		'''Championship record'''
	*1 opponent (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.

	== Media ==		== Media ==

Artur128: /* Media */

2020-08-01T17:58:35Z

Media

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:58, 1 August 2020
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	*The [[Ring Yearbook: 2003 Edition\|2003 edition]] of ''The Ring Yearbook'' ranked Liston as the fifteenth [[The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!\|greatest puncher of all-time]].		*The [[Ring Yearbook: 2003 Edition\|2003 edition]] of ''The Ring Yearbook'' ranked Liston as the fifteenth [[The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!\|greatest puncher of all-time]].
	*Liston was named the 8th greatest heavyweight of all time in a 2020 IBRO vote. In the 2005 vote, he was 9th.		*Liston was named the 8th greatest heavyweight of all time in a 2020 IBRO vote. In the 2005 vote, he was 9th.

			==Professional record==
			'''Championship record'''
			*1 opponent (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.

	== Media ==		== Media ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:24, 2 April 2021
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	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.

	'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|~~Non-Paper~~]] Championship Record'''		'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|Legitimate]] Championship Record'''
	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:34, 27 September 2020
Line 99:		Line 99:
	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title.

	'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|Non-Paper]] Championship ~~Reigns~~ Record'''		'''[[World Heavyweight Title Records and Statistics\|Non-Paper]] Championship Record'''
	*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.		*[[Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title\|1 opponent]] (1 by KO) beaten for the World Heavyweight Title between September 25, 1962 and February 25, 1964.