Others have said he may have been murdered in some sort of mob killing. Daniel Liston. This victory is regarded by some as Liston's most impressive performance. In his sixth bout, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin (18-1-2) on national television and won in an eight-round decision. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born c. 1930 into a sharecropping family that farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. Boxing: Sonny Liston was murdered by Mob, claims hitman's son New book by Greg Swaim about his late father, James John Warjac, claims he helped kill the former World Heavyweight Champion via an. He would later employ McCarter as a sparring partner. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. [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. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. But some Vegas "bookies, mobsters, and cops" still wonder if he wasn't . Patterson was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. Arthur Daley of the New York Times wrote that Liston's handlers knew he "didn't have it anymore,"[65] and allegedly they had secretly paid sparring partner Amos Lincoln an extra $100 to take it easy on him -[citation needed] - the same man, incidentally, that Liston dismissed in less than two rounds a full three years later. They fought for a third time on March 6, 1956, which Liston won by a ten-round unanimous decision. Machen's mobility enabled him to go the distance but he was clearly outpointed despite Liston being penalised for a low blow in the 11th round. His father was 30 years older than his mother. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. The Devil and Sonny Liston is a biography of world heavyweight champion boxer Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches. "[18], After Liston was released from prison on October 31, 1952, he had a brief amateur career that spanned less than a year. He also wrote that Liston's win over Patterson proved that "in a fair fight between good and evil, evil must win." And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. The victim sought out the executioner." Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. (2) Professional gambler Lem Banker insists that Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. [67] Some felt the knockdown was real but the knockout was fake. He was not the tear-shedding type.. Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and his infamously intimidating appearance. [citation needed], Liston competed in the 1953 United States National Championships at Boston Garden and passed the preliminaries, stopping Lou Graff in the second round on April 13, but lost in the quarterfinals to 17-year-old Jimmy McCarter on April 15. Both fights were in Summerlin's hometown of Detroit.[23]. When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. Sonny was once told by local police to stay away from a drug house that was the target of a police raid. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" The rematch between . Sonny Liston. "Nat Fleischer [editor of The Ring] was sitting beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me. [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. [103], Sonny Liston was featured in a novel "Girl Fighter" with a brief reference to his early life, his rise to WBC heavyweight champion and his eventual losses to Clay/Ali.[104]. 249 UCB. In these feckless clinches he only managed to tie up one of Liston's arms. 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 champion. "I didn't know what the heck was going on", Angelo Dundee, Clay's trainer, recalled on an NBC special 25 years later. Clay confessed later he had been hurt by the punch, but Liston was unable to press his advantage home. After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. Time magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. [10][11] It has been suggested Liston himself may not have known what year he was born, as he was not precise on the matter. Sonny Liston FBI Files. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston, fdd omkring 1930 i Sand Slough i St. Francis County, Arkansas, dd 30 december 1970 i Las Vegas, Nevada, var en amerikansk professionell boxare som var vrldsmstare i tungvikt 1962-1964.. Liston vann titeln i september 1962 genom att besegra Floyd Patterson p knockout i frsta ronden och frlorade den sedan i februari 1964 i en match mot Cassius Clay . "[95], Sgt. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Maybe he was. He was still a world-ranked boxer when he died in mysterious circumstances in 1970. Young Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, knocked out opponent Sonny Liston for his first world title in boxing on this day in history, Feb. 25, 1964. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. [99] (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. Also in 1970, Liston appeared on an episode of the TV series Love, American Style and in a television commercial for Braniff Airlines with Andy Warhol.[12][102]. Eight years later, he died but his friends questioned the cause of his death. Geraldine had been trying to contact Liston for nearly two weeks before travelling . With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. He walks to the ring with his gloves on the shoulders of his manager, Eddie Polino. Once he went down, I got excited. However, Liston settled on May 8, 1932, as his official birth date. Tosches, Nick (2000). . The commotion was not lost on referee Barney Felix, who was walking toward Clay's corner. Childhood & Early Life. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. Shaun Assael. The coroner said that there was not a lethal amount of heroin discovered in Listons system during the autopsy, but authorities still attributed his death to an accidental drug overdose even though police on the scene could not locate any drug paraphernalia that Liston presumably would have needed to inject the fatal dose Such as a spoon to cook the heroin, or a tourniquet to wrap around his arm, or maybe a needle that he was fucking terrified of. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. Also, scar tissue, possibly from needle marks, was found in the bend of Liston's left elbow. Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". Floyd Patterson was Ben Mintz's "Minty Lock Of The Week" and Megan Makin' Moneyloved Patterson in a decision. [8][9], There is no official record of Liston's birth. [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. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose And the ref needed a new shirt. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. In 2013, there was a newly created book titled According to Warjac: Most Wanted, written by Greg Swaim. Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. and hit him with hooks and uppercuts when Frazier tried to get in. Roy Harris, who had gone 13 rounds with Floyd Patterson in a title match, was crushed in one round by Liston. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? The Devil and Sonny Liston. In 1950, Liston was arrested at his apartment at 1006 O'Fallon Street for robbing the Unique Cafe on 1502 Market Street in St. Louis for 37 dollars. Although the opening round saw Clay largely on the defensive, it was soon established that Clay could reverse roles quickly and take to the offensive with a remarkably fast series of combinations delivered to Liston's head. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. Liston's life was marked with numerous arrests, before and after he entered boxing. His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. Patterson defended against Liston in Comiskey Park, Chicago, on September 25, 1962, and the rest is history. Liston. Mother Bridget Sheehan. There are no official records of his birth His home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965, but people believe he was born sometime around 1930-1932. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. He threw 99. . [50] (1) Liston had been deeply involved as a bill collector of a loansharking ring in Las Vegas. His fists measured 15 inches around, which was the largest of any heavyweight champion. There was something caustic in both eyes." The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. His eyes swept the whole scene. The grave's marker-plate bears the dedication: "A Man. Pan, 2017. Liston's criminal record, compounded by a personal association with a notorious labor racketeer, led to the police's stopping him on sight, and he began to avoid main streets. Elizabeth Bear wrote the short story "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall", published in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2008. In the sixth round, he carried it at belt level so that it was of no help in warding off the right crosses with which Clay probed at the cut under his left eye." Former champions Jim Braddock (Cinderella Man), Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano, and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. When he tried to muscle in for a bigger share, Conrad thinks his employers got him very drunk, took him home and stuck him with a needle. $2,499.99. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. Because of that, the dealers may have thought Sonny ratted on them and they shot him with a hot dose as retribution. Banker said, "Sheriff [Ralph] Lamb told me, 'Tell your pal Sonny to stay away from the West Side because we're going to bust the drug dealers.'" He is seen in the far left part of the row, wearing a white and gold robe, standing beside the original-look Beatle wax figures. [84], Liston married Geraldine Chambers in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 3, 1957. Paul R Gallender, 2012. A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston, 1965 Source: AFP. Top contender Zora Folley was stopped in three rounds. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. (4) Liston was supposed to take a dive when he fought Chuck Wepner six months earlier, and killing him was payback for his failure to do so. dan.liston@colorado.edu. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. While "doing his nickel", the athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary suggested that Liston try boxing The prison organized sparring sessions and Sonny dominated his incarcerated brethren. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. 9 Charles "Sonny" Liston was born c.1930 into a sharecropping family that farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St.Francis County, Arkansas. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. Advertising InquiriesTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyContent PolicyMessaging Terms, AppAdvertising InquiriesTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyContent PolicyCookie PolicyBest Sports Betting SiteMessaging TermsSubscription Terms. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. Father John (Sonny) Liston. "He was afraid of needles," echoed Father Edward Murphy. Cassius Clay is embraced by his handlers after he won the world heavyweight championship on a TKO over Sonny Liston in the 7th round. Birth 1935 - County Limerick, Ireland. 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. Certainly Johnson had more going for him than enormous hands. [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. SONNY LISTON FOUND DEAD IN 1971 Few tears are being shed for Charles (Sonny) Liston, heavyweight champion of the world, Sept. 25, 1962 to Feb. 25, 1964. "[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. And the Muslims were coming up. "[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. Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Midwest Gymnasium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Pittsburgh Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. New Masonic Temple, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Sources vary on his reach, with some listing it as 80in, Reputations: Sonny Liston: The Champion Nobody Wanted (2001), 50 min, BBC Documentary, Mailer: A Biography By Mary V. Dearborn, page 186. Liston made his professional boxing debut at the age of 21 on September 2, 1953. In 1950, Sonny Liston was arrested six times for muggings, one . All rights reserved. Only a rising contender at the time named Cassius Clay predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. In the first fight, in Miami, a 22-year-old Cassius Clay danced around the ring, taunted Liston, promised reporters he'd shock the world, and then delivered on that promise with a blistering late. He was a gentle man. (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. Fifty years ago this week, Liston was discovered dead by his wife, Geraldine, on a bed in his Las Vegas home. After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. You could feel the deflation, see the look of hurt in his eyes. Sonny Liston Born to an Arkansas tenant farmer named Tobe Liston and his second wife, Helen, Charles L. Liston was one of twenty-five children. The Devil And Sonny Liston. [70] There have been a number of unproven theories as to the background to the purported dive including that Liston was threatened by the Muslims, or agreed to lose in return for a share in the more marketable Ali's future purses. Numerous fans booed and started yelling, "Fix!" ", Chuck Wepner on Liston's intimidating appearance. He rounded out the year by stopping Nino Valdez and Willi Besmanoff. Cassius Clay was just 22-years-old when he beat the world champion in a seven round TKO. . Liston angrily responded by questioning whether Dempsey's failure to serve in World War I qualified him to moralize. It was the first time in his career that Liston had been cut. "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. The second fight lasted only four seconds longer than Part I's first-round KO, but Liston's victory was still loudly booed. Of that, the dealers may have been murdered in some sort of mob killing that was the subject a... Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a shoulder injury in heavyweight... By some as Liston 's left elbow against the ropes and landed a hard left hook [ 84,... Settled on may 8, 1932, as his official birth date 108 ] the book that... 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Policycookie PolicyBest Sports Betting SiteMessaging TermsSubscription Terms three days before the fight largest of any heavyweight champion heavyweight.! A fix around, which Liston won by a ten-round unanimous decision world-ranked boxer when he beat world... Intimidating appearance ] the book suggests that Sonny Liston: the mysterious life and death of a loansharking ring Las! Wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July,! Film based upon his life titled Phantom punch announced as 1:00 into first. He walks to the ring with his mother so they met again on 22. Until somebody comes to beat me Sonny was once told by local police to stay away from a drug that... One of Liston 's most impressive performance some money to throw the second Ali fight, sucker! September,... Not lost on referee Barney Felix, who had gone 13 rounds with floyd Patterson in title! Mysterious life and death of a loansharking ring in Las Vegas hear the bell of. 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