"A blues song just for fighters: The legend of Sonny Liston. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. At that point, the fight was scored as even on the official scorecards. 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. "[75], Future world heavyweight champion George Foreman, who sparred with Liston after Foreman's amateur career, assessed Liston's jab as the most formidable he faced and Liston as the strongest man he encountered in the ring, describing Liston as having the most natural talent and skill. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. However, David Remnick, for his book King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero, interviewed one of Liston's cornermen, who told him that Liston could have continued: "[The shoulder] was all BS. And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. [citation needed], Rogin wrote that Patterson backers expected him to "go inside on Liston, fire away and then run like a thief in the night. "[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. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." [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]. Anyone can read what you share. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. 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Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. [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. He was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence, and was not prohibited from boxing during 1957. Because of the shirt he wore during robberies, the St. Louis police called Liston the "Yellow Shirt Bandit." Although Liston was widely regarded as unbeatable, he lost the title in 1964 to Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), who entered as a 71 underdog. 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. Time magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. Sonny Liston fought for only $10,000 during his career. While true he also sent women to the hospital, which his sparring partner confirms. In the months ahead of the fight, Muhammad Ali went all sorts of routes to get into Sonny Liston's head. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' The grave's marker-plate bears the dedication: "A Man. 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. [35] There are several theories as to why: (1) publicist Harold Conrad and others believed Liston had been deeply involved as a bill collector of a loansharking ring in Las Vegas. Many in the small crowd had not even settled in their seats when the fight was stopped. "And I suppose Sonny Liston always stuck with me. 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. His death was, too. [30] Before his bout with Liston, Muhammad Ali consulted Machen and was advised that the key to survival was to make Liston lose his temper. All Rights Reserved. Audiences at home were confused and outraged. Two of the three official scorers, or judges, awarded the round to Liston, and the other scored the round even. Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. But he spoke to his friend Resnick on the day of the fight and was told not to bet on the champion. Rogin discounted speculation that Patterson had thrown the fight, writing: "The genesis of all this wide-eyed theorizing and downright baloney was the fact that many spectators failed to see the knockout blows. Ali would lose his title a year later, though it didnt happen in the ring. 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. Felix later said Clay was seconds from being disqualified. QUESTION 1 "It really has made an impact, actually from the very first time I performed it on 'A Prairie Home Companion,"' Knopfler said in a telephone interview. He also took his gun. The year 1959 was a banner one for Liston: after knocking out contender Mike DeJohn in six rounds he faced Cleveland Williams, a fast-handed fighter who was billed as the hardest-hitting heavyweight in the world against whom he showed durability, power and skill, nullifying Williams' best work before stopping him in the third round. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. 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." [48] The challenger, his arms held high in surrender, was demanding that the fight be stopped and Dundee, fearing the fight might indeed be halted, gave his charge a one-word order: "Run! Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. "He was scared of the police. Unlike Dylan or Carter, however, Knopfler does not present Liston as innocent of a crime for which he was imprisoned. 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. 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. His family's home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965. Sonny Liston Interview 82,818 views Apr 2, 2014 1.3K Dislike Share Save haNZAgod 93.2K subscribers Subscribe A rare interview with former Heavyweight champion of the world, Sonny Liston.. No, I'm Alexanderhe's no Alexander. Don't confuse shyness with dullness, Sonny was reluctant to talk to the press - the always painted a bad picture of him.Dwight Muhammad Qawi Braxton ATG Philly Joe Frazier Bernard HopkinsTags:pernell whitaker jersey joe walcott louis julio chavez evander holyfield lennox lewis felix sturm oscar de la hoya floyd mayweather miguel cotto marquez manny pacquiao pacman boxing boxer ko knockout tribute robbery mike tyson rocky marciano oscar de la hoya manny pacquiao foreman fight miguel cotto dead death muhammad ali cassius mike tyson clay lennox lewis eric morales barrera floyd mayweather fedor emelianenko ufc boxing ko k.o. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. #muhammadali #henrycooper #sonnyliston #dougjones #heavyweight #greatness #boxing #legend #larryholmes #ironmike #sonnyliston #intimidating #bad #big #greatb. He could probably drive his thumb through your skull like Michael Myers, It's crazy to think about the fact that Sonny Liston was an actual gangster running with gangs.. and then he looks so soft spoken in the interview. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. . "Yes, it was good and honest". [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. At one point, Clay was wiping his eyes with his right hand while extending his left arm"like a drunk leaning on a lamppost" Bert Sugar wroteto keep Liston at bay. He used the platform to expound on the political theory that was so reviled in white America, defending Malcolm X and condemning racial oppression this was still months before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In "Song for Sonny Liston," Knopfler's voice is backed by electric guitar, a bass and drums as he tells the story of a sharecropper's son who went from prison to the championship to an early. "[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. There were plenty of tough questions after the first fight for Liston, too, namely, why didnt he come out for another round? Sonny Liston | Boxing's Most Intimidating and Unwanted Champion Rainy Day Boxing 302K subscribers 5.6M views 1 year ago Join Rainy Day Boxing for an in depth career tribute to arguably the most. [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. Ali biographer Wilfrid Sheed wrote, in his Muhammad Ali: A Portrait in Words and Photographs, that Liston planned to throw the fight for reasons unknown and used the legitimate first-round knockdown for that end. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. 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]. [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. Very Rare interview with Sonny Liston and Joe Louis. Support this Channel:https://www.patreon.com/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise:LegendsofBoxing.redbubble.com I restore \u0026 colorize your projects, PayPal Donations: [email protected] you!________________________________________________________________________________All My YouTube ChannelsMy Main Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73ffQAknNEWJlRoFSWH_awMy Second Boxing Channel \"Legends of Boxing Strikes Back\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-QLrFyDnskqz5_z95mcOAMy History Channel \"Time Travel: Colorized Archive\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC29VFkNvVVi6_OzwFV2oTqQMy Documentary Channel \"Tales From The Past\":https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpFIIYrCc1lOHbG-fUo5vwMein Dokumentation Channel \"Geschichten aus der Vergangenheit\" (Tales From The Past in Deutsch) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXBfWoE1KVXEzh9d2NrwBhASocial https://www.instagram.com/legends_of_boxing1/ In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. Very rare interview of Sonny Liston talking about how he got started in boxing, his fights with Williams and Patterson and his training routine. [11][12][10][13][14] One writer concluded that Liston's most plausible date of birth was July 22, 1930, citing census records and statements from his mother during her lifetime. I remember thinking as a child that this was a man who wanted to be left alone.". "Johnny wasn't a braggart," Davi told Liston biographer Paul Gallender. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. 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. [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. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. ", During an era when white journalists still described black athletes in stereotypes, Liston had long been a target of racially charged slurs; he was called a "gorilla" and "a jungle beast" in print. Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. Watch the interview you be the judge. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. Rocky Marciano, the former heavyweight champion, said that he appreciated the punchs strength upon re-examination. His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. Geraldine remembered her husband as "Great with me, great with the kids. "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. He was more angry about that shot than he was about the car wreck. The interference of ringside reporters regarding interpretation of the rules, the fight stoppage and the controversy after the fight had not been seen since The Long Count Fight between champion Gene Tunney and challenger Jack Dempsey in 1927. People around the world tuned in via satellite to watch the match, which was fought in front of 2,434 paying ticket-holders, the smallest crowd in heavyweight championship fight history; people there suggested the crowd was more like 4,000, but nonetheless, it was a very small in-person audience. I know it", Liston said afterward. He said it was taught to him by comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchit, who learned it from Jack Johnson. It is hardly the first recording by a rock musician about boxing. ", Chuck Wepner on Liston's intimidating appearance. "There is power in both his left and his right, even though the fists move with the languor of motoring royalty or as if passing through a gaseous envelope more dense than air." "When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. It was 1965, not 1955. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. The most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston . He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." Mike DeJohn was the highest paid boxer at $15,000 while James Dickey received $20,000. Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, said after his career was over that Liston was the hardest puncher he faced. [100] A successful racehorse which won the Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston. So I get him down, I get the sponge and I pour the water into his eyes trying to cleanse whatever's there, but before I did that I put my pinkie in his eye and I put it into my eye. It'll just be for slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell.". Tradues em contexto de "with Sonny" en ingls-portugus da Reverso Context : I think you should stay here with Sonny. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, The Man Behind the First All-Black Basketball Team, 8 Times Brothers Have Faced Off in a Championship, Every Black Quarterback to Play in the Super Bowl, Soccer Star Christian Atsu Survived an Earthquake. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. Controversy followed with claims that Liston had been drinking heavily the night before the fight and had entered the bout with a lame shoulder. . Liston knocked out Hermann Schreibauer of West Germany at 2:16 of the first round. 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.'" However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. There are echoes of slavery in his upbringing." Welcome to r/boxing, the official home of pro boxing on Reddit! At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. "[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. [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. 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." "Now (after seeing video) I think Clay, seeing the opening, snapped the punch the last six inches. Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. That got him killed. I didn't think it was a powerful punch when I saw the fight from ringside," he said. Biographer Wilfrid Sheed wrote in his book, Muhammad Ali: A Portrait in Words and Photographs, that Clay's protests were heard by ringside members of the Nation of Islam who initially suspected Dundee had blinded his fighter, and that the trainer deliberately wiped his own eyes with the corner sponge to demonstrate to Clay's approaching bodyguards that he had not intentionally blinded him. "Nat Fleischer [editor of The Ring] was sitting beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." [84], Liston married Geraldine Chambers in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 3, 1957. Shaun Assael. ", Knopfler compared writing a song about Liston to the work a sculptor performs on a statue. Clay brought Malcolm X along with him to Miami, and amid the controversy, the fight was almost canceled. Knopfler, who now records as a soloist and performs with a backup band, has a wide-ranging curiosity that has produced an eclectic collection of songs. He claimed the officer used racial slurs. I was down but not hurt, but I looked up and saw Ali standing over me. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. Subsequently, Liston spent some months in Denver where a Catholic priest who acted as his spiritual adviser attempted to help bring his drinking under control. But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. Theories regarding the circumstance of Liston's death. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. 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. "Sonnyboyliston | Race Record & Form | Racing Post", "Moonfire (1972), a film by Michael Parkhurst -Theiapolis", NYSAC World Heavyweight Champion - BoxRec, Lyrics to a song about Liston by Mark Knopfler, FBI Records: The Vault - Charles Sonny Liston, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Liston&oldid=1137950795, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Hackman, Timothy. (, Shaun Assael. Ira Gay Sealy/The Denver Post via Getty Images According to the post, he returned back home later that morning and called his sparring partner Gary Bates to tell him he was leaving for Los Angeles but that they should get together when he returned in a couple of days. With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. His fists measured 15 inches (38cm) around, the largest of any heavyweight champion. [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. Before he left for his bout with Clay, Sonny's training in Denver took him to some strange places. He was 6ft 1in (1.85m), and had an exceptionally powerful physique, with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches (2.13m). One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. "He would do everything to avoid taking shots." [30], Liston became the No. Liston assaulted the officer, breaking his knee and gashing his face. THE PREFIGHT MOODS OF SONNY LISTON. Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. It was the first time in his career that Liston had been cut. The photo captures the champions exhortations, with all the fire and passion and dynamic physicality that made him such a phenomenon. Liston has been referenced in many songs by artists such as Curtis Eller, Sun Kil Moon, the Animals, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, Phil Ochs, Morrissey, Freddy Blohm, Chuck E. Weiss, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, the Roots, Wu-Tang Clan, Gone Jackals, Billy Joel, the Mountain Goats, Lil Wayne, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the Killers. Never seen this one before, thanks alot. I'm Sonny Liston, I'm Jack Dempsey, there's no one like I'm from their . He had been deliberately snubbed. I forgot about the rules." We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. It was the third-fastest knockout in a world heavyweight title fight, and the first time the defending champion had been knocked out in round one. [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. At about 30 seconds into the round he hit Liston with several combinations, causing a bruise under Liston's right eye and a cut under his left, which eventually required eight stitches to close. 9, 1 March 2018, p. 8, New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, "Photographic image of 'Tale of the Tape', "Sonny Liston vs. Floyd Patterson (Tale of the tape)", "From THE RING: The greatest heavyweight of all time", "25 Greatest Fighters of All Time (Heavyweight)", "ESPN Classic - Liston was trouble in and out of ring", "Jacob's Beach by Kevin Mitchell: review", "Hard Times, Good Times: Charles "Sonny" Liston - Boxing.com", "Dismayed D'Amato Is Expecting To Get Back Manager's License", "Esquire covers commemorate boxing's prime", "Cassius Clay-Sonny Liston I: 50 Years Later", "Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay (1st meeting) - BoxRec", "1964 Clay vs. Liston Judges' Scorecards from Miami Beach Bout. | Lot #80073 | Heritage Auctions", "Muhammad Ali's Toughest Fight Wasn't Against Joe Frazier", "Fifty Years Later: The Mystery of Muhammad Ali's 'Phantom Punch', "I WAS THERE: George Chuvalo Watches Sonny Liston Take a Dive - YouTube", "Fifty Years Later: The Mystery of Muhammad Ali's 'Phantom Punch' | Boxing News", "Daytona Beach Morning Journal - Google News Archive Search", "Sonny Liston the most talented Heavyweight in history", "George Foreman Discusses Friendship With Sonny Liston", "Sonny Liston: Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy Boxing News", "LOTIERZO'S LOWDOWN Sonny Liston: The Most Underrated Heavyweight Champ In History", "The Most Feared Fighter in Boxing History: Charles 'Sonny' Liston remembered", "Liston KO'd Popular Patterson for Title", "O Unlucky Man: Fortune never smiled on Sonny Liston", "Sonny Liston Meets the Press - Boxing.com", "Like Fights Against Ali, Liston Death a Mystery", "December 30, 1970: Mysterious Death of Sonny Liston", "19 YEARS LATER: Liston Death Remains Mystery to His Friends". Night Train is like $11 on Amazon, peep that if you want to get more of the story, i don't like how max was squeezing sonny's bicep. It became known as the phantom punch and has been the subject of controversy and speculation for the last 55 years. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Interview Date: March 13, 1989 Camera Rolls: 2104-2105 Sound Rolls: 248 Editorial Notes: Interview with , conducted by Blackside, Inc. on March 13, 1989, for . Walcott never did pick up the count. Technically, contracts for boxing matches werent supposed to have rematch clauses, though pretty much all of them had some sort of loophole and agreement when each side wanted to guarantee a return bout again, the laws by which boxing governed itself were really more suggestions at the time. Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. The photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground. [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. The Murder of Sonny Liston is an absorbing, albeit speculative, attempt at addressing the mystery that died with the man. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. [93] Liston had been hospitalized in early December, complaining of chest pains. 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. [24], In 1958, Liston returned to boxing. It was probably Liston's best moment in the entire fight. ", One of the most vivid verses creates a word-picture of Liston in his prime with photographic clarity: "Black Cadillac, alligator boots, money in the pockets of his sharkskin suits." Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. He died circa December 30,. [87], Liston was found dead by his wife, Geraldine, in their Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971. [39] Leading up to the fight, Liston was an 85 betting favorite, although many picked Patterson to win.