The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. He got little good press, even from sports columnists, and was routinely subjected to overtly racist slurs in print: in 1964, Look ran a story titled Sonny Liston: King of the Beasts. Liston moved to Las Vegas in 1966 and was found dead there on January 5, 1971, when his wife returned to their Las Vegas home from a Christmas visit with her mother. 1932-1970 Sonny Liston was the heavyweight boxing champion from 1962 to 1964. Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. The rematch in Las Vegas on July 22, 1963, was another first-round knockout. gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, On the same night at a different location, but on the same closed-circuit broadcast, Patterson defeated unheralded Tom McNeeley in four rounds in what would be the final successful defense of his crown. Reverend Stevens was both the prisons chaplain and sports director. That hurt him deeply, though he instinctively hid the scars behind a scowl. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. (Which isn't to say that Liston took advantage of Father Murphy, or that he had a disregard for what Father Murphy had to say. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. Clay, later to be known as Muhammad Ali, may have had the fastest hands of any heavyweight ever to lace on a pair of gloves. Made a comeback in 1968-1969 and won 14 straight before losing to Leotis Martin. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover. He acted in a number of films, the most famous being "Harlow" with Carroll Baker. They called it Sand Slough. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932, but that is off by at least two years. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. His epitaph reads: A Man.. Liston continued fighting following the loss of his title, mainly because it was the only legal way he knew how to make a buck. WebHe had seven siblings. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. His death was as mysterious as his birth. . Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. Sonny Liston Wife According to our records, Sonny Liston married to Geraldine Seithel. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. Read our Privacy Policy. Because of his arrest and prison term, Liston didn't have a fight between March of 1956, when he decisioned Marty Marshall in Pittsburgh, to January of 1958, when he knocked out Bill Hunter in two rounds in Chicago. His sporting agility was electrifying to watch. He was trained by Charles Hills and has raced for Chelsea Thoroughbreds, and was bred in [Add Data] by [Add Data] . with Cornelia Winfrey, born in April 1873 - Montgomery Co., MS, deceased. Please try again. There were rumors of drug peddling, heroin use, and murder, but no answers. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against "Bayonne Bleeder" Chuck Wepner. At the age of 16, Listonmore than 6 feet tall and weighing 200 poundsbecame a menacing presence in his neighborhood, occasionally working as a strike-breaking labor goon. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. The continual conflicts with the police. Or it would be history, if boxing historians would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. Due to the poverty in the family, Sonny never went to school. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000. He knocked out the reigning world champion in the first round. His last fight was against Chuck Wepner. He was a victim before he was ever a brute. He also has a position among the list of Most popular Boxer. He became a professional fighter in 1953. At 6 feet 1 inch and 217 pounds, Liston had devastating punching power, an iron chin, and lightning reflexes, along with a powerful jab. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Aligning himself with the Devil. Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. The only misgiving was his association with the criminal gangs. angelsunchained, Other Works (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Ivn Popoca estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. Nine years of steady fighting later, and following additional scrapes with the law (fourteen arrests between 1953 and 1958 and a conviction in 1956 for assaulting a police officer), Liston finally fought Floyd Patterson for the Heavyweight Championship. He organized a criminal gang that robbed and mugged locals. As the top fighter in the world, Liston became an easy target for sports columnists who remarked frequently on not only his menacing demeanor and vicious punching power but also his criminal background. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. His 17-year ring log was an impressive 50-4 with 39 knockouts. Publicity Listings As the top fighter in the world, Liston became an easy target for sports columnists who remarked frequently on not only his menacing demeanor and vicious punching power but also his criminal background. He became a professional fighter in 1953. It was a defense mechanism designed to keep people from getting too close. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. But the champ went down in a hurry: two minutes and six seconds in the first round. The official cause of his death was given as cardiac arrest and lung congestion. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Cruel Beginnings. Liston was buried in the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas under the simplest of epitaphs: A MAN.. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. Served 7 months in jail for beating up a police officer over a parking ticket in St. Louis in the mid-1950s. He started boxing in prison and was likely Auspiciously, the massive man is known as "The Bear" then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. At 13, he escaped from his father's control and hitchhiked to As with the date of Liston's birth, no one knows for sure. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. He was still a fringe contender at the age of 40 or so when he died under mysterious circumstances in December of 1970 at his house in Las Vegas. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. If two unmarried celebrities are seen in public together, they are often described as dating which means they were seen in public together, and it is not clear whether they are merely friends, exploring a more intimate relationship, or are romantically involved. Liston was the most feared man in the world, until Muhammad Ali arrived on the scene and knocked him out twice, ending his championship days and his reputation as the "World's Baddest Man." Liston was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion to die (age 38). He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders. In Michael Mann's Ali, Liston was portrayed by famous boxer Michael Bentt, with whom he shares a strong resemblance. Survived by his wife Geraldine and a step-daughter. He earned the money being a professional Boxer. He never shied away from street fights. Did he need Liston's cooperation to beat the rapidly aging champion that night in February of 1964? WebHis parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. Even Sonny's mother, who was called Big Hela, didn't know, though she believed him to be born during the month of January. He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. The coroner picked December 30, 1970, as the date of death, and Liston was buried in the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas under the simplest of epitaphs: A MAN.. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. After the court case, he was sentenced to a five-year jail term in the Missouri State Prison. Two Catholic priests who served as chaplains, Father Edward Schlattmann and Father Alois Stevens, helped to direct Liston toward the controlled violence of the ring. His mother worked several jobs to support her children. Charles "Sonny" Liston's life and death began and ended in the same manner: as a mystery. Following his release from the workhouse, Liston quickly returned to the ring against Hunter and got his career back on track. Liston and Geraldine had no children, but Liston loved kids and enjoyed being in their company. Sonny Liston was officially born on May 8th 1932, even if no one knows exactly when he was born, that is the date that he set up for all the official records. If it was truly a fix, then Liston would have found a way to avoid taking the punishment that he received at Clay's hands before retiring on his stool after the sixth round. . Liston went down in the first round, felled by a punch few saw. Liston on his age: "I'm like Jack Benny, I never tell my age.". Eddie Dooley, chairman of the New York Boxing Commission in the 1960s, said that as long as he was chairman of the commission Sonny Liston would never be granted a license to box in New York State. The official date of Charles L. Liston is given as May 8, 1932. It was scandal on top of scandal; Listons reputation, already tainted by prison time, allegations of mob connections, and charges of sexual assault, never recovered. Nous sommes tous He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. Tosches, Nick. aged 38years old. Liston destroyed the champion in one round and destroyed him again in the rematch. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. The title fight was in Chicago, Illinois, on September 25, 1962, with a wide public pulling for the champ (including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and authors James Baldwin and Norman Mailer). Drinking. From the start, Liston was a devastating puncher. Liston was beholdin' to the mob and everybody knew it. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. In the same interval, he had gotten married (in 1957 to Geraldine Clark), moved from St. Louis to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1958, and been questioned by a congressional committee about the takeover of his management by mob elements in 1960. He was accused of stealing an officers gun. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. Sonny Liston keeps his personal and love life private. The reader can form his own conclusion based on the reports of those involved. Liston celebrated the speedy reinstatement of his license with an impressive 1-round knockout of German baker Albert Westphal, who was ranked No. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. WebSonny Liston Photo Gallery. . This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. (LogOut/ Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. At the age of thirteen, he ran away to St. Louis, Missouri, following his mother, who had left earlier. Some Thoughts on Boxing, Jake Paul, and Asking Why We Fight Sonny Liston lost his title to the little known Cassius Clay in the seventh round in February 1964. He maintained a winning streak in eight matches. If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. Tobe was mean to his children, and especially to Sonny. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. Let's check, How Rich is Mario, Ben Villaflor estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. He, however, won in the subsequent rematch. He overcame tremendous odds to win the title and earn a measure of fame, but even so he was never embraced by the public. To give back to society, he supported many children. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppersin rural St. Francis County. Tosches does a nice piece of reporting on the incident that led to Liston's arrest, objectively revealing all available viewpoints. All Rights Reserved. Liston, one of 25 children by his father, is reputed to have been born in May 1932, yet prison records show various birth dates, among them 1928. Later, films of the fight showed the bout ended at the 1:25 mark. While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. Womanizing. Tosches is admirably objective in his presentation of Liston. His time at the summit was brief. Dating is to describe a stage in a persons life when he or she is actively pursuing romantic relationships with different people. Before his sentencing, Liston had been arrested more than twenty times. Early Life and Family: Before he was famous, He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. Thus, cloaking the heavyweight champion of the world--the epitome of masculinity and male supremacy--in a Santa Claus hat was the height of irony at the time. WebTogether with his 24 siblings and half siblings, Sonny grew up in the local cotton fields. Gallender, Paul. New York: Skyhorse, 2011. When Liston became the top challenger to champion Floyd Patterson by 1960, it was a Maybe Liston was concerned about the death threats that had been made against Ali in the wake of the assassination of Malcolm X and Liston just wanted to get out of the ring that night as quickly as possible. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. He died in Vegas as mysteriously as he had lived, a man bent under a great shadow, afflicted by a legion of personal demons that no one could exorcise. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. L'arbre He was one of many Outside of the ring, Liston had a charming personality. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. Liston penalized two points for low blows. All Rights Reserved. Tosches' explanation, of course, is that Liston was again dutifully following orders given by the mob.