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His death was as mysterious as his birth. A story is told of Liston ordering his driver to stop on a busy highway, so that Liston could go and buy some pencils from an obviously poor, old, white women whom he had observed. Celebrating Sonny Liston In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local police. He started boxing in prison and was likely over 30 then. He quickly destroyed all the leading heavyweight contenders--Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams--to earn a title shot against Floyd Patterson. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against "Bayonne Bleeder" Chuck Wepner. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. Liston had a short and successful amateur career, following which he turned pro. As most boxing fans know, it was in the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City that Sonny learned to box. (There is some speculation about his year of WebAsuncin "Sunny" Cummings Hostin (/ h s t n /; born October 20, 1968) is an American lawyer, journalist, and television host.Hostin is co-host on ABC's morning talk show The Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. WebParents and Siblings Charles L. "Sonny" Liston 19321970 Geraldine Chamber 19252005 Spouse and Children Charles L. "Sonny" Liston Male19321970 Male Sonny Liston, hard-luck son of Arkansas sharecroppers, was champion of the world. He quickly learned how to box and within three years was fighting on the amateur circuit. Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. His sporting agility was electrifying to watch. His ring style was the essence of simplicity; he displayed little finesse but much raw power, especially in his left hand. It was just a matter of semantics, though. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. Charles L. Liston Sonny : Family tree by Tim DOWLING Tosches goes to great lengths in his book to convey the ubiquitous presence of the mob in those days and the power that men like Frank "Gray Man" Carbo and Frank "Blinky" Palermo wielded in boxing. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. in rural St. Francis County. Liston had a rough and violent childhood. It was there in Sand Slough that Charles L. Liston was born, on the 50 acres that Tobe rented from the Man.". lis! Tosches believes the latter. Liston's formative years were spent growing up as a physically and mentally abused child living in a forsaken patch of land known as Sand Slough, Ark. His best years were 195862 when he destroyed everyone while Patterson shamelessly ducked him. Rate and review titles you borrow and share your opinions on them. His wife found his lifeless body in their home on January 5, 1971. That hurt him deeply, though he instinctively hid the scars behind a scowl. Liston destroyed the champion in one round and destroyed him again in the rematch. Liston continued to box until the time of his death. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. Liston was sentenced to nine months in jail. Liston didn't find gainful employment in St. Louis. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. Boxer Charles L. Sonny Liston was bornin St. Francis County, Arkansason May 8, 1932. While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. Liston, who posted a career record of 50 wins and 4 losses with 39 knockouts, reveled in this role of the fighter America loved to hate. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. All Rights Reserved. Sonny Liston - Biography - IMDb Sanders was the reigning Olympic heavyweight champion. Sonny Liston lost his title to the little known Cassius Clay in the seventh round in February 1964. Mee, Bob. What advantage would there be to having the brash young boxer from Louisville installed as heavyweight champ in place of Liston? He was arrested twice in a period of months in Philadelphia in the summer of 1961. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. Fighter in Boxing History: Charles 'Sonny' Liston In 1957, he was sentenced to nine months in the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a police officer. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. Twenty-two-year-old Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, defeated reigning world boxing champ Sonny Liston on this day in history, Feb. 25, 1964, in Miami, Florida. He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders. After being unable to reach Liston for 12 days, his wife Geraldine returned to their Nevada home on January 5, 1971, at which time she discovered Liston's dead body. 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. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. He was one of many The official cause of death was lung congestion and heart failure, although Liston had fresh needle marks on his arm and police discovered heroin and a syringe in the house. Family tree of Sonny LISTON - Geneastar His last fight was against Chuck Wepner. Sonny Liston Wife According to our records, Sonny Liston married to Geraldine Seithel. Sonny Liston Biography - Life of American Boxer - Totally History Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1991. Liston turned professional in September 1953, earning his first paycheck in St. Louis with a first-round knockout of Don Smith. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing by Reverend Father Alois Stevens. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Trivia He was convicted of robbery and larceny. WebListon retired on his stool citing an injured shoulder; After this fight Cassius Clay changed his name to Cassius X and then to Muhammad Ali; 1964 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. He became a professional fighter in 1953. Tosches, Nick. Please try again. It has been rumored that the crime boss John Vitale arranged for his early release. In the films the good guy always wins, but this is one bad guy who ain't gonna lose. All Rights Reserved. Is mentioned in the song "Swinging" by Tom Petty. Appeared in a Santa Claus hat on the cover of the December 1963 edition of Esquire Magazine. Served a prison sentence at Missouri State Penitentiary for robbing a gas station at age 18. His epitaph reads: A Man.. Served time in prison for robbery and later for assaulting a police officer. Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, around 1932. .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. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous "phantom punch." {{ mediasCtrl.getTitle(media, true) }} The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. James Ellroy portrayed Sonny Liston as a fight loser, a heroin addict, a black racist, and a Mafia jawbreaker in his novel "The Cold Six Thousand.". 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. Sand Slough, Arkansas, United States of America, Sonny Liston is still regarded as the best heavyweight boxer with a taste of violence. BoxRec Tobe was mean to his children, and especially to Sonny. London: Aurum Press, 2008. At 13, he escaped from his father's control and hitchhiked to Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works likeThe Devil and Sonny Liston(2000)by Nick Tosches. Liston, in fact, had great respect for Father Murphy and behaved admirably around him. In September of 1953, he knocked out Don "Toro" Smith in two rounds in St. Louis, setting in motion a career which would span 17 years and bring Sonny to the pinnacle of success in his sport. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Soon caught (his crimes were inept, spur-of-the-moment, strong arm jobs) and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, he was sentenced in 1950 to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. Publicity Listings Was the favorite fighter of the famous Fab Four, the Beatles, and he appears on their "Sgt. (LogOut/ All Rights Reserved. Sonny Liston Liston was an excellent boxer. The Dowling Family Tree with over half a million relatives, Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Tosches here betrays an ignorance of boxing that no doubt hurts his credibility with those know know the sport. 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His epitaph reads: "A Man.". Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2020-2022? 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. Liston celebrated the speedy reinstatement of his license with an impressive 1-round knockout of German baker Albert Westphal, who was ranked No. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. The rematch in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 22 1963, was another first-round knockout, with Patterson counted out in two minutes, twenty-three seconds. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2019-2020? According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. He earned the money being a professional Boxer. He is from AR. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. He was accused of stealing an officers gun. 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." Astrological Sign: Taurus, Death Year: 1970, Death date: December 30, 1970, Death State: Nevada, Death City: Las Vegas, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Sonny Liston Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/sonny-liston, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 23, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders Cleveland Williams, Nino Valdes, Roy Harris, Zora Folley, and Eddie Machen (all knockouts except for Machen). George Foreman was his sparring partner from 1969 to 1970. Tosches' explanation, of course, is that Liston was again dutifully following orders given by the mob. There's no question that the hard-scrabble existence of youth prepared Liston for the success he would later enjoy as a prizefighter. WebSonny Liston is 6 feet 0 inches tall. His heavyweight title-winning victory on September 25, 1962, was indicative of his powerful style: After a mere two minutes, he knocked out Floyd Patterson, which marked the first time in history that a reigning heavyweight champion was counted out in the first round. Hungry fighters eager to break free from the shackles of their own environment bring an element of savage desperation into their ring encounters. Sonny Liston - Popular Bio After winning most of his matches by knockout, he turned pro in 1951.

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