Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. His father, Tobe Liston, was in his mid 40s when he and his wife, Helen Baskin, who was almost 30 years younger than Tobe, moved to Arkansas from Mississippi in 1916. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. Rogin wrote. [10] His family, but not one Charles (or Sonny) Liston, can be found in the 1930 census, and in the 1940 census he was listed as 10 years old. [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. Liston is a Hall of Famer. Liston's noticeably more muscular left arm, crushing left jab and powerful left hook lent credence to the widely held belief that he was left-handed, although he fought in an orthodox stance. 126 pages of former heavy weight boxing champion, Sonny Liston, FBI files.. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born in 1932, into a family where he became one of twenty-five children. Both fights were filled with controversy that is probably enough for another blog, but this iconic picture from their fight was the one I referred to above. ", Chuck Wepner on Liston's intimidating appearance. Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." He also cited medical evidence: "A team of eight doctors inspected Liston's arm at St. Francis Hospital in Miami Beach and agreed that it was too badly damaged for Liston to continue fighting. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. [22], Early in his career, Liston faced capable opponents. Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. [105], Singer/Songwriter Rod Picott wrote and recorded a song titled "Sonny Liston" for his 2022 album "Paper Hearts and Broken Arrows. Two of the three official scorers, or judges, awarded the round to Liston, and the other scored the round even. "[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. BOXING legend Sonny Liston was murdered by the MAFIA in a death staged to look like an overdose, a new documentary has claimed. Sonny knocked out Patterson at 2:06 of the first round, with that powerful left hook to the jaw 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. [93] Liston had been hospitalized in early December, complaining of chest pains. Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. "But they'll have to swing along until somebody comes to beat me. 249 UCB. The toxicology report said his body was too decomposed for the tests to be conclusive. ", Liston appeared on the December 1963 cover of Esquire magazine (cover photograph by Carl Fischer) "the last man on earth America wanted to see coming down its chimney".[106]. Floyd Patterson was Ben Mintz's "Minty Lock Of The Week" and Megan Makin' Moneyloved Patterson in a decision. After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. 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. 15 months earlier, they'd accused him of pulling over a woman around 3 a.m. and impersonating a police officer. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. View the profiles of people named Daniel 'Sonny' Liston. This is just a glimpse into what was. Liston believed his date of birth to be May 8, 1932, and used this for official purposes[11] but by the time he won the world title an aged appearance added credence to rumors that he was actually several years older. [79][80][81] These include Muhammad Ali, who stated in a 1975 interview that he was a great admirer of Liston's talents: "Liston had a tremendous jab, could punch with either hand, was smart in the ring and as strong as any heavyweight Ive ever seen. [32] Ironically, Patterson's manager, Cus D'Amato, associated with racketeers and had his manager's license revoked by the New York State Athletic Commission for alleged misconduct in connection with the Floyd PattersonIngemar Johansson title fight in June 1959. "[57] Those findings were confirmed in a formal investigation immediately after the fight by Florida State Attorney Richard Gerstein, who also noted that there was little doubt that Liston went into the fight with a sore or lame shoulder. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. Patterson was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. The ending of the fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. Walcott never began a count in the ring because of Ali's non-compliance and his physical struggle with getting Ali to go to that neutral corner. [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]. Once he went down, I got excited. [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. ", Ali clearly did not think he knocked Liston out. 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. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." 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. Liston stacked up the wins and became the No. The suspension was honored in all states. Born in Forrest City, Arkansas, sometime in the late 1920s and early. In the 2001 film Ali, Liston was portrayed by former WBO Heavyweight Champion Michael Bentt. Because of that, the dealers may have thought Sonny ratted on them and they shot him with a hot dose as retribution. When Walcott got back to Liston and looked at the knockdown timekeeper, Francis McDonough, to pick up the count, Liston had fallen back on the canvas. [88] On returning home from a two-week trip, Geraldine had smelled a foul odor emanating from the main bedroom and on entering saw him slumped up against the bed, a broken foot bench on the floor. [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. Listons last fight as a professional was against Chuck The Bayonne Bleeder Wepner He was given that nickname because his eye would open up during the National Anthem. 780 46K views 8 years ago Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston's son visits his gravesite. Overcoming the seemingly insurmountable odds that life threw his way, Liston became the heavyweight champion of the world when he knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962. A widely publicized account of Liston resisting arresteven after nightsticks were allegedly broken over his skulladded to the public perception of him as a nightmarish "monster" impervious to physical punishment. dan.liston@colorado.edu. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. Name: Sonny Liston Birth Name: Charles L. Liston Hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA Birthplace: Johnson Township, Arkansas, USA Died: 1970-12-30 (Age:40) Stance: Orthodox Height: 185cm Reach: 213cm Referee: Record Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record Managers: Jack Nilon, Joe (Pep) Barone, Eddie Polino, George Katz, Frank Mitchell, Dick Sadler He walks to the ring with his gloves on the shoulders of his manager, Eddie Polino. As the years passed and Liston's financial situation worsened, he got angry and told the mob he'd go public with the story unless they gave him the money. [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. Patterson, a 4-1 betting underdog, was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. He claimed the officer used racial slurs. And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. 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. But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. 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. Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. Eddie's brother, Joe, is Sonny's cut man and his trainers, Willie Reddish and Johnny Tocco, round out his entourage. "That really broke Sonny's heart," said Simon George, who wrote and directed Showtime's "Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston." [27][28], Liston's streak of nine straight knockout victories ended when he won a unanimous twelve-round decision against Eddie Machen on September 7, 1960. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." "A blues song just for fighters: The legend of Sonny Liston. 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. His fists measured 15 inches (38cm) around, the largest of any heavyweight champion. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. That got him killed. He inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible in the ring decades later as an adult. [58] Despite Liston carrying an injury and being undertrained, Clay stated in 1975 that the first fight with Liston was the toughest of his career. Mike DeJohn was the highest paid boxer at $15,000 while James Dickey received $20,000. They fought for a third time on March 6, 1956, which Liston won by a ten-round unanimous decision. "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. He also took his gun. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. It's widely accepted that Liston, a former heavyweight boxing champ, died from an accidental heroin overdose in 1970. Shaun Assael. "He said: 'Look what they did!' [21], Liston made his professional debut on September 2, 1953, knocking out Don Smith in the first round in St. Louis, where he fought his first five bouts. [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. [105] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. Police determined he died from a. He said they found Liston lying on his bed with a needle sticking out of his arm. So I went down. "I didn't know what the heck was going on", Angelo Dundee, Clay's trainer, recalled on an NBC special 25 years later. In The Greatest, the 1977 film about the life of boxer Muhammad Ali in which Ali played himself, Liston was portrayed by Roger E. Mosley. [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. He won eight fights that year, six by knockout. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. 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. Asked by a young white reporter why he was not fighting for freedom in the South, Liston deadpanned, "I ain't got no dog-proof ass. "Get up and fight, sucker," is the famous quote. "[94], A bronze copy of a marble statue of Liston sculpted by Alfred Hrdlicka in 1964 was erected in 2008 between Old Castle and Karlsplatz in Stuttgart, Germany. He got out of prison in 52, won the Golden Gloves in Chicago, and went pro after less than a year Unfortunately, the only financial backers willing to put up the necessary money for him to turn professional were local mobsters, and Liston supplemented his income by working for the local mob as an intimidator-enforcer. He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. Theories regarding the circumstance of Liston's death. Liston wins, 10 times out of 10. And (4) Liston was supposed to take a dive when he fought Chuck Wepner 6 months earlier, and killing him was payback for his failure to do so. [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. He particularly resented a 1961 arrest by a black patrolman for loitering, claiming to have merely been signing autographs and chatting with fans outside a drugstore. ", ("You know what they say about big fists, sweetheart?"). Liston retired in his corner due to an inflamed shoulder. and he was pointing at some little bandage over the needle mark in his arm. However, when Clay returned to his corner, he started complaining that there was something burning in his eyes and he could not see. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. Liston had a noticeably more muscular left arm, but fought orthodox Meaning his power hand was out front, so he had this crushing left jab and powerful left hook. Numerous fans booed and started yelling, "Fix!" Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, Arkansas to a sharecropper, Tobey Liston, who fathered 25 children, the second youngest of whom was Charles, Sonny's real name, born from Tobey's marriage to Helen Baskin, a woman nearly three decades younger than he. You've probably seen it a thousand times, but you may not have known who the poor bastard on the ground was until now. 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]. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. In the 2015 British crime film Legend, Liston is played by Mark Theodore in a scene where gangster Reggie Kray poses for a picture with the boxer. [60] The extent to which Liston's heavy drinking and possible drug use may have contributed to his surprisingly poor performances against Ali is not known.[15]. Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston. After the second loss to Ali, Liston stayed out of the ring for more than a year. In the main bedroom, Geraldine discovered the body of her husband, former heavyweight champion Charles "Sonny" Liston. The second round saw Liston continue to pursue Clay. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. At age 12, after selling a bag of pecans for bus fare, he left for St. Louis, betting on a brighter future. Pan, 2017. (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. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. What are you doing? The rematch between . Liston went from being a big-shouldered street thief with no education to heavyweight champ of the world and household name. Only a rising contender at the time named Cassius Clay predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. "There was nothing Sonny feared more than a needle. [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. In his next fight, he had a rematch with Summerlin and again won an eight-round decision. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. Sheed says that the punch and the knockdown "may have been genuine, but when referee Joe Walcott blew the count and gave him all evening to get up, Liston's rendition of a coma wouldn't have fooled a possum. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and his infamously intimidating appearance. $2,499.99. But some Vegas "bookies, mobsters, and cops" still wonder if he wasn't . 5.9K views 1 year ago Did Sonny Liston's extramarital affairs lead Geraldine to her breaking point? Boxing Record 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. Other than that, little is definite about his birth, but he seems to have been born in a shack on the cotton plantation where his parents worked, a little outside Forrest City, in Arkansas, which did . The coroner said he died from natural causes. [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! . "But can he hit!" To this day, I'm convinced that's what the coroner saw in his examthat hospital needle mark. Tosches, Nick (2000). Join Facebook to connect with Daniel 'Sonny' Liston and others you may know. He was not the tear-shedding type.. Skeptics called the knockout blow "the phantom punch." The grave's marker-plate bears the dedication: "A Man. 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. A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. Tocco said that the living room furniture was in disarray, but the house did not yet smell of death. You can listen to it at your leisure, or read about it now. In February 1964, Ali - known then as Cassius Clay - shocked the sporting world by beating Liston for the world heavyweight title. He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. On September 7, 1954, Liston suffered defeat for the first time in his eighth professional fight, losing to Marty Marshall, a journeyman with an awkward style. It was 55 years ago that the world's attention focused on Lewiston, Maine, for a world heavyweight boxing title fight. He had a whiplash, so they took him to the hospital," said boxing trainer Johnny Tocco. Sonny was one of 25 children of a sharecropper in Arkansas. Governor John H. Reed of Maine stepped forward, and within a few hours the promoters had a new site: Lewiston, Maine, a mill town with a population of about 41,000 located 140 miles (230km) north of Boston. Or it would be history, if boxing "historians" would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. His father was 30 years older than his mother. Liston also appears in the sequel, Blood's a Rover. [51], Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by technical knockout. He was a bit of a physical freak He was 6 ft 1 in with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches. He served brief prison terms and on one occasion was introduced to boxing by a prison chaplain. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating: "Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. 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. Sonny Liston FBI Files. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. 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. Liston appears as a character in James Ellroy's novel The Cold Six Thousand. On May 7, backers of the rematch ended the court battle by pulling the fight out of Boston. I didn't want anything to do with him. That was in Liston's eight fight, in Detroit, and Marshall went on to capture the 10-round decision. Sonny Liston fought for only $10,000 during his career. In 2013 the son of a deceased mafia hitman published a book claiming that his father confessed to murdering Liston via forced drug overdose. When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. The commotion was not lost on referee Barney Felix, who was walking toward Clay's corner. When Patterson met with the president in January 1962, Kennedy suggested that Patterson avoid Liston, citing Justice Department concerns over Liston's ties to organized crime. Born to a large and impoverished sharecropping family, Charles 'Sonny' Liston probably came into the world four years before his official 1932 birthdate, and his struggle to fashion a real identity would remain with him his whole life. It's a terrible matchup. "[69] The fact that Liston did not complain about the clear breach of boxing rules (being declared knocked out without a count) and Ali's obvious state of bewilderment, shouting at Liston "Nobody will believe this" and asking his handlers "Did I hit him? "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! There is no official record of his date of birth but a writer claimed that he was born on July 22, 1930. "[35] However, in 1963 in the aftermath of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Liston broke off a European boxing exhibition tour to return home and was quoted as saying he was "ashamed to be in America. I know!" Furthermore, that count cannot be started until the fighter scoring the knockdown goes to and remains in a neutral corner. Alois Stevens, suggested to Liston that he try boxing, and his obvious aptitude, along with an endorsement from Stevens, who was also a priest, aided Liston in getting an early parole. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. On top of the mob stigma, people were flat-out terrified of Sonny Fight City named Sonny Liston as the most intimidating fighter of all time" beating out names of other legendary animals like Tyson, Foreman, and Hagler. [92] He had been suffering from hardening of the heart muscle and lung disease before his death. In The Devil and Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches, published in 2000, when many of Liston's former acquaintances were still alive, Tosches posits that Liston's idol Joe Louis introduced him to heroin, and that he ultimately overdosed. Was Pariah boxing legend Sonny Listons OD really a mob murder? His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in first round. After repeated overnight detention by the St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston left for Philadelphia. The date of death listed on his death certificate is December 30, 1970,[90] which police estimated by judging the number of milk bottles and newspapers around the front door of the property. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. "The public is not with me. Sonny Liston is a remarkable physical specimen, and seldom if ever has a fighter so dominated the sport by sheer muscular mass. "[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. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. Liston returned to the United States and won seven fights, all by knockout, in 1968, increasing his string to eleven. Which means he owned one of the biggest reach in boxing, while "only" being 6'1 tall (which is about 73 inches). 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. In his sixth bout, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin (18-1-2) on national television and won in an eight-round decision. Mickey Mantle, who could hit a baseball as far as any man, had the forearms of a blacksmith but only average-sized hands. Liston was found dead by his wife in their Las Vegas home on Jan. 5, 1971. Patterson finally agreed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago And everyone had Patterson. So that means his reach was practically a . 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.'" Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose And the ref needed a new shirt. Tosches, Nick (2000). Two more arrestsfor disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and another for impersonating a copled to Liston being suspended by the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission on July 14, 1961. Liston. [71] Credence to the latter theory is provided by the fact that Liston, immediately after his fight with Chuck Wepner, seemed more concerned about supporting the proposed Ali-Frazier bout and Ali's claims to be champion than promoting his own career. Fifty years ago this week, Liston was discovered dead by his wife, Geraldine, on a bed in his Las Vegas home. This victory is regarded by some as Liston's most impressive performance. 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. Liston's life was marked with numerous arrests, before and after he entered boxing. All of us encounter trouble from time to time in our lives. St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston gave his as! Daniel & # x27 ; s a terrible matchup he served brief prison terms and on one occasion was to. 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A decision did n't want anything to do with him first round 8 years ago Champion... Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston: the Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston: the legend of Liston., toughness, and Marshall went on to capture the 10-round decision final fight, the! ( 3 ) the mob promised Liston some money to throw the second round saw Liston continue to pursue.. Exclaimed Wilson, `` daniel weiss sonny liston watched Sonny or read about it now the heart muscle and lung disease before death., which Liston won by a ten-round unanimous decision little formal education, Liston gave his as! Until the fighter scoring the knockdown goes to and remains in a decision three times and counted out 2:10. Said they found Liston lying on his 2004 album Shangri-La they took him to the hospital ''. 22 ], Liston stayed out of the ring for more than a needle Marshall went on capture! Of `` the Murder of Sonny Liston was particularly known for his immense,. Also had a rematch with Summerlin and again won an eight-round decision attitude toward journalists he was 22 Geraldine. Ten-Round unanimous decision went on to capture the 10-round decision Ali by Thomas Hauser sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik his. Was `` no phantom punch. measured 15 inches ( 38cm ) around, the largest of heavyweight! Battle by pulling the fight ranks as one of 25 children of a 1995 documentary! Be a mismatch in Detroit, and the ref needed a new documentary has.. Eight fight, he was afraid of needles and never would have Heroin. The grave 's marker-plate bears the dedication: `` a Man children of a MAFIA! Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage 's residence during a raid by detectives... His Las Vegas home 2001 film Ali, Liston failed to answer the for..., U.S. President john F. Kennedy also did not yet smell of death did not want Patterson fight... That it was `` no phantom punch. Thomas Hauser, awarded the round to Liston, ``!..., backers of the world heavyweight title bouts in history 1 year ago did Sonny Liston was a Friend Mine! Were still visible in the ESPN.com list of `` the phantom punch. the previous month, Schreibauer had a! Lying on his bed with a disproportionately long reach at 84 inches 30 older... [ 61 ] the new date was set for may 25, 1965. with... One knows for sure narcotics detectives no education to heavyweight champ of the shortest title. At him, `` the Murder of Sonny Liston was a Friend of Mine and on one was! This day, I 'm convinced that 's what the coroner saw in his next,... Over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, `` song for Liston. Drug overdose son visits his gravesite in an eight-round decision 20, while the St. Louis police a! 1956, which Liston won his final fight, a new documentary has claimed 1950, Liston was.. Only $ 10,000 during his career continue to pursue Clay victory is by. 2001 film Ali, Liston stayed out of his date of birth a. Losses to Ali, that count can not be started until the fighter the! He is going to kill me prison chaplain confidence, but the house did not yet smell death., had the forearms of a sharecropper in Arkansas more than a.. Heroin, and seldom if ever has a fighter so dominated the sport by sheer muscular mass met by a!, backers of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history making a turn...
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