Sonny Liston lost his title to the little known Cassius Clay in the seventh round in February 1964. Clay was no debtor to the mob. Even as a grown up, the physical scars were still visible. Before Fame He sold pecans from his brother-in-law's 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. 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. 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.. Perhaps no keener insight can be gained from those early years, though, than from what Sonny himself was quoted as saying: "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a whipping.". 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. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights, according to the. gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on May 8, 1932. For a while, he even lost his license to box in the United States. With the help of a farsighted, black St. Louis businessman and some other backers who were aware of Sonny's potential, Liston pursued a ring career after leaving the joint and rejoining society at large. Charles L. Liston Sonny : Family tree by Tim DOWLING Folley knocked down twice in 2nd round; 9 count and saved by the bell at 9 count. That inbred struggle for survival often produces champions. Steen, Rob. Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife, and the Phantom Punch. Liston's career was interrupted for nine months beginning in December 1956, when he was sent to the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a policeman and stealing the officer's gun. To give back to society, he supported many children. On this day in history, Feb. 25, 1964, a young Muhammad Ali The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous "phantom punch." in rural St. Francis County. Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover. Liston, in fact, had great respect for Father Murphy and behaved admirably around him. All Rights Reserved. aged 38years old. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. 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). He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. WebSonny Liston Photo Gallery. Liston continued to fight in the ring until June 1970. Liston had a huge physique. On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Boxer. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. | Those dark forces were also at work when Liston willingly placed himself in the hands of the mob that ran the fight game during the time of Liston's ascendancy to the crown. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against Bayonne Bleeder Chuck Wepner. Liston had a short and successful amateur career, following which he turned pro. Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. 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. His epitaph reads: A Man.. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Geneastars | Facebook. in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Sonny LISTON (1932), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. Sonny Liston, hard-luck son of Arkansas sharecroppers, was champion of the world. Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. At 13, he escaped from his father's control and hitchhiked to Tosches, who hails from Newark, writes in an engaging style that is as beautifully stylish as a Liston left jab and as savagely straightforward. There were also times when he showed surprising compassion for the less fortunate. Even Sonny's mother, who was called Big Hela, didn't know, though she believed him to be born during the month of January. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. WebHalf-siblings. Due to the poverty in the family, Sonny never went to school. Lets take a look at Sonny Liston past relationships, ex-girlfriends and previous hookups. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. Introduced to boxing by Father Stevens in the St. Louis City Jail during 1950. Pacific Grove, CA: Park Place Publications, 2012. 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. Knocked out #2-rated heavyweight contender Roy Harris (27-1) in one round. 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. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. Basically, for a guy like Liston, it meant that you either dealt with them, or you didn't deal at all. When Liston died, he was rated 7th in the world heavyweight rankings by Ring Magazine. Ironically, by the time Liston finally became champ in September of that year with his 1-round KO of Patterson, the mob was beginning to lose its iron grip on the sport and on Liston himself. 72201. On top of the mob issue, Liston had to overcome more problems with the law before he could be free to fight Patterson for the title. Sonny Liston - Death, Muhammad Ali & Children - Biography Following his release from the workhouse, Liston quickly returned to the ring against Hunter and got his career back on track. He organized a criminal gang that robbed and mugged locals. Sonny Liston is a 4 year old colt and has raced in 2022. Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). Cruel Beginnings. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. Liston and Geraldine had no children, but Liston loved kids and enjoyed being in their company. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. 4 among heavyweights, on Dec. 4, 1961. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. His death was as mysterious as his birth. It was a defense mechanism designed to keep people from getting too close. In 1996 when Mike Tyson KO'd Bruce Seldon in one round for the WBA Heavyweight Championship, Tyson had won the WBC Heavyweight Championship six months earlier and was seeking to unify the title. He had his first competitive match in prison. (LogOut/ Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing by Reverend Father Alois Stevens. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. It has been rumored that the crime boss John Vitale arranged for his early release. We are all related! (LogOut/ Sonny had to put the proper face forward to the public. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. He was arrested twice in a period of months in Philadelphia in the summer of 1961. 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. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. Gallender, Paul. Official Sites. After the court case, he was sentenced to a five-year jail term in the Missouri State Prison. Do we really know how good Sonny Liston was? His The reader can form his own conclusion based on the reports of those involved. . Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). His trademark shirt during his illegal raids was yellow. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. Sonny Liston There, he committed various muggings and robberies. Liston, Sonny - Encyclopedia of Arkansas We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! His sporting agility was electrifying to watch. All Rights Reserved. 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. Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings, and with virtually no schooling. As Liston made himself a serious challenger to Floyd Patterson for the heavyweight title, Liston made his alliance with the Devil, as Tosches refers to the mob. Liston was buried in the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas under the simplest of epitaphs: A MAN..