Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works like The Devil and Sonny Liston (2000) by Nick Tosches. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. Sonny Liston - Popular Bio Before his sentencing, Liston had been arrested more than twenty times. Auspiciously, the massive man is known as "The Bear" then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. He acted in a number of films, the most famous being "Harlow" with Carroll Baker. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. 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. From the start, it was apparent that he had a future in the ring. He was born in St. Francis in the state of Missouri, USA. Charles L. Sonny Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. His father was 30 years older than his mother. This enabled him to get hired as a manual laborer in the farms. Reverend Stevens was both the prisons chaplain and sports director. Basically, for a guy like Liston, it meant that you either dealt with them, or you didn't deal at all. Aligning himself with the Devil. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings, and with virtually no schooling. Folley knocked down twice in 2nd round; 9 count and saved by the bell at 9 count. Sonny Liston - Biography - IMDb Creating an account gives you access to all these features. 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. There were rumors of drug peddling, heroin use, and murder, but no answers. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. 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. Pressure resulting from appearing before the committee, and from the diatribes of Patterson's manager Cus D'Amato, caused Liston to buy out the contract of his manager, Pep Barone, who was considered to be an undesirable, and name old-time Philadelphia political hack George Katz as his manager. He cleared out his opponents to become the topmost contender. 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. His parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. He is from AR. In the films the good guy always wins, but this is one bad guy who ain't gonna lose. He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. Tosches is admirably objective in his presentation of Liston. His opponent abandoned the match midway. 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. He was a victim before he was ever a brute. Read our Privacy Policy. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. Unfortunately, the same dark forces that forged Liston's destructiveness in the ring also fueled a distrust for the police and a bent toward criminal activity that would lead to two stints in the Missouri state prison system. Liston went back to the ring. The official date of Charles L. Liston is given as May 8, 1932. The tactic worked. He was thirty-eight years. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against "Bayonne Bleeder" Chuck Wepner. He went on to win several amateur matches. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. Official Sites. 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. He was one of many In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. Liston was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion to die (age 38). He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. . 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. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works likeThe Devil and Sonny Liston(2000)by Nick Tosches. Sonny Liston Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppersin rural St. Francis County. Publicity Listings Family tree of Sonny LISTON - Geneastar Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. Liston was an excellent boxer. In Michael Mann's Ali, Liston was portrayed by famous boxer Michael Bentt, with whom he shares a strong resemblance. 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. The author begins appropriately at the beginning with his subject, providing more comprehensive information about Sonny's childhood than probably even Sonny himself knew. He was officially knocked out by Muhammad Ali in one minute for the fastest KO in heavyweight history up to that time. He was trained by Charles Hills and has raced for Chelsea Thoroughbreds, and was bred in [Add Data] by [Add Data] . .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. QUICK FACTS. Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. Sonny never really had a Prime. Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, around 1932. His mother separated from his father and went to St. Louis in Missouri. Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2020-2022? In 1950, he was convicted of two counts of larceny and two counts of first-degree robbery and spent more than two years in the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. Drinking. Sonny Liston Least of all, Sonny himself. DAmato went on to coach another great boxer in Mike Tyson. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He quickly learned how to box and within three years was fighting on the amateur circuit. His sporting agility was electrifying to watch. There, he became a thug, committing various muggings and robbery. 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. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Liston had a short and successful amateur career, following which he turned pro. In 1957, he was sentenced to nine months in the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a police officer. If there is a flaw in Tosches' book, it's that the author seems bent on carrying the theme of Liston and the mob beyond its logical parameters. 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. 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 trademark shirt during his illegal raids was yellow. 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. Even Sonny's mother, who was called Big Hela, didn't know, though she believed him to be born during the month of January. Served time in prison for robbery and later for assaulting a police officer. Liston and Geraldine had no children, but Liston loved kids and enjoyed being in their company. Little Rock, AR. Sanders was the reigning Olympic heavyweight champion. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. Won his last fight on June 29, 1970, at the Jersey City Armory, stopping. This is how Tosches describes Liston's birth place: "It was in the sector of Morledge Plantation that lay in Johnson Township, St. Francis County, that Tobe Liston and his family came to live and farm, on a low patch where a rill of muddy water, a mile and a half or so long, dribbled dead to its end in a slough of sandy dirt where nothing could grow. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. Liston claimed he was born in 1932, yet his rap sheet for his 1950 arrest for armed robbery listed his age as 22, making him born in 1928. Sonny Liston is a 4 year old colt and has raced in 2022. But the champ went down in a hurry: two minutes and six seconds in the first round. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. 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.". Time magazine photograph of Ali standing over Liston, taunting him, is one of the most popularly published in boxing. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. 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. His 17-year ring log was an impressive 50-4 with 39 knockouts. Heavyweight Boxer Sonny Liston Tosches, Nick. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. His time at the summit was brief. The match was held in Miami Baech, Florida. contains thousands of pictures and GeneaStars. He was one of many He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. 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. Sonny Liston lost his title to the little known Cassius Clay in the seventh round in February 1964. Sonny Liston Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. Less than a year later, on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali) when he refused to answer the bell for the seventh round, claiming a shoulder injury. Sonny Liston prefers not to tell the details of marital status & divorce. The Dowling Family Tree with over half a million relatives, World heavyweight boxing champion, 1962-1964. Charles "Sonny" Liston was pronounced dead at the scene. Geraldine married Sonny Liston in 1950 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. Liston was inducted into the international Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born circa 1930 into a sharecropping family who farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. Why he died remains one of sport's most enduring mysteries. Dowling 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. The continual conflicts with the police. At 6 feet 1 inch and 217 pounds, Liston had devastating punching power, an iron chin, and lightning reflexes, along with a powerful jab. The place had a name, but it was not to be found on any map. Foes like the murderous-punching Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn and Nino Valdez succumbed to Liston's heavy fists. He managed to turn his cruel past to his advantage. In his next fight he bounced back to TKO Chuck Wepner shortly before his mysterious death in 1970. His mother worked several jobs to support her children. When Liston died, he was rated 7th in the world heavyweight rankings by Ring Magazine. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. He won in the first round against Don Smith. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing by Reverend Father Alois Stevens. Sonny Liston Wife According to our records, Sonny Liston married to Geraldine Seithel. Sonny Liston Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. Liston was beholdin' to the mob and everybody knew it. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. His final record as a professional was 50 wins, 39 by knockout, and four losses. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. Sonny Listons height Unknown & weight Not Available right. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. He told them that he had no education, couldn't write and worked as a child to help feed his 24 siblings. It was a defense mechanism designed to keep people from getting too close. Education: Sonny Liston Net Worth: Sonny Liston net worth or net income is estimated to be between $1 Million $5 Million dollars. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. Sonny had to put the proper face forward to the public. Liston excelled in his newfound love, boxing, and, after a short amateur career, turned professional. Liston relocated to Denver with his wife Geraldine and friend/sparring partner Foneda Cox and underwent extensive counseling with Father Murphy. gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, For those interested in knowing more about the life and times of one of the most enigmatic and troubled heavyweight champs, the book "The Devil and Sonny Liston," by Nick Tosches (Copyright 2000, published by Little, Brown and Company), is a wealth of knowledge. He was trained by Willie Redish and later by Dick Sadler. Early Life. As a young man in 1949, Liston left Arkansas for good and followed his mother's footsteps to St. Louis. (There is some speculation about his year of Scroll below and check our most recent updates about Sonny Liston Net Worth, Salary, Biography, Age, He was friendly with his fans and had a soft spot for children. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. No one knows how Sonny Liston died. During his two-plus years in the state penitentiary, Liston attained a new nickname, "Sonny," and a new vocation, boxing. First heavyweight title challenger to earn a purse of $1,000,000. Liston was arrested more than 20 times. That inbred struggle for survival often produces champions. Black Pioneers: Sonny Liston - Arkansas Soul | Black and Liston didn't find gainful employment in St. Louis. Liston destroyed the champion in one round and destroyed him again in the rematch. (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. Tired of being exploited as a manual laborer, Sonny Liston turned to crime. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. But there is another side. Liston was buried in the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas under the simplest of epitaphs: A MAN.. Liston penalized two points for low blows. Do we really know how good Sonny Liston was? His WebHis parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. (LogOut/ His alcoholic and violent father was thirty years older than Sonnys mother. Mee, Bob. 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 knocked out the reigning world champion in the first round. The official cause of his death was given as cardiac arrest and lung congestion. After winning most of his matches by knockout, he turned pro in 1951. (LogOut/ Tosches insists that films of Liston losing to Clay reveal that Liston was missing punches intentionally. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. He maintained a winning streak in eight matches. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. There's no question that the hard-scrabble existence of youth prepared Liston for the success he would later enjoy as a prizefighter. 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. After having his license revoked, Liston made a smart decision, as he had when he bought out Barone. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. There were also times when he showed surprising compassion for the less fortunate. The most noticeable being his win over Ed Sanders. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. His death was as mysterious as his birth. In 1950, he was arrested by the police. 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. 100 Rock Street Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife, and the Phantom Punch. aged 38years old. Trivia He was convicted of robbery and larceny. Steen, Rob. He was sired by Lawman out of the Galileo mare Stars In Your Eyes. 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). Big Hela had moved there in 1946. Liston lost his rematch to Ali in May 1965. Robert B. Cochran In 1966, following his loss to Clay, Liston launched a comeback. Sonny Liston: The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. Copyright 2020 ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA, All rights Reserved. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Boxer Charles L. Sonny Liston was bornin St. Francis County, Arkansason May 8, 1932. By all accounts, Liston had a woeful childhood. Liston continued fighting following the loss of his title, mainly because it was the only legal way he knew how to make a buck. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. After a little while, Liston followed his mother and was reunited with his other siblings. Relationship with Timothy Michael Dowling (Sosa/Ahnentafel #1), Relationship with Geraldine Clark (spouse), Browse using this individual as Sosa/Ahnentafel #1, , born in1872 - Choctaw Co., MS, deceased, , born inApril1873 - Montgomery Co., MS, deceased, Sources: Dowling Family Tree - Tim Dowling - rootsweb, 2001-2015 - - electronic - I435533, Marriage (with Geraldine Clark) - St. Louis, MO, List of all individuals in the family tree, {{ 'gw_downgraded_access_back_to_max'|translate }}, Born 8May1932 - Sand Lough, St. Francis Co., AR, Deceased 30December1970 - Las Vegas, Clark Co., NV, (There is some speculation about his year of birth, but most sources state sometime from 1929 to 1932.) It was just a matter of semantics, though. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous phantom punch. Though it appeared that Liston had barely been grazed by Clays right fist, the boxer went down just one minute and 45 seconds into the first round. Sonny Liston Biography, Life, Interesting Facts - Famous From the start, Liston was a devastating puncher. 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. with Cornelia Winfrey, born in April 1873 - Montgomery Co., MS, deceased. He had the biggest fist of any heavyweight champion: 15 inches. New York: Blue Rider Press, 2016. Copyright 2020, ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA. Touring the local hospital in a grey tweed overcoat with a black velvet collar, the intimidating, burly, 6-foot-tall, 215 lb. What advantage would there be to having the brash young boxer from Louisville installed as heavyweight champ in place of Liston? Tosches does a nice piece of reporting on the incident that led to Liston's arrest, objectively revealing all available viewpoints. All Rights Reserved. Major support provided through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. Listons 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 officers gun. Carbo was in prison and Palmermo would soon follow. On the side of Tobe Liston, born in 1872 - Choctaw Co., MS, deceased. At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. 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. | 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. 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. Owing to his many siblings and a brutal, hardscrabble Arkansas childhood with an abusive father (excruciatingly detailed in the movie and book), Liston had an affinity for needy children. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. In accordance with the legal provisions, you can ask for the removal of your name and the name of your minor children. Was the favorite fighter of the famous Fab Four, the Beatles, and he appears on their "Sgt. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Tosches' explanation, of course, is that Liston was again dutifully following orders given by the mob. It has been rumored that the crime boss John Vitale arranged for his early release. 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. He died under mysterious conditions on December 30, 1970.