From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. For additional information: - IMDb Mini Biography By: He started boxing in prison and was likely over 30 then. Auspiciously, the massive man is known as The Bear then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. Some Thoughts on Boxing, Jake Paul, and Asking Why We Fight There, he committed various muggings and robberies. WebSonny Liston is 6 feet 0 inches tall. Aligning himself with the Devil. He knocked out the reigning world champion in the first round. 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 Listons dead body. L'arbre 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. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights, according to the. His relationship status is single. 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. For all his womanizing, Liston had a respect for his wife Geraldine and was faithful to her in his own way. When Liston became the top challenger to champion Floyd Patterson by 1960, it was a Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. {{ media.date_translated }}, {{ asCtrl.bannerRights.content|translate }}, The Geneanet family trees are powered by Geneweb 7.0. Cox, who was interviewed extensively by Tosches, went as far as to say that Liston would still be alive if he had "spent more time with Father Murphy."). He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. Sonny Liston is a 4 year old colt and has raced in 2022. Reverend Stevens arranged the match for him. The official cause of his death was given as cardiac arrest and lung congestion. Tosches' explanation, of course, is that Liston was again dutifully following orders given by the mob. 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. 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. Or it would be history, if boxing historians would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. 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." His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Tosches here betrays an ignorance of boxing that no doubt hurts his credibility with those know know the sport. They called it Sand Slough. Liston went down in the first round, felled by a punch few saw. He is from AR. It was just a matter of semantics, though. The second was a boy. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. 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. There, he committed various muggings and robberies. 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. But the champ went down in a hurry: two minutes and six seconds in the first round. Apart from his demeanor, Liston was a charming man with a captivating smile. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. His epitaph reads: "A Man.". He married Geraldine Chambers on June 10, 1950. He organized a criminal gang that robbed and mugged locals. First heavyweight title challenger to earn a purse of $1,000,000. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. QUICK FACTS. . Liston continued fighting following the loss of his title, mainly because it was the only legal way he knew how to make a buck. 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. He cleared out his opponents to become the topmost contender. Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. When Sonny KO'd Floyd Patterson in 1962 for The World Heavyweight Championship,he became the only challenger to win that title by a first round KO. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings, and with virtually no schooling. Liston moved to Las Vegas in 1966 and was found dead there on Jan. 5, 1971, when his wife returned to their home from a Christmas visit with her mother. His final record as a professional was 50 wins, 39 by knockout, and four losses. Liston was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion to die (age 38). Later, films of the fight showed the bout ended at the 1:25 mark. Liston was an excellent boxer. His final record as a professional was fifty wins, thirty-nine by knockout, and four losses. Gambling. Sonny Liston prefers not to tell the details of marital status & divorce. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. WebTogether with his 24 siblings and half siblings, Sonny grew up in the local cotton fields. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. Tosches insists that films of Liston losing to Clay reveal that Liston was missing punches intentionally. 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. He rose from poverty in the rural south to become one of the most dominant and feared professional fighters of the 20th century. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. Family (1) Spouse Sonny Liston went from boxing champion and national anti-hero to a Las Vegas thug who drove around in a pink Cadillac and sold drugs. Joe Louis rated Liston's jab one of the best in boxing history. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local police. Trivia He was convicted of robbery and larceny. Before he was 18, Liston was convicted of six muggings. Please try again. Sonny Liston lost his title to the little known Cassius Clay in the seventh round in February 1964. Knocked out #2-rated heavyweight contender Roy Harris (27-1) in one round. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. 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. The couple had two children; one was a daughter from Chambers previous marriage. He served brief prison terms and on one occasion was introduced to boxing by a prison chaplain. 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. Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, around 1932. He started boxing in prison and was likely Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. With the proceeds he traveled to St. Louis and reunited with his mother and siblings. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. He was one of many document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). He was arrested twice in a period of months in Philadelphia in the summer of 1961. Sonny had to put the proper face forward to the public. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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 arrested more than 20 times. There, he became a thug, committing various muggings and robbery. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. Read our Privacy Policy. (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. Yet, Tosches postulates that Liston threw his first fight with Cassius Clay in Miami in February of 1964 at the behest of the mob. An error has occured while loading the map. lis! Geraldine married Sonny Liston in 1950 Least of all, Sonny himself. with Cornelia Winfrey, born in April 1873 - Montgomery Co., MS, deceased. His opponent abandoned the match midway. He went on to win several amateur matches. Sand Slough, Arkansas, United States of America, Sonny Liston is still regarded as the best heavyweight boxer with a taste of violence. Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Assael, Shaun. Liston defeated Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson on Sept. 25, 1962. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. 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. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Copyright 2020, ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against "Bayonne Bleeder" Chuck Wepner. WebHe was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin, and he endured frequent beatings as a child. Liston celebrated the speedy reinstatement of his license with an impressive 1-round knockout of German baker Albert Westphal, who was ranked No. In a short amount of time, he rose to prominence as a contender in the heavyweight division. WebHis parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. aged 38years old. Liston was sentenced to nine months in jail. His mother separated from his father and went to St. Louis in Missouri. Wrong username or password. Even Sonny's mother, who was called Big Hela, didn't know, though she believed him to be born during the month of January. 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. Liston was buried in the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas under the simplest of epitaphs: A MAN.. The dark side is evident. 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 Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2020-2022? His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. He earned the money being a professional Boxer. No one knows how Sonny Liston died. After the court case, he was sentenced to a five-year jail term in the Missouri State Prison. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. (There is some speculation about his year of birth, but most sources state sometime from 1929 to 1932.) Served a prison sentence at Missouri State Penitentiary for robbing a gas station at age 18. London: Aurum Press, 2008. World heavyweight boxing champion, 1962-1964. Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. 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. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. He was born in St. Francis in the state of Missouri, USA. When Liston died, he was rated 7th in the world heavyweight rankings by Ring Magazine. Served time in prison for robbery and later for assaulting a police officer. In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local police. The tactic worked. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. 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. Nous sommes tous Best Known For: Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. 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. At 6 feet 1 inch and 217 pounds, Liston had devastating punching power, an iron chin, and lightning reflexes, along with a powerful jab. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. The Devil and Sonny Liston. Tosches believes the latter. In 1950, he was arrested by the police. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. 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.". 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). Sonny Liston estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works likeThe Devil and Sonny Liston(2000)by Nick Tosches. While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. 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 had a rough and violent childhood. Pre-European Exploration, Prehistory through 1540, European Exploration and Settlement, 1541 through 1802, Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood, 1803 through 1860, Civil War through Reconstruction, 1861 through 1874, Post-Reconstruction through the Gilded Age, 1875 through 1900, Early Twentieth Century, 1901 through 1940, World War II through the Faubus Era, 1941 through 1967, Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform, 19682022, World War II through the Faubus Era (1941 - 1967). Clay was no debtor to the mob. He only served six. Before Fame He sold pecans from his brother-in-law's tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. He was one of many childrenone account lists twenty-two siblings and half-siblings. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. New York: Skyhorse, 2011. Dowling Sonny Liston, hard-luck son of Arkansas sharecroppers, was champion of the world. His mother believed he was born in January, 1928, but Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932. At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. Clay is certainly to be counted among the greatest heavyweights of all time. Liston went back to the ring. Even as a grown up, the physical scars were still visible. Charles "Sonny" Liston's life and death began and ended in the same manner: as a mystery. Steen, Rob. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works like The Devil and Sonny Liston (2000) by Nick Tosches. He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. For a while, he even lost his license to box in the United States. His trademark shirt during his illegal raids was yellow. William Friedkin was intended to direct his biopic "Night Train" with Ving Rhames as Sonny Liston.
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