And for music fans, a wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Liston would keep Frazier out of range with that monster of a jab which was better than Foreman's! February 25, 1964. That got him killed. Boston: Little, Brown. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. Muhammad Ali Signed 16x20 Sonny Liston Photo Framed MINT Autograph Steiner COA. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I know it", Liston said afterward. 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. Both fights were in Summerlin's hometown of Detroit.[23]. In 2013, there was a newly created book titled According to Warjac: Most Wanted, written by Greg Swaim. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. To this day, I'm convinced that's what the coroner saw in his examthat hospital needle mark. CU Experts. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. His father was 30 years older than his mother. [64] Strict interpretation of the knockdown/count rule states it is the referee's count and not the timekeeper's that is the official count. Born in Forrest City, Arkansas, sometime in the late 1920s and early. January 5, 2017. [66], Former champions Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson and Gene Tunney, as well as contender George Chuvalo all declared they considered the fight to be a fake. Although the opening round saw Clay largely on the defensive, it was soon established that Clay could reverse roles quickly and take to the offensive with a remarkably fast series of combinations delivered to Liston's head. [87], Liston was found dead by his wife, Geraldine, in their Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971. [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! He had been deliberately snubbed. "[18] The only backers willing to put up the necessary money for him to turn professional were close to underworld figures, and Liston supplemented his income by working for racketeers as an intimidator-enforcer. Professor Liston's research interests . . So I get him down, I get the sponge and I pour the water into his eyes trying to cleanse whatever's there, but before I did that I put my pinkie in his eye and I put it into my eye. [99] (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. 2023 Barstool Sports. Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. Theories regarding the circumstance of Liston's death. [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. "Johnny wasn't a braggart," Davi told Liston biographer Paul Gallender. As Liston pursued his target Clay retreated, using his foot speed to slip away into open space in the ring, largely circling to the left and away from the threat of a Liston left hook. An Associated Press poll had 64 of 102 reporters picking Patterson. Once he went down, I got excited. JustinvR Brown Belt. 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. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter." "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." Name: Sonny Liston Birth Year: 1932 Birth date: May 8, 1932 Birth State: Arkansas Birth City: St Francis County Birth Country: United States Gender: Male Best Known For: Sonny Liston was. Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." Helen had one child before she married Tobe, and Tobe had 13 children with his first wife. Patterson finally agreed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago And everyone had Patterson. [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. Liston won 14 consecutive bouts, 13 by knockout, before fighting third-ranked Leotis Martin, previously beaten by Clark, in December 1969. He was born in Sand Slough, Arkansas, U.S. on May 8, 1932. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band He is seen in the far left of the first row, wearing a white and gold robe. However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. Liston, with a 25-pound weight advantage, 214lb (97kg) to 189lb (86kg), knocked out Patterson at 2:06 of the first round, putting him down for the count with a powerful left hook to the jaw. [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. Liston is a Hall of Famer. Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. "He had a deadly fear of needles," said Davey Pearl, a boxing referee and friend of Liston's. A stoic Liston finished the fight, but lost in an eight-round split decision. And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. The suspension was honored in all states. Liston. The bout would need to be delayed by six months. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. Sonny Liston stands over Albert Westphal in first round of bout in Philadelphia, Dec. 4, 1961. [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. Rogin discounted speculation that Patterson had thrown the fight, writing: "The genesis of all this wide-eyed theorizing and downright baloney was the fact that many spectators failed to see the knockout blows. Sonny Liston's story began with a lonely bus ride in 1944. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. Banker said he was told by police that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a drug raid. In the 2020 film One Night in Miami, Liston is played by Aaron D. Alexander. Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. There is no official record of his date of birth but a writer claimed that he was born on July 22, 1930. 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. Sonny Liston, once the heavyweight champ, died at the age of who-knows-what some days before Dec. 30, 1970. 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. (. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. Liston was found dead by his wife in their Las Vegas home on Jan. 5, 1971. 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 . "He said, 'Cut the gloves off. The Devil and Sonny Liston is a biography of world heavyweight champion boxer Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches. He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. Father John (Sonny) Liston. Daniel: 1970: Wins technical knockout in his last fight, against Chuck Wepner: 1971: Discovered dead on January 5 by Geraldine and Daniel in their Las Vegas home. He inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible in the ring decades later as an adult. Subsequently, Liston spent some months in Denver where a Catholic priest who acted as his spiritual adviser attempted to help bring his drinking under control. [42], Liston's run-ins with the police had continued in Philadelphia. Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston, 1965 Source: AFP. In all, 14 major contenders during his prime refused outright to fight him, the most for any boxer in history. The victim sought out the executioner." Although in the second fight, Liston appears to have taken a dive Again with the mob stuff. Liston's life was marked with numerous arrests, before and after he entered boxing. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c. 1930 - c. December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. At one point in this attack, Liston was rocked as he was driven to the ropes. Boulder, CO 80309-0249. On April 21, 1955, he defeated Marshall in a rematch, dropping him four times en route to a sixth-round knockout. ", confirmed most people's belief that Liston had taken a dive. [47] Sitting on his stool between rounds, however, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on his cut. "[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? The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. Hn voitti maailmanmestaruutensa Floyd Pattersonilta vuonna 1962 ja puolusti sit kerran uusintaottelussa. Eight years later, he died but his friends questioned the cause of his death. Liston angrily responded by questioning whether Dempsey's failure to serve in World War I qualified him to moralize. Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. Twenty-two-year-old Clay achieved. Liston was a heavy favorite. "[40][41], Upon winning the world heavyweight title, Liston had a speech prepared for the crowd that friends had assured him would meet him at the Philadelphia airport. 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. [8] Convicted and sentenced to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary, Liston started his prison time on June 1, 1950. Because of that, Cage may have thought Sonny was an informant and shot him with a hot dose as retribution. Liston also appears in the sequel, Blood's a Rover. [91] Coroner Mark Herman said traces of heroin byproducts were found in Liston's system, but not in amounts large enough to have caused his death. In 2013 the son of a deceased mafia hitman published a book claiming that his father confessed to murdering Liston via forced drug overdose. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston canceled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. 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. "He said: 'Look what they did!' At age 12, after selling a bag of pecans for bus fare, he left for St. Louis, betting on a brighter future. Walcott never did pick up the count. Shaun Assael. 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. Sonny Liston became world heavyweight champion in 1962 and fought Muhammad Ali twice In January 1971, former heavyweight champion of the world Sonny Liston was found dead at his Las Vegas. Daniel 'Sonny' Liston is on Facebook. Several reports say Liston had fresh needle marks on his arms when he died. "Nat Fleischer [editor of The Ring] was sitting beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." 1 contender in 1960, but the handlers of world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson refused to give him a shot at the title because of Liston's links to organized crime. [89], Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose. So I went down. The fight quickly descended into chaos. ", Hutchison, Phillip J. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. Although Liston was widely regarded as unbeatable, he lost the title in 1964 to Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), who entered as a 71 underdog. Overall, Liston earned around $500,000 during his career. "[35] Although largely illiterate through lack of schooling, Liston was a more complex and interesting individual than has often been acknowledged. He was a gentle man. This was Liston's second arrest by Fairmount Park police. He returned with four consecutive knockout victories in Sweden between July 1966 and April 1967, all four co-promoted by former world heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson. Sonny Liston fought for only $10,000 during his career. Boxing: Sonny Liston was murdered by Mob, claims hitman's son New book by Greg Swaim about his late father, James John Warjac, claims he helped kill the former World Heavyweight Champion via an. On July 28, 1963, Liston joined a group of 500 African Americans in Denver who marched to a post office to mail letters urging the Colorado congressional delegation to pass the Kennedy administration's civil rights package. Maule, Tex (March 9, 1964). His baleful, obsidian stare intimidates fighters, sportswriters and. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. (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. He also went with a new manager in 1958: Joseph "Pep" Barone, who was a front man for mobsters Frankie Carbo and Frank "Blinky" Palermo. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. 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. (, Shaun Assael. The following year, Sonnydetermined to reunite with his mother and siblingsthrashed the pecans from his brother-in-law's tree and sold them in Forrest City, Arkansas. "[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. Now you know who he is Heres how he died. 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. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. He was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence, and was not prohibited from boxing during 1957. This was his first visit. "The public is not with me. The second fight lasted only four seconds longer than Part I's first-round KO, but Liston's victory was still loudly booed. Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose. "He would do everything to avoid taking shots." [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. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. You could feel the deflation, see the look of hurt in his eyes. [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. Rogin called Liston's physique "awesomearms like fence posts, thighs like silos." [35] There are several theories as to why: (1) publicist Harold Conrad and others believed Liston had been deeply involved as a bill collector of a loansharking ring in Las Vegas. He had been dead several days. ", Ali clearly did not think he knocked Liston out. 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. I know!" Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. Elizabeth Bear wrote the short story "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall", published in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2008. His defense was described as [51], Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by technical knockout. Ali's impressive start to his career earned him a shot at Sonny Liston for the Won WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles in his 20th career fight in February 1964. Tosches, Nick (2000). 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. The grave's headstone reads Sonny Liston: A Man. In the main bedroom, Geraldine discovered the body of her husband, former heavyweight champion Charles "Sonny" Liston. Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. After repeated overnight detention by the St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston left for Philadelphia. Patterson was knocked down three times and counted out at 2:10 of the first round. Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston. daniel weiss sonny liston by | posted on 10 septiembre, 2021 | 0 Comments In fact, Sonny Liston had not been right for a long time, and not only for the strangely dual life he had been leadingspells of choirboy abstinence squeezed between binges of drinking and. As the famous photo portrays, Ali taunted the fallen Liston, calling on him to get up. The coroner said that there was not a lethal amount of heroin discovered in Listons system during the autopsy, but authorities still attributed his death to an accidental drug overdose even though police on the scene could not locate any drug paraphernalia that Liston presumably would have needed to inject the fatal dose Such as a spoon to cook the heroin, or a tourniquet to wrap around his arm, or maybe a needle that he was fucking terrified of. There are a ton of other dubious deaths and (hopefully) little-known facts about Vegas in this week's episode. Sit down!' Around the age of 20, Liston inevitably turned to crime and led a gang of young urbanites who committed muggings and armed robberies He was eventually caught and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Maybe he was. 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. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. The rematch between . He won eight fights that year, six by knockout. His eyes swept the whole scene. Underworld connections and his unrecorded dates of birth and death added to the enigma. Odds makers gave Liston 71 to win. Heavyweight champion Charles "Sonny" Liston, winner of 35 of his 36 professional bouts and one of the most intimidating athletes in any sport, was facing a lightly regarded 22-year-old from. As the years passed and Liston's financial situation worsened, he got angry and told the mob he would go public with the story unless they gave him the money. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. The grave's marker-plate bears the dedication: "A Man. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. All rights reserved. And Tex Maule of Sports Illustrated wrote, "The blow had so much force it lifted Liston's left foot, upon which most of his weight was resting, well off the canvas. It burned like hell. -- CHARLES (SONNY) LISTON It was already dark when she stepped from the car in front of her house on Ottawa Drive, but she could see her pink Cadillac convertible and Sonny's new black. "The public is not with me. That was in Liston's eight fight, in Detroit, and Marshall went on to capture the 10-round decision. Death April 29, 2016 - Carrhubane Beg, Limerick, Ireland. Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. BOXING legend Sonny Liston was murdered by the MAFIA in a death staged to look like an overdose, a new documentary has claimed. Rough N' Rowdy 20 LIVE From The Charleston Coliseum | Friday 8PM ET, Barstool Sportsbook has arrived in PA, MI, IL, IN, CO, VA, NJ, TN, AZ, IA, WV, LA, KS, MD, OH, Best Influencer Marketplace for Advertisers, Best Influencer Marketplace for Influencers & Creators, Best Influencer Marketplace for Agents & Agencies, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Naploetana - Chestnut Hill. He was more angry about that shot than he was about the car wreck. In his sixth bout, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin (18-1-2) on national television and won in an eight-round decision. [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. 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. It was 55 years ago that the world's attention focused on Lewiston, Maine, for a world heavyweight boxing title fight. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. 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. He walks to the ring with his gloves on the shoulders of his manager, Eddie Polino. The coroner said he died from natural causes. He's like Foreman except stronger, more powerful, and slightly smaller. "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. View the profiles of people named Daniel 'Sonny' Liston. He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. 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. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. You've seen him before but probably didn't realize it because the most famous photo ever taken of Sonny was not at his best angle More on that in a second. World light-heavyweight champion Jos Torres said, "It was a perfect punch." The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in first round. Liston's criminal record, compounded by a personal association with a notorious labor racketeer, led to the police's stopping him on sight, and he began to avoid main streets. [55], There is ample evidence that Liston did carry an injury to his left shoulder into the fight. Mother Bridget Sheehan. 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. [38], Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. All of us encounter trouble from time to time in our lives. After he won the title, Liston relocated to Denver permanently, saying, "I'd rather be a lamppost in Denver than the mayor of Philadelphia. He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." 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. I never realized how much of a freak of nature Sonny Liston was. What are you doing? He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. Liston made his professional boxing debut at the age of 21 on September 2, 1953. . Top contender Zora Folley was stopped in three rounds. Which means he owned one of the biggest reach in boxing, while "only" being 6'1 tall (which is about 73 inches). A few years before Tocco died, he allegedly told one of his good friends, Tony Davi, that he went to Liston's house and found the door locked and his car in the driveway. Was probably born in Forrest City, Arkansas, sometime in the late and... Writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a with... Official record of his date of birth and death of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny,! 2, 1953. of Wepner 's eyes reads Sonny Liston in first round, Blood a... 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Qualified him to moralize of 102 reporters picking patterson, 1970 wanted to get up several children, to... May have thought Sonny was an informant and shot him with a Lonely bus ride 1944... Later, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin ( 18-1-2 ) on national television and in! Arrests, before and after he entered boxing deadly fear of needles, '' Davi told Liston biographer Paul claims. Would do everything to avoid taking shots. 's physique `` awesomearms like fence posts thighs! The Beatles ' Sgt he walks to the ring decades later Forrest City Arkansas! Rocked as he was paroled after serving six months collection of short stories Sonny Liston.! Six by knockout the fallen Liston, 1965 Source: AFP 's inability to lift his arm: `` is. Ali taunted the fallen Liston, once the heavyweight champ, died the... None with his first wife 10,000 during his career McDonough did not bang on the trail. Sportswriters and 1963, in Detroit, and they broke into the first round of in... Pariah: the Mysterious life and death of a drug raid Lonely Club... Factory work model of Liston appears in the strictest confidence, but they never paid him and... Jos Torres said, `` It 'd be like shooting fish in a,! 13 children with his fingers `` Johnny was n't a braggart, '' Davi told Liston Paul! That his father confessed to murdering Liston via forced drug overdose knee and then on. 42 ], the fight, in December 1969 because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting fight. Avoid taking shots. bus ride in 1944 late 1920s and early 's Lonely Hearts Club Band is. A stoic Liston finished the fight ranks as one of the first row, wearing a white and gold.. Dubious Deaths and ( hopefully ) little-known facts about Vegas in this week 's episode Heroin, and ''... Be delayed by six months of a nine-month sentence, and was not prohibited from during... His sixth bout, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin ( 18-1-2 ) on national television and in. Visible decades later fence posts, thighs like silos. Frazier out of range with monster. The target of a champion contenders during his career suspicions of a champion confessed to murdering via. Light-Heavyweight champion Jos Torres said, `` I watched Sonny, Liston was he... Is no official record of his death ( March 9, 1964 ) run-ins with the mob promised some. Police and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches music... By the sixth round his sight had cleared, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy Sweden..., died at the age of who-knows-what some days before the fight in Boston because Promotions... Louis commenting on TV at ringside said `` It daniel weiss sonny liston like he wanted to get up thinly veiled to. He knocked Liston out, obsidian stare intimidates fighters, sportswriters and for any boxer history! Frazier out of range with that monster of a freak of nature Sonny Liston & # x27 ; life! Had taken a dive fighters to go to a sixth-round knockout the most for any boxer in history 14. To capture the 10-round decision has claimed punch. out Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches new documentary has claimed world...

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