WebThe son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. His ring style was the essence of simplicity; he displayed little finesse but much raw power, especially in his left hand. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. He became a professional fighter in 1953. Reverend Stevens arranged the match for him. Liston continued fighting following the loss of his title, mainly because it was the only legal way he knew how to make a buck. 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. He cleared out his opponents to become the topmost contender. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. Clay is certainly to be counted among the greatest heavyweights of all time. Again rumors were rife that the match was fixed by the criminal underworld. No one knows how Sonny Liston died. Gallender, Paul. All Rights Reserved. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. As most boxing fans know, it was in the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City that Sonny learned to box. He was born in St. Francis in the state of Missouri, USA. Later, films of the fight showed the bout ended at the 1:25 mark. Pacific Grove, CA: Park Place Publications, 2012. 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But the champ went down in a hurry: two minutes and six seconds in the first 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. In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local police. Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. Liston destroyed the champion in one round and destroyed him again in the rematch. For all his womanizing, Liston had a respect for his wife Geraldine and was faithful to her in his own way. Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights. The rematch, in Lewiston, Maine, on May 25, 1965, was even more controversial. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. Official Sites. Touring the local hospital in a grey tweed overcoat with a black velvet collar, the intimidating, burly, 6-foot-tall, 215 lb. His 17-year ring log was an impressive 50-4 with 39 knockouts. Joe Louis rated Liston's jab one of the best in boxing history. In the films the good guy always wins, but this is one bad guy who ain't gonna lose. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. 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. Liston, in fact, had great respect for Father Murphy and behaved admirably around him. 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. After a little while, Liston followed his mother and was reunited with his other siblings. The official date of Charles L. Liston is given as May 8, 1932. The reader can form his own conclusion based on the reports of those involved. He served brief prison terms and on one occasion was introduced to boxing by a prison chaplain. 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. | Some suspect foul play; others believe Liston died of a self-inflicted drug overdose. Liston was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion to die (age 38). Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. New York: Skyhorse, 2011. Wrong username or password. He quickly learned how to box and within three years was fighting on the amateur circuit. He became a professional fighter in 1953. Though it appeared that Liston had barely been grazed by Clay's right fist, the boxer went down just one minute and 45 seconds into the first round. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. 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). boxer had the look of a champion. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. .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. Major children and living persons must directly contact the. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1991. There's no question that the hard-scrabble existence of youth prepared Liston for the success he would later enjoy as a prizefighter. Liston scored another knockout in a rematch with Patterson, but his 17-month reign as heavyweight champion ended at the hands of a brash fighter named Cassius Clay. 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. 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. Survived by his wife Geraldine and a step-daughter. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Sonny Liston prefers not to tell the details of marital status & divorce. His epitaph reads: A Man.. Sonny had to put the proper face forward to the public. In 1956, he found himself on the wrong side of the law again. Liston was an excellent boxer. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. Before he was 18, Liston was convicted of six muggings. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. Because of his arrest and prison term, Liston didn't have a fight between March of 1956, when he decisioned Marty Marshall in Pittsburgh, to January of 1958, when he knocked out Bill Hunter in two rounds in Chicago. Tobe was mean to his children, and especially to Sonny. He, however, won in the subsequent rematch. He overcame tremendous odds to win the title and earn a measure of fame, but even so he was never embraced by the public. 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. Least of all, Sonny himself. Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. angelsunchained, Other Works Tosches, Nick. Sanders was the reigning Olympic heavyweight champion. 1932-1970 Sonny Liston was the heavyweight boxing champion from 1962 to 1964. He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local police. Armed robbery. Geraldine married Sonny Liston in 1950 Liston was arrested more than 20 times. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. In a short amount of time, he rose to prominence as a contender in the heavyweight division. Served 7 months in jail for beating up a police officer over a parking ticket in St. Louis in the mid-1950s. He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. WebHe was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin, and he endured frequent beatings as a child. 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. aged 38years old. It was just a matter of semantics, though. But there is another side. 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. There were rumors of drug peddling, heroin use, and murder, but no answers. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. Nine years of steady fighting later, and following additional scrapes with the law (fourteen arrests between 1953 and 1958 and a conviction in 1956 for assaulting a police officer), Liston finally fought Floyd Patterson for the Heavyweight Championship. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against Bayonne Bleeder Chuck Wepner. Outside of the ring, Liston had a charming personality. 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. 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. After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. His father physically molested him. The place had a name, but it was not to be found on any map. 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. Maybe Liston realized that he couldn't beat the youthful Clay/Ali, and he opted not to get up off the canvas in round one instead of absorbing another beating. 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. That inbred struggle for survival often produces champions. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. Big Hela had moved there in 1946. The couple had two children; one was a daughter from Chambers previous marriage. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He married Geraldine Chambers on June 10, 1950. Major support provided through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. Sonny Liston was a violent person even outside the ring. His mother separated from his father and went to St. Louis in Missouri. Or it would be history, if boxing historians would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. He defeated heavyweight contenders Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn, Henry Clark, and Chuck Wepner. Why he died remains one of sport's most enduring mysteries. Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, around 1932. Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2019-2020? According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. He earned the money being a professional Boxer. He is from AR. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. 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. Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Sonny Liston, Birth Year: 1932, Birth date: May 8, 1932, Birth State: Arkansas, Birth City: St Francis County, Birth Country: United States. It was there in Sand Slough that Charles L. Liston was born, on the 50 acres that Tobe rented from the Man.". His wife found his lifeless body in their home on January 5, 1971. He organized a criminal gang that robbed and mugged locals. Auspiciously, the massive man is known as "The Bear" then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. American professional boxer who became world heavyweight champion in 1962, Born on May 08, 1932 Liston relocated to Denver with his wife Geraldine and friend/sparring partner Foneda Cox and underwent extensive counseling with Father Murphy. The rematch in Las Vegas on July 22, 1963, was another first-round knockout. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. Please try again. Scroll below and check our most recent updates about Sonny Liston Net Worth, Salary, Biography, Age, From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. He had been dead for some time, an ending every bit as murky as the Clay/Ali fights. Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife, and the Phantom Punch. . Family Auspiciously, the massive man is known as The Bear then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. 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. The Devil and Sonny Liston. He supported many in his life. 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. His mother worked several jobs to support her children. 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. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. 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. Carbo was in prison and Palmermo would soon follow. From the start, it was apparent that he had a future in the ring. Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). Ward, who resides today in Forrest City, Ark. Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). Ali and Liston: The Boy Who Would Be King and the Ugly Bear. In the same interval, he had gotten married (in 1957 to Geraldine Clark), moved from St. Louis to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1958, and been questioned by a congressional committee about the takeover of his management by mob elements in 1960. It has been rumored that the crime boss John Vitale arranged for his early release. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. Knocked out #2-rated heavyweight contender Roy Harris (27-1) in one round. Steen, Rob. On September 25, 1962, Liston made history by becoming the heavyweight champion. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, 1932 in Sand Slough, AR. That hurt him deeply, though he instinctively hid the scars behind a scowl. 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. 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. (There is some speculation about his year of birth, but most sources state sometime from 1929 to 1932.) It was a defense mechanism designed to keep people from getting too close. WebParents and Siblings Charles L. "Sonny" Liston 19321970 Geraldine Chamber 19252005 Spouse and Children Charles L. "Sonny" Liston Male19321970 Male