"It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. Genuinely kind mobster who had been convicted of armed robbery and assault. Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and his infamously intimidating appearance. After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. The story goes that Liston was born somewhere . Was Pariah boxing legend Sonny Listons OD really a mob murder? [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. [47] Sitting on his stool between rounds, however, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on his cut. Boston: Little, Brown. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. 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Underworld connections and his unrecorded dates of birth and death added to the enigma. In the 2015 British crime film Legend, Liston is played by Mark Theodore in a scene where gangster Reggie Kray poses for a picture with the boxer. Sonny Liston - BoxRec [72], "I was an 'intimidator' until I fought Sonny Liston. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. Entire books have been written about the fight, and one, released in 2015, sought to end the suggestion that Liston took another fall. Two of the three official scorers, or judges, awarded the round to Liston, and the other scored the round even. It was a shocking result, not only because Liston was favored in the match, but because hardly anybody saw the punch that took him down. Soon, he was known as Cassius X, eschewing the last name given to his enslaved family by their owners. The bout would need to be delayed by six months. Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. Maybe he was. During the interim, officials in Boston also got cold feet. Biographer Wilfrid Sheed wrote in his book, Muhammad Ali: A Portrait in Words and Photographs, that Clay's protests were heard by ringside members of the Nation of Islam who initially suspected Dundee had blinded his fighter, and that the trainer deliberately wiped his own eyes with the corner sponge to demonstrate to Clay's approaching bodyguards that he had not intentionally blinded him. In "Song for Sonny Liston," Knopfler's voice is backed by electric guitar, a bass and drums as he tells the story of a sharecropper's son who went from prison to the championship to an early death under mysterious circumstances. Walcott never did pick up the count. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The FBI was on the hunt for evidence for match-fixing, given Listons mob ties mobsters still owned much of his fight promotion contract and the sports shady business model. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. I'm Sonny Liston, I'm Jack Dempsey, there's no one like I'm from their . Very rare interview of Sonny Liston talking about how he got started in boxing, his fights with Williams and Patterson and his training routine. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. Sonny Liston Interview - YouTube 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. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. McDonough, however, claimed Walcott was looking at the crowd and never at him. Please read the rules before posting/commenting. 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. [93] Liston had been hospitalized in early December, complaining of chest pains. [79][80][81] These include Muhammad Ali, who stated in a 1975 interview that he was a great admirer of Liston's talents: "Liston had a tremendous jab, could punch with either hand, was smart in the ring and as strong as any heavyweight Ive ever seen. and "Nobody will believe this!"[63]. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. Clay brought Malcolm X along with him to Miami, and amid the controversy, the fight was almost canceled. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. Liston retired in his corner due to an inflamed shoulder. Interview Date: March 13, 1989 Camera Rolls: 2104-2105 Sound Rolls: 248 Editorial Notes: Interview with , conducted by Blackside, Inc. on March 13, 1989, for . Pan, 2017. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. [32] Ironically, Patterson's manager, Cus D'Amato, associated with racketeers and had his manager's license revoked by the New York State Athletic Commission for alleged misconduct in connection with the Floyd PattersonIngemar Johansson title fight in June 1959. His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. In the novel, Liston not only drinks but also pops pills and works as a sometime enforcer for a heroin ring in Las Vegas. Savant Sundays: Sonny Liston - Bad Left Hook "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." Interviewing and trash-talk have both gone through some tremendous evolutions, havent they? Liston appears as a character in James Ellroy's novel The Cold Six Thousand. I never saw. On the album's lyric sheet, below the Liston song, Knopfler includes a famous quotation from Liston from 1962: "Some day, they're gonna write a blues for fighters. He allegedly later told an assistant that he took a dive because he was afraid of the consequences of beating Ali he thought it would put a target on his own back. Another depicts Liston's death scene and autopsy: "There was dope in his veins and a pistol on the drawer Criss-crossed on his back, scars from his daddy like slavery tracks.". [99] (3) The mob promised Liston some money to throw the second Ali fight, but they never paid him. When Machen clinched in . Liston decked Martin with a left hook in the fourth round and dominated most of the fight, but Martin came back and knocked Liston out cold in the ninth round. Sonny Liston Interview in Color - YouTube Sonny Liston shot a gun at Muhammad Ali. I was about to say look at those mitts! He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. [8], Liston turned to crime and led a gang of thugs who committed muggings and armed robberies. [55], There is ample evidence that Liston did carry an injury to his left shoulder into the fight. Lennox is a conqueror? Asked by a young white reporter why he was not fighting for freedom in the South, Liston deadpanned, "I ain't got no dog-proof ass. I remember thinking as a child that this was a man who wanted to be left alone.". I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' [31] While Liston began working into shape with hopes for a heavyweight title shot, he also continued his criminal behavior. His father, Tobe Liston, was in his mid 40s when he and his wife, Helen Baskin, who was almost 30 years younger than Tobe, moved to Arkansas from Mississippi in 1916. Many in the small crowd had not even settled in their seats when the fight was stopped. Rare interview of Sonny Liston colorized. Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. Geraldine remembered her husband as "Great with me, great with the kids. [42], Liston's run-ins with the police had continued in Philadelphia. [100] A successful racehorse which won the Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston. [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. The grave's marker-plate bears the dedication: "A Man. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. Naturally, they decided that Ali would take on Liston. Suffolk County, where Boston is located, ultimately pulled the plug, leaving them without a venue with less than a month to go. America's first look at Liston since the Ali rematch was when he fought fifthranked Henry Clark in a nationally broadcast bout in July 1968. Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread and all them sluggers went down like lead. 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. Governor John H. Reed of Maine stepped forward, and within a few hours the promoters had a new site: Lewiston, Maine, a mill town with a population of about 41,000 located 140 miles (230km) north of Boston. For Sonny Liston, a Ballad to a Heavyweight - The New York Times Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Midwest Gymnasium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Pittsburgh Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. New Masonic Temple, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Sources vary on his reach, with some listing it as 80in, Reputations: Sonny Liston: The Champion Nobody Wanted (2001), 50 min, BBC Documentary, Mailer: A Biography By Mary V. Dearborn, page 186. I don't think there was any way for him to beat Clay at that time, but if he entered the ring in a different mindset, to box and not try and get him like Patterson and others, he could of went the distance. The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. [43] A month later, Liston was accused of impersonating a police officer by using a flashlight to wave down a female motorist in Fairmount Park, although all charges were later dropped. The Devil And Sonny Liston. In an unearthed, unaired TV interview, Sonny Liston's wife once said that the fighter needed to get out of the ring as fast as possible because he had diarrhea. Less than 10 days later, he was Muhammad Ali, a name given him to Elijah Muhammad, the head of the Nation of Islam. Rogin called Liston's physique "awesomearms like fence posts, thighs like silos." Interview with Floyd Patterson - Washington University in St. Louis He claimed the officer used racial slurs. He said they found Liston lying on his bed with a needle sticking out of his arm. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. He took one and went down. Sonny Liston - Death, Muhammad Ali & Children - Biography "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). Never seen this one before, thanks alot. Muhammad Ali (at the time a rising contender named Cassius Clay), however, predicted a knockout by Liston in the first five rounds. Mark Knopfler enjoyed widespread popularity in the 1980's as the leader of Dire Straits, lending his husky voice to hit songs like "Sultans of Swing" and "Money for Nothing." Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. Be respectful and come chat with us. "[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. "[57] Those findings were confirmed in a formal investigation immediately after the fight by Florida State Attorney Richard Gerstein, who also noted that there was little doubt that Liston went into the fight with a sore or lame shoulder. Sonny Liston interview with Max Goldberg before his fight with Cassius [103], Sonny Liston was featured in a novel "Girl Fighter" with a brief reference to his early life, his rise to WBC heavyweight champion and his eventual losses to Clay/Ali.[104]. And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. He said that Liston was not quick with his hand or footwork, that he relied too much on his ability to take a punch, and that he could be vulnerable to an opponent with more hand speed. "There's no doubt that he was mean," Knopfler said of Liston. [8][9], There is no official record of Liston's birth. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. To the rest of the world, it would be known as "The Phantom Punch." That shot, which Ali dropped Sonny Liston with on May 25, 1965, was far from a phantom. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. I dont have to be what you want me to be, Clay told agitated reporters. [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. Liston was a heavy favorite. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. For confetti we can use torn-up arrest warrants." Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. 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. Liston went down on his back. [10][11] It has been suggested Liston himself may not have known what year he was born, as he was not precise on the matter. Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. ", Knopfler compared writing a song about Liston to the work a sculptor performs on a statue. Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. The Devil and Sonny Liston. Boston: Little, Brown. He particularly resented a 1961 arrest by a black patrolman for loitering, claiming to have merely been signing autographs and chatting with fans outside a drugstore. Clay countered in verse, "If you want to lose your money, then bet on Sonny! Liston was supremely confident of easily beating Clay, trained minimally for the fight and went ahead with it despite an injury to his left shoulder.[44]. Watch the interview you be the judge. [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. But former Las Vegas police Sgt. He could have remained typecast as a musician performing rock songs. But audiences attending Knopfler's concerts around North America this summer are hearing and responding favorably to a song of a different genre, a bluesy narrative ballad called "Song for Sonny Liston," about the troubled fighter who preceded Muhammad Ali as heavyweight champion in the early 1960's. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color Did Sonny Liston Take a Dive in His Second Muhammad Ali - Sportscasting Concert Preview/Interview: John Lodge of the Moody Blues on Reprising "Days of Future Passed . "Johnny wasn't a braggart," Davi told Liston biographer Paul Gallender. Muhammad Ali called it his "anchor punch," a quick right hand that the young heavyweight champion claimed he had learned from his friend, actor Stepin Fetchit. Anyone can read what you share. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. His wife said he was a kind & gentle hearted person who cared deeply for children & that no one ever saw that side of him except those closest to him, I believe theres a documentary somewhere on YouTube Id recommend watching it. Beat me to it! [29] Machen's taunting and his spoiling tactics of dodging and grapplingat one point almost heaving Liston over the ropesso alienated the audience that Liston received unaccustomed support from the crowd. Ali's "Phantom Punch" Controversy Explained - PBS Audiences at home were confused and outraged. Caputo, one of the investigating police officers, "The whole department knew about it." Skeptics called the knockout blow "the phantom punch." For me, the most fascinating thing about Liston was the fact that his birth date is unknown. The year 1959 was a banner one for Liston: after knocking out contender Mike DeJohn in six rounds he faced Cleveland Williams, a fast-handed fighter who was billed as the hardest-hitting heavyweight in the world against whom he showed durability, power and skill, nullifying Williams' best work before stopping him in the third round. They fought for a third time on March 6, 1956, which Liston won by a ten-round unanimous decision. The photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground.