Liston claimed he was born in WebPatterson defended against Liston in Comiskey Park, Chicago, on September 25, 1962, and the rest is history. His 17-year ring log was an impressive 50-4 with 39 knockouts. There were rumors of drug peddling, heroin use, and murder, but no answers. This enabled him to get hired as a manual laborer in the farms. Nous sommes tous Aligning himself with the Devil. He acted in a number of films, the most famous being "Harlow" with Carroll Baker. Liston went back to the ring. WebHe was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin, and he endured frequent beatings as a child. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. There, he committed various muggings and robberies. Liston was buried in the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas under the simplest of epitaphs: A MAN.. As most boxing fans know, it was in the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City that Sonny learned to box. 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. 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. Gallender, Paul. Liston excelled in his newfound love, boxing, and, after a short amateur career, turned professional. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up He became a professional fighter in 1953. Why he died remains one of sport's most enduring mysteries. London: Aurum Press, 2008. Copyright 2020 ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA, All rights Reserved. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. His best years were 195862 when he destroyed everyone while Patterson shamelessly ducked him. There, he became a thug, committing various muggings and robbery. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Liston destroyed the champion in one round and destroyed him again in the rematch. In 1962, Liston went officially from being the poverty-stricken, illiterate child of an abusive tenant farmer in Arkansas to being the heavyweight champion of the whole world. Deceased persons are not concerned by this provision. Touring the local hospital in a grey tweed overcoat with a black velvet collar, the intimidating, burly, 6-foot-tall, 215 lb. Liston relocated to Denver with his wife Geraldine and friend/sparring partner Foneda Cox and underwent extensive counseling with Father Murphy. Trivia He was convicted of robbery and larceny. 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. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works like The Devil and Sonny Liston (2000) by Nick Tosches. Was the favorite fighter of the famous Fab Four, the Beatles, and he appears on their "Sgt. Encyclopedia of Arkansas Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. He managed to turn his cruel past to his advantage. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. 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. Least of all, Sonny himself. Ali and Liston: The Boy Who Would Be King and the Ugly Bear. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous "phantom punch." 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. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. Geneastars | Facebook. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. He quickly learned how to box and within three years was fighting on the amateur circuit. Apart from his demeanor, Liston was a charming man with a captivating smile. He was thirty-eight years. In 1956, he found himself on the wrong side of the law again. He was referred to as the man with the steel punch and an iron chin.. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. Sonny Liston turned professional in September 1953. Sonny Liston keeps his personal and love life private. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. (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. When Liston died, he was rated 7th in the world heavyweight rankings by Ring Magazine. Liston lost his rematch to Ali in May 1965. Charles "Sonny" Liston was pronounced dead at the scene. After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. Due to the poverty in the family, Sonny never went to school. Liston had a rough and violent childhood. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. 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.". What advantage would there be to having the brash young boxer from Louisville installed as heavyweight champ in place of Liston? Little Rock, AR. First heavyweight title challenger to earn a purse of $1,000,000. He had been dead for some time, an ending every bit as murky as the Clay/Ali fights. Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). Very little is known about his birth and his Joe Louis rated Liston's jab one of the best in boxing history. In Michael Mann's Ali, Liston was portrayed by famous boxer Michael Bentt, with whom he shares a strong resemblance. The official date of Charles L. Liston is given as May 8, 1932. Some suspect foul play; others believe Liston died of a self-inflicted drug overdose. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. Later, films of the fight showed the bout ended at the 1:25 mark. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Boxer Charles L. Sonny Liston was bornin St. Francis County, Arkansason May 8, 1932. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against "Bayonne Bleeder" Chuck Wepner. In his next fight he bounced back to TKO Chuck Wepner shortly before his mysterious death in 1970. . Sonny Liston was a violent person even outside the ring. Sonny, who was known by his proper name Charles while growing up, rarely attended school and never learned to read or write, a fact that haunted him as an adult and fed a lifelong problem with insecurity. - IMDb Mini Biography By: That inbred struggle for survival often produces champions. Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. Ward, who resides today in Forrest City, Ark. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. (LogOut/ Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). Let's check, How Rich is Ivn P, Mario Daser estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, around 1932. During the years that Liston was champ, the mob was in retreat. Gambling. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). Outside of the ring, Liston had a charming personality. Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. 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. Less than a year later in Miami Beach, Liston lost his title to Cassius Clay when he refused to answer the bell for the seventh round, claiming a shoulder industry. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. New York: Blue Rider Press, 2016. . This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. He organized a criminal gang that robbed and mugged locals. All Rights Reserved. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. New York: Skyhorse, 2011. Liston is another. gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. He was friendly with his fans and had a soft spot for children. 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.". Appeared in a Santa Claus hat on the cover of the December 1963 edition of Esquire Magazine. The author begins appropriately at the beginning with his subject, providing more comprehensive information about Sonny's childhood than probably even Sonny himself knew. Before he was 18, Liston was convicted of six muggings. Liston on his age: "I'm like Jack Benny, I never tell my age.". Tosches does a nice piece of reporting on the incident that led to Liston's arrest, objectively revealing all available viewpoints. The cover was one of the most famous images of the early 1960s, as Liston embodied the fears of White America during the days when Southern police officials had attacked the burgeoning civil rights movement with violence, a violence white Americans feared might be returned onto them. His sporting agility was electrifying to watch. His final record as a professional was fifty wins, thirty-nine by knockout, and four losses. Primary Income source Boxer (profession). Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover. His epitaph reads: "A Man.". Sonny never really had a Prime. in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Sonny LISTON (1932), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. During his two-plus years in the state penitentiary, Liston attained a new nickname, "Sonny," and a new vocation, boxing. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. His epitaph reads: A Man.. He was arrested twice in a period of months in Philadelphia in the summer of 1961. Let's check, How Rich is Ben, All You Need To Know About Tamara Hurwitz. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1991. He never shied away from street fights. It has been rumored that the crime boss John Vitale arranged for his early release. L'arbre Username and password are case sensitive. Liston continued to fight in the ring until June 1970. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. Drinking. He was adopted when the couple was together. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. His last fight was against Chuck Wepner. Charles "Sonny" Liston's life and death began and ended in the same manner: as a mystery. | 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. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, 1932 in Sand Slough, AR. In a short amount of time, he rose to prominence as a contender in the heavyweight division. Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932, but that is off by at least two years. He was one of many childrenone account lists twenty-two siblings and half-siblings. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. No one knows how Sonny Liston died. She had been away on holiday. His wife found his lifeless body in their home on January 5, 1971. Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. 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. Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. As a young man in 1949, Liston left Arkansas for good and followed his mother's footsteps to St. Louis. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. On the side of Tobe Liston, born in 1872 - Choctaw Co., MS, deceased. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. 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. Tosches is admirably objective in his presentation of Liston. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. DAmato went on to coach another great boxer in Mike Tyson. His mother worked several jobs to support her children. Sonny Liston Wife According to our records, Sonny Liston married to Geraldine Seithel. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on May 8, 1932. 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. He was a victim before he was ever a brute. Sonny Liston lost his title to the little known Cassius Clay in the seventh round in February 1964. 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. 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. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. Much of what Tosches gleans about Liston's youth stem from interviews with people who lived on the Morledge Plantation in the 1930s and from Sonny's older half-brother E.B. 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. All Rights Reserved. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Liston was arrested more than 20 times. After winning most of his matches by knockout, he turned pro in 1951. Sonny Listons height Unknown & weight Not Available right. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works likeThe Devil and Sonny Liston(2000)by Nick Tosches. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. His opponent abandoned the match midway. Served a prison sentence at Missouri State Penitentiary for robbing a gas station at age 18. We are all related! He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. 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. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife, and the Phantom Punch. He quickly destroyed all the leading heavyweight contenders--Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams--to earn a title shot against Floyd Patterson. Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. All Rights Reserved. Introduced to boxing by Father Stevens in the St. Louis City Jail during 1950. Reverend Stevens was both the prisons chaplain and sports director. Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. 4 among heavyweights, on Dec. 4, 1961. The reader can form his own conclusion based on the reports of those involved. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. Tosches' explanation, of course, is that Liston was again dutifully following orders given by the mob. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. He knocked out the reigning world champion in the first round. He supported many in his life. His parents were peasant farmers who grew cotton in the south. Made a comeback in 1968-1969 and won 14 straight before losing to Leotis Martin. However, it turned out to be his stepdaughter, the daughter of his wife. As Toches brings out, Liston's brooding temperament can be explained in part by his insecurity. With Cus DAmato as his coach, Liston reigned as champion for seventeen months. His relationship status is single. George Foreman was his sparring partner from 1969 to 1970. Nevertheless, he had a soft spot for children. Hungry fighters eager to break free from the shackles of their own environment bring an element of savage desperation into their ring encounters. At 13, he escaped from his father's control and hitchhiked to At least two sexual assaults. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. But there is another side. 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. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. 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). Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000. He was one of many His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Liston was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion to die (age 38). Copyright 2020, ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA. Liston defeated Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson on Sept. 25, 1962. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. He earned the money being a professional Boxer. He was one of many He won in the first round against Don Smith. with Cornelia Winfrey, born in April 1873 - Montgomery Co., MS, deceased. Tobe was mean to his children, and especially to Sonny. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. Read our Privacy Policy. Sonny Liston prefers not to tell the details of marital status & divorce. Liston's purpose was to show the Pennylvania State Athletic Commission, and the world, that he was turning a new leaf. 1932-1970 Sonny Liston was the heavyweight boxing champion from 1962 to 1964. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). Sonny Liston, hard-luck son of Arkansas sharecroppers, was champion of the world. Following his release from the workhouse, Liston quickly returned to the ring against Hunter and got his career back on track. Liston went down in the first round, felled by a punch few saw. It was just a matter of semantics, though. From the start, Liston was a devastating puncher. He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. Folley knocked down twice in 2nd round; 9 count and saved by the bell at 9 count. Creating an account gives you access to all these features. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. . 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. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. His mother believed he was born in January, 1928, but Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932. Just three months after Sonny's move to Denver, his license was reinstated. WebSonny Liston Photo Gallery. He is from AR. Liston turned professional in September 1953, earning his first paycheck in St. Louis with a first-round knockout of Don Smith. angelsunchained, Other Works (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. The couple had two children; one was a daughter from Chambers previous marriage. The Devil and Sonny Liston. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. His trademark shirt during his illegal raids was yellow. WebTogether with his 24 siblings and half siblings, Sonny grew up in the local cotton fields. He started boxing in prison and was likely over 30 then. Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Sanders was the reigning Olympic heavyweight champion. Geraldine married Sonny Liston in 1950 The second was a boy. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. His death was as mysterious as his birth. 100 Rock Street Wrong username or password. Change). (There is some speculation about his year of Clay is certainly to be counted among the greatest heavyweights of all time. There, he committed various muggings and robberies. 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. Pacific Grove, CA: Park Place Publications, 2012. Jack Dempsey and Roberto Duran are two cases in point. Carbo was in prison and Palmermo would soon follow. 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. That hurt him deeply, though he instinctively hid the scars behind a scowl. He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. Served time in prison for robbery and later for assaulting a police officer. In a short amount of time, those felonious deeds cost Sonny Liston his freedom. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights. 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