sonny liston interview

Liston knocked out Hermann Schreibauer of West Germany at 2:16 of the first round. 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. Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Entire books have been written about the fight, and one, released in 2015, sought to end the suggestion that Liston took another fall. Tocco said that the living room furniture was in disarray, but the house did not yet smell of death. Caputo, one of the investigating police officers, "The whole department knew about it." When you can kill almost anybody in the world with your bare hands, you don't really have to go around proclaiming it to everyone. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. His fists measured 15 inches (38cm) around, the largest of any heavyweight champion. There are no official records of his birth According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. In the first fight, in Miami, a 22-year-old Cassius Clay danced around the ring, taunted Liston, promised reporters hed shock the world, and then delivered on that promise with a blistering late attack that prompted Liston to toss in the towel after the sixth round. 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. This is a clip out of the \"The Other Side\" Documentary. Support this Channel:https://www.patreon.com/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise:LegendsofBoxing.redbubble.com I restore \u0026 colorize your projects, PayPal Donations: LegendsofBoxingYT@gmail.comThank you!________________________________________________________________________________ Credit Original B\u0026W Footage:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CLMlEpRb9wSonny Liston Interview uploaded by haNZAgodAll My YouTube ChannelsMy Main Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73ffQAknNEWJlRoFSWH_awMy Second Boxing Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-QLrFyDnskqz5_z95mcOAMy History Channel \"Time Travel: Colorized Archive\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC29VFkNvVVi6_OzwFV2oTqQMy Documentary Channel \"Tales From The Past\":https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpFIIYrCc1lOHbG-fUo5vwMein Dokumentation Channel \"Geschichten aus der Vergangenheit\" (Tales From The Past in Deutsch) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXBfWoE1KVXEzh9d2NrwBhASocial https://www.instagram.com/legends_of_boxing1/ [citation needed], Rogin wrote that Patterson backers expected him to "go inside on Liston, fire away and then run like a thief in the night. Walcott then rushed back to the fighters, who had resumed boxing, and stopped the fightawarding Ali a first-round knockout victory. Sonny was definitely a specimen. Tobe and Helen had 12 children together; Sonny was the second youngest child. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. He found a quarter-ounce of heroin in a balloon in the kitchen, and a half-ounce of marijuana in Liston's pants pocket, but no syringes or needles. Like Dylan's subject, Rubin Carter, Knopfler's version of Liston is sympathetic. 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. #muhammadali #henrycooper #sonnyliston #dougjones #heavyweight #greatness #boxing #legend #larryholmes #ironmike #sonnyliston #intimidating #bad #big #greatb. ", Liston appeared on the December 1963 cover of Esquire magazine (cover photograph by Carl Fischer) "the last man on earth America wanted to see coming down its chimney".[106]. Sit down!' "There's no doubt that he was mean," Knopfler said of Liston. [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. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. 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. Numerous fans booed and started yelling, "Fix!" [citation needed] At this time, the head coach of the St. Louis Golden Gloves team, Tony Anderson, stated that Liston was the strongest fighter he had seen. He won by a seventh-round technical knockout, and seemed on the verge of making a comeback to the big time. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" On April 21, 1955, he defeated Marshall in a rematch, dropping him four times en route to a sixth-round knockout. The Devil And Sonny Liston. 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 was scared of the black-power movement. Reminds me of former UFC fighter Shane Carwin. Sonny Liston was one of the hardest hitters the boxing world has ever seen. Be respectful and come chat with us. Sonny Liston, once the heavyweight champ, died at the age of who-knows-what some days before Dec. 30, 1970. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. 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. When Walcott got back to Liston and looked at the knockdown timekeeper, Francis McDonough, to pick up the count, Liston had fallen back on the canvas. (, Shaun Assael. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color Legends of Boxing in Color 22K views 10 months ago On the Spot show with Max Goldberg featuring the heavyweight champion. Anyone can read what you share. And it was probably for the best ticket-buyers didnt exactly get their moneys worth. Arthur Daley of the New York Times wrote that Liston's handlers knew he "didn't have it anymore,"[65] and allegedly they had secretly paid sparring partner Amos Lincoln an extra $100 to take it easy on him -[citation needed] - the same man, incidentally, that Liston dismissed in less than two rounds a full three years later. Liston appears as a character in James Ellroy's novel The Cold Six Thousand. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. 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. My man. [31] While Liston began working into shape with hopes for a heavyweight title shot, he also continued his criminal behavior. (2) Professional gambler Lem Banker insists that Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I forgot about the rules." After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. "[35] However, in 1963 in the aftermath of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Liston broke off a European boxing exhibition tour to return home and was quoted as saying he was "ashamed to be in America. Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, said after his career was over that Liston was the hardest puncher he faced. The photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground. Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston . A few months after Alis fight, Liston was dead from lung congestion though even that was shrouded in mystery and controversy. For those too young to remember, Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston was a legendary heavyweight boxer. (. In a pre-fight poll, 43 of 46 sportswriters picked Liston to win by knockout. Good lord, Sonny's mitts are massive. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. He pulled the same stuff Walcott did against Marciano. The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and his infamously intimidating appearance. Liston did eventually rise from the mat, but soon after, the referee broke up the two boxers once again the former champion had been down for more than 10 seconds, ending the fight. 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. Rogin wrote. "A blues song just for fighters: The legend of Sonny Liston. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. [83] Herb Goldman stated that Liston, when in his prime between 1958 and 1963, was the most feared fighter in boxing history. Banker said he was told by police that Liston had been seen at a house that would be the target of a drug raid. knockout kimbo slice evander holyfield nogueira wladimir vitali klitschko haye mma brutal bareknuckle headbutt lowblow foul dirty boxer funny bob sapp david cesar chavez joe frazier rocky marciano larry holmes felix trinidad jackson new tribute video highlight dirtiest best brock lesnar julio cesar ricky hatton randy couture israel vasquez juan manuel marquez antonio margarito felix tito trinidad antonio rodrigo minotauro marco antonio barrera john ruiz freddie roach hector camacho pernell whitaker willie pep sugar ray robinson shane mosley antonio tarver roy jones joe cortez lennox lewis david haye haymaker wladimir vitali vladimir klitschko klitchko prediction prefight postfight press conferencetex cobb gerry cooney jerry pierre coetzer floyd roger mayweather arturo gatti rocky graziano graciano tony zale dariusz michalczewski rocky rocchigiani henry maske james toney vassily jirov vasily unbelievable knockout ko k.o. But others contend he just was not the same Liston. "You're putting things on and you're taking this out and molding it," Knopfler said. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter." Although Clay often carried his gloves down at his waist, seemingly open to attack, he proved very difficult to hit. The match had more storylines than a soap opera. [21], Liston made his professional debut on September 2, 1953, knocking out Don Smith in the first round in St. Louis, where he fought his first five bouts. Authorities theorized that he was undressing for bed when he fell over backward with such force that he broke the rail of the bench. Odds makers gave Liston 71 to win. 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. Muhammad Ali stands over Sonny Liston after dropping Liston with a short hard right to the jaw on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine, Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston: The Controversial Fight Behind Their Iconic Boxing Photo, Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, an official member of the Nation of Islam, Senate subcommittee hearing turned up no evidence, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. The ending of the fight remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. At about 30 seconds into the round he hit Liston with several combinations, causing a bruise under Liston's right eye and a cut under his left, which eventually required eight stitches to close. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." Due to Listons long association with the mafia and the reputation as a peerless tough guy, there was speculation that hed thrown the fight for some financial reward. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. [10] His family, but not one Charles (or Sonny) Liston, can be found in the 1930 census, and in the 1940 census he was listed as 10 years old. There's something really primal about the whole thing, obviously. After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. "[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. Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. Gallender claimed, "A lot of officers knew Sonny was dead before Geraldine returned home on January 5, but they chose to let him rot. For confetti we can use torn-up arrest warrants." Also in 1970, Liston appeared on an episode of the TV series Love, American Style and in a television commercial for Braniff Airlines with Andy Warhol.[12][102]. [94], On January 1, Liston's wife, Geraldine, called Johnny Tocco and said she had not heard from her husband in three days and was worried. Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. 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. [30] Before his bout with Liston, Muhammad Ali consulted Machen and was advised that the key to survival was to make Liston lose his temper. He then outpointed Julius Griffin, winner of the New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, to capture the Intercity Golden Gloves Championship on March 26 (representing Chicago). ", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:36. Traduo Context Corretor Sinnimos Conjugao Conjugao Documents Dicionrio Dicionrio Colaborativo Gramtica Expressio Reverso Corporate 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. [50] The victim sought out the executioner." [108] The book suggests that Sonny Liston may have been murdered and a possibility that the crime was never investigated. Before he left for his bout with Clay, Sonny's training in Denver took him to some strange places. According to a New York Times report the day after the fight, Clay was indeed an official member of the Nation of Islam. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform. "[54] Hall of Fame matchmaker Teddy Brenner also disputed the shoulder injury, claiming he saw Liston use the same arm to throw a chair in his dressing room after the match. Night Train is like $11 on Amazon, peep that if you want to get more of the story, i don't like how max was squeezing sonny's bicep. Maule, Tex (March 9, 1964). Then again, you can also have guys like Ali or Mike Tyson. Stevens organized a sparring session with a professional heavyweight named Thurman Wilson to showcase Liston's potential. [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. Many in attendance did not see Ali deliver the punch. After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. Sonny Liston Interview 82,818 views Apr 2, 2014 1.3K Dislike Share Save haNZAgod 93.2K subscribers Subscribe A rare interview with former Heavyweight champion of the world, Sonny Liston.. Because of the shirt he wore during robberies, the St. Louis police called Liston the "Yellow Shirt Bandit." Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. I know!" ", Hutchison, Phillip J. After the second loss to Ali, Liston stayed out of the ring for more than a year. Liston has been referenced in many songs by artists such as Curtis Eller, Sun Kil Moon, the Animals, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, Phil Ochs, Morrissey, Freddy Blohm, Chuck E. Weiss, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, the Roots, Wu-Tang Clan, Gone Jackals, Billy Joel, the Mountain Goats, Lil Wayne, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the Killers. Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. All Rights Reserved. (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. The torn tendon had bled down into the mass of the biceps, swelling and numbing the arm. Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. On May 5, 1956, a policeman confronted Liston and a friend about a cab parked near Liston's home. Tosches, Nick (2000). It is hardly the first recording by a rock musician about boxing. Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection. He had been deliberately snubbed. Liston was a heavy favorite. [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. Sonny Liston fought for only $10,000 during his career. Very rare interview of Sonny Liston talking about how he got started in boxing, his fights with Williams and Patterson and his training routine. One of the reasons why sports stays alive in us is that there's part of us that wants to keep the child alive and recognizes that there is something important in doing that. 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 also wrote that Liston's win over Patterson proved that "in a fair fight between good and evil, evil must win." He would not close in until the accumulated inside damage and Liston's own frustration had sapped the challenger's strength and will." Boston: Little, Brown. The mysterious life of Sonny Liston. Ali called it "the anchor punch." At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. 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. In "Sailing to Philadelphia," a duet with James Taylor, Knopfler told of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon traveling from England to North America to draw the Mason-Dixon line. It made a champion out of Clay, who declared that hed shook up the world.. And the Muslims were coming up. Two more arrestsfor disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and another for impersonating a copled to Liston being suspended by the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission on July 14, 1961. The organization was seen as an extremist anti-white people hate group and opponents of desegregation and Martin Luther King Jr. Clays propensity for self-promotion and controversy seemed to fit in with the groups inflammatory rhetoric. [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. At one point, Clay was wiping his eyes with his right hand while extending his left arm"like a drunk leaning on a lamppost" Bert Sugar wroteto keep Liston at bay. Maybe he was. It was the first time in his career that Liston had been cut. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. [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.

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