sonny liston interview

Sonny Liston interview with Max Goldberg before his fight with Cassius The fight quickly descended into chaos. According to a report in the Miami Herald a few weeks before the 1964 fight, Clay was consorting with members of the Nation of Islam, who Clays father claimed had brainwashed his son. Naturally, they decided that Ali would take on Liston. There's never been anybody as ruthless. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. The most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. "[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. Book Review: Was Sonny Liston Murdered? - The Arts Fuse "He said: 'Look what they did!' His eyes swept the whole scene. He pulled the same stuff Walcott did against Marciano. Sonny Liston | Boxing's Most Intimidating and Unwanted 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. When Machen clinched in . We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? He also cited medical evidence: "A team of eight doctors inspected Liston's arm at St. Francis Hospital in Miami Beach and agreed that it was too badly damaged for Liston to continue fighting. 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 there's a documentary somewhere on YouTube I'd recommend watching it MatterUpbeat8803 19 days ago He rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. The second round saw Liston continue to pursue Clay. Watch the interview you be the judge. [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. 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. 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. [84], Liston married Geraldine Chambers in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 3, 1957. McDonough, however, claimed Walcott was looking at the crowd and never at him. The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. His family's home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. "He said, 'Cut the gloves off. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." During the interim, officials in Boston also got cold feet. 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. In The Devil and Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches, published in 2000, when many of Liston's former acquaintances were still alive, Tosches posits that Liston's idol Joe Louis introduced him to heroin, and that he ultimately overdosed. For his part, Liston said that the referees inability to keep track of time doomed him, as he didnt know when to get up from the mat. Two of the three official scorers, or judges, awarded the round to Liston, and the other scored the round even. But a Senate subcommittee hearing turned up no evidence of any match-fixing, and doctors confirmed his explanation that hed taken such damage to his shoulder that he couldnt feel his arm. Sonny Liston Vs Floyd Patterson What If There Had Been A Third Fight Don't confuse shyness with dullness, Sonny was reluctant to talk to the press - the always painted a bad picture of him.Dwight Muhammad Qawi Braxton ATG Philly Joe Frazier Bernard HopkinsTags:pernell whitaker jersey joe walcott louis julio chavez evander holyfield lennox lewis felix sturm oscar de la hoya floyd mayweather miguel cotto marquez manny pacquiao pacman boxing boxer ko knockout tribute robbery mike tyson rocky marciano oscar de la hoya manny pacquiao foreman fight miguel cotto dead death muhammad ali cassius mike tyson clay lennox lewis eric morales barrera floyd mayweather fedor emelianenko ufc boxing ko k.o. [92] He had been suffering from hardening of the heart muscle and lung disease before his death. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose. They fought for a third time on March 6, 1956, which Liston won by a ten-round unanimous decision. "The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating," Liston said. ", Chuck Wepner on Liston's intimidating appearance. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. 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. Machen's mobility enabled him to go the distance but he was clearly outpointed despite Liston being penalised for a low blow in the 11th round. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. The photo captures the champions exhortations, with all the fire and passion and dynamic physicality that made him such a phenomenon. I was down but not hurt, but I looked up and saw Ali standing over me. Controversy followed with claims that Liston had been drinking heavily the night before the fight and had entered the bout with a lame shoulder. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It is hardly the first recording by a rock musician about boxing. I dont have to be what you want me to be, Clay told agitated reporters. 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. In this case, Intercontinental Promotions Inc., which had the rights to Listons fight, also got to choose the first opponent for the new champion, should Liston lose. [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]. 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). He used the platform to expound on the political theory that was so reviled in white America, defending Malcolm X and condemning racial oppression this was still months before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. Liston biographer Paul Gallender claims that Liston fathered several children, though none with his wife. ", During an era when white journalists still described black athletes in stereotypes, Liston had long been a target of racially charged slurs; he was called a "gorilla" and "a jungle beast" in print. Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston", appeared on his 2004 album Shangri-La. The last of Sonny Liston Andscape [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. Never seen this one before, thanks alot. And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. 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. "I was rooting around in my childhood, maybe the way you do when you get to a certain age," Knopfler said. [100] A successful racehorse which won the Irish St Leger classic race in 2021 was named Sonnyboyliston. No, I'm Alexanderhe's no Alexander. Sonny Liston Once Shot a Gun at Muhammad Ali - Sportscasting Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. I wasn't hit. Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. Tosches, Nick (2000). In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. Many in the small crowd had not even settled in their seats when the fight was stopped. Liston had thrown a jab with his left arm and, leaning forward, took a right hook from Ali right to the skull. Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". said Liston's Philadelphia dentist, Dr. Nick Ragni. Mike Tyson - Tyson's Speech | Genius He also took his gun. Any objective observer would have had to concede that Ali's counterpunch had landed, and landed with enough force to turn Liston's head, Rob Sneddon wrote in The Phantom Punch: The Story Behind Boxing's Most Controversial Bout. Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (c. 1930 - December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. Ali called it "the anchor punch." After repeated overnight detention by the St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston left for Philadelphia. [42], Liston's run-ins with the police had continued in Philadelphia. 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. 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. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas. Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. You really never watched the first fight did you? r/boxing does not tolerate racism or intolerance of any kind. [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. The rumors swirling nearly canceled the fight the night prior, and when a reporter that morning broke tradition and asked if Clay was a member of the Black Muslims, as the group was often called, the boxer confirmed his new religion. Elizabeth Bear wrote the short story "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall", published in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2008. Im free to be who I want.. 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. [22], Early in his career, Liston faced capable opponents. "I remember him telling me one day that he found himself watching boxing but he didn't like the way it made him feel," Knopfler said. The commotion was not lost on referee Barney Felix, who was walking toward Clay's corner. The mysterious life of Sonny Liston : r/Boxing - Reddit Tosches, Nick (2000). Who are the four people who knocked out Sonny Liston? . "But can he hit!" ", 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]. Anyone can read what you share. That saw him drive a big red bus to Liston's home that read, "Sonny Liston is a great but will fall in eight" along with the words "World's most colorful fighter Cassius Clay.". "[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. 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. "[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. [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. His death was, too. After the second loss to Ali, Liston stayed out of the ring for more than a year. 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. Sonny Liston shot a gun at Muhammad Ali. ", It was later theorized that a substance used on Liston's cuts by Joe Pollino, his cut man, may have caused the irritation. But he spoke to his friend Resnick on the day of the fight and was told not to bet on the champion. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color Legends of Boxing in Color 2.47K subscribers Subscribe 16K views 8 months ago Very Rare interview with Sonny Liston and. The torn tendon had bled down into the mass of the biceps, swelling and numbing the arm. Joe Frazier vs Sonny Liston : r/Boxing - Reddit Savant Sundays: Sonny Liston - Bad Left Hook [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. On May 7, backers of the rematch ended the court battle by pulling the fight out of Boston. "Yes, it was good and honest". [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. 'What's My Name| Muhammad Ali' Proves Why Ali's The Greatest - VIBE.com The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. In the 2020 film One Night in Miami, Liston is played by Aaron D. Alexander. [105], Singer/Songwriter Rod Picott wrote and recorded a song titled "Sonny Liston" for his 2022 album "Paper Hearts and Broken Arrows. One of the victories was over Amos Johnson, Liston's former sparring partner, who had recently defeated British champion Henry Cooper. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. [47] Sitting on his stool between rounds, however, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on his cut. "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). In the third round, Clay began to take control of the fight. The Devil and Sonny Liston. Walcott then rushed back to the fighters, who had resumed boxing, and stopped the fightawarding Ali a first-round knockout victory. Before he left for his bout with Clay, Sonny's training in Denver took him to some strange places. The victim sought out the executioner." The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. Patterson's fatal mistake was that he "did not punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. Watch the interview you be the judge.. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. This is a place for friendly and civil debate about the greatest sport on earth. [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. [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. Don't confuse shyness with dullness, Sonny was. Maule, Tex (March 9, 1964). After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. "He had a deadly fear of needles," said Davey Pearl, a boxing referee and friend of Liston's. "There's no doubt that he was mean," Knopfler said of Liston. In the third round, Marshall nailed Listonreportedly while he was laughingand broke his jaw. Sonny Liston in Denver, Colorado. But others contend he just was not the same Liston. Liston was knocked down in the first round, but came back to control the next two rounds and had Griffin hanging on at the end. 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. He offered no comment on the matter, but his victory would soon turn it into an international story. [12], Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed three meals every day. That would prove to be an understatement. with Sonny - Traduo em portugus - Reverso Context Liston had never been knocked out before, and most people didnt even see the punch happen. Once he went down, I got excited. [101], Liston played a fist fighter in the 1965 film Harlow, made a cameo appearance in the 1968 film Head, which starred The Monkees, and played the part of The Farmer in the 1970 film Moonfire, which starred Richard Egan and Charles Napier. "[78] While much has been written about the effectiveness of his left jab, others have commented favorably on Liston's wide range of boxing skills. 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. Remembering One Of Boxing's Storied Bouts : NPR One mile up on a mountain 13 miles west of Denver is the Shrine of Mother Cabrini. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. The film starred Ving Rhames as Liston and was produced by Rhames, Hassain Zaidi and Marek Posival. Liston didn't seem to mind though. A dominant contender of his era, he became the world heavyweight champion in 1962 after knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, repeating the knockout the following year in defense of the title; in the latter fight he also became the inaugural WBC heavyweight . [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color He was still a world-ranked boxer when he died in mysterious circumstances in 1970. "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. Walcott never began a count in the ring because of Ali's non-compliance and his physical struggle with getting Ali to go to that neutral corner. The highly-anticipated May 1965 rematch between the heavyweight champions almost didn't happen. For me, the most fascinating thing about Liston was the fact that his birth date is unknown.