Username and password are case sensitive. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. 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. Tosches, Nick. They called it Sand Slough. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. Little Rock, AR. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1991. Robert B. Cochran Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. Read our Privacy Policy. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. He compiled a career record of 50-4, competing against such boxing legends as Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. His last fight was against Chuck Wepner. 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. During the years that Liston was champ, the mob was in retreat. Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). Those dark forces were also at work when Liston willingly placed himself in the hands of the mob that ran the fight game during the time of Liston's ascendancy to the crown. He was a victim before he was ever a brute. As a young man in 1949, Liston left Arkansas for good and followed his mother's footsteps to St. Louis. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. WebHe was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin, and he endured frequent beatings as a child. 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). He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. Sonny Liston - Death, Muhammad Ali & Children - Biography Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against "Bayonne Bleeder" Chuck Wepner. He told them that he had no education, couldn't write and worked as a child to help feed his 24 siblings. The place had a name, but it was not to be found on any map. Tosches believes the latter. Major support provided through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. In a short amount of time, those felonious deeds cost Sonny Liston his freedom. Liston turned professional in September 1953, earning his first paycheck in St. Louis with a first-round knockout of Don Smith. The couple had two children; one was a daughter from Chambers previous marriage. For a while, he even lost his license to box in the United States. Creating an account gives you access to all these features. Sonny Liston He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. He was one of many childrenone account lists twenty-two siblings and half-siblings. 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. His epitaph reads: "A Man.". This enabled him to get hired as a manual laborer in the farms. For those interested in knowing more about the life and times of one of the most enigmatic and troubled heavyweight champs, the book "The Devil and Sonny Liston," by Nick Tosches (Copyright 2000, published by Little, Brown and Company), is a wealth of knowledge. Soon caught (his crimes were inept, spur-of-the-moment, strong arm jobs) and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, he was sentenced in 1950 to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. That doesn't make sense. His parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. All Rights Reserved. His alcoholic and violent father was thirty years older than Sonnys mother. There, he committed various muggings and robberies. The reader can form his own conclusion based on the reports of those involved. He married Geraldine Chambers on June 10, 1950. With Cus DAmato as his coach, Liston reigned as champion for seventeen months. In June of the following year, Liston won the rematch with another knockout. He started boxing in prison and was likely His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. In September of 1953, he knocked out Don "Toro" Smith in two rounds in St. Louis, setting in motion a career which would span 17 years and bring Sonny to the pinnacle of success in his sport. Boxer Charles L. Sonny Liston was bornin St. Francis County, Arkansason May 8, 1932. He had the biggest fist of any heavyweight champion: 15 inches. After the court case, he was sentenced to a five-year jail term in the Missouri State Prison. His best years were 195862 when he destroyed everyone while Patterson shamelessly ducked him. 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. All Rights Reserved. Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. As for the rematch between the two fighters in an ice rink in Lewiston, Maine, in May of 1965, there are a lot of possible explanations for Liston's bizarre actions that night. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. 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. WebTogether with his 24 siblings and half siblings, Sonny grew up in the local cotton fields. The continual conflicts with the police. His time at the summit was brief. The official cause of his death was given as cardiac arrest and lung congestion. 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. Cox, who was interviewed extensively by Tosches, went as far as to say that Liston would still be alive if he had "spent more time with Father Murphy."). 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. - IMDb Mini Biography By: When Liston died, he was rated 7th in the world heavyweight rankings by Ring Magazine. Ward, who resides today in Forrest City, Ark. Liston, Sonny - Encyclopedia of Arkansas His sporting agility was electrifying to watch. He was arrested twice in a period of months in Philadelphia in the summer of 1961. On the side of Tobe Liston, born in 1872 - Choctaw Co., MS, deceased. He organized a criminal gang that robbed and mugged locals. From the start, it was apparent that he had a future in the ring. 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. Liston defeated Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson on Sept. 25, 1962. Liston celebrated the speedy reinstatement of his license with an impressive 1-round knockout of German baker Albert Westphal, who was ranked No. Introduced to boxing by Father Stevens in the St. Louis City Jail during 1950. His epitaph reads: A Man.. 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. But there is another side. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. His father physically molested him. The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights. After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. London: Aurum Press, 2008. Sonny never really had a Prime. 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. Liston claimed he was born in Armed robbery. Clay was no debtor to the mob. Reverend Stevens arranged the match for him. It was just a matter of semantics, though. In October 1952, Liston was released on parole. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. Thus, cloaking the heavyweight champion of the world--the epitome of masculinity and male supremacy--in a Santa Claus hat was the height of irony at the time. He quickly learned how to box and within three years was fighting on the amateur circuit. Liston on his age: "I'm like Jack Benny, I never tell my age.". She had been away on holiday. Wrong username or password. Due to the poverty in the family, Sonny never went to school. He also has a position among the list of Most popular Boxer. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. He died in Vegas as mysteriously as he had lived, a man bent under a great shadow, afflicted by a legion of personal demons that no one could exorcise. Joe Louis rated Liston's jab one of the best in boxing history. Steen, Rob. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. Drinking. 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. Liston continued to box until the time of his death. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. Liston excelled in his newfound love, boxing, and, after a short amateur career, turned professional. First World Heavyweight Boxing Champion banned from fighting in New York State by the New York Boxing Commission. At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. Basically, for a guy like Liston, it meant that you either dealt with them, or you didn't deal at all. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. in Sand Slough, Arkansas, USA , United States, Died on December 30, 1970 If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing by Reverend Father Alois Stevens. 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. . His final record as a professional was fifty wins, thirty-nine by knockout, and four losses. 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. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. When he won the heavyweight title in 1962 at age 30, he had a daughter age 25. Or it would be history, if boxing historians would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. Liston lost his rematch to Ali in May 1965. He acted in a number of films, the most famous being "Harlow" with Carroll Baker. Underrepresented Students Gain Early Access to Ag and STEM through Innovative Program, New Screening Series Looks to Unite Communities through Films Illuminating the Black Experience, Arkansas Native on a Mission to Bring Diversity to the Toy Industry, Arkansas Mans Journey to Become Black Santa Captured in HBO Max Documentary, Controversy Erupts Over Governor Sanders Ban of Latinx in Arkansas Government, Arkansas State basketball coach Mike Balado celebrates Cuban heritage off and on the court, Teachers Call for Extra Resources to Manage the Rising Cases of Depression & Anxiety in Children, Springdale TV Show Hopes to Bridge Gap Between Spanish-Speaking Parents and School District, A Black-Led Venture Capital Firm Bets $15M on BIPOC Female Entrepreneurs, Arkansas ranks among the worst states for child well-being, especially for POC and LGBTQ+, Agreement Provides Cherokees Access to Traditional Plants in Buffalo National River Park, Trail of Tears Journey Inspires One-Woman Production, Council Seeks Arkansas Living Treasure Nominations, Indian Classical Dance Performance Shares Story of Resiliency, The Arkansas Department of Human Services Adds Materials in Spanish & Marshallese, New Health Literacy Program Connects Marshallese and Hispanics with Healthcare Resources, NWAs Double Your Dollars Food Assistance Program will Now Include Nutrition Education in Three Languages, A Constellation on LIFE: Reimagine Arkansas partners with NWACC students in the Life Program, Communities of Color Hesitant to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine, Pandemic Highlights Pre-existing Inequities in Education, SOUND OFF: Arkansans Have Mixed Reactions to COVID-19 Vaccine. He was officially knocked out by Muhammad Ali in one minute for the fastest KO in heavyweight history up to that time. 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.". His mother believed he was born in January, 1928, but Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932. Sonny Liston - Popular Bio Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. WebThe son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Liston relocated to Denver with his wife Geraldine and friend/sparring partner Foneda Cox and underwent extensive counseling with Father Murphy. His heavyweight title-winning victory on September 25, 1962, was indicative of his powerful style: After a mere two minutes, he knocked out Floyd Patterson, which marked the first time in history that a reigning heavyweight champion was counted out in the first round. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. He compiled a career record of 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. Lets take a look at Sonny Liston past relationships, ex-girlfriends and previous hookups. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. He started boxing in prison and was likely over 30 then. in rural St. Francis County. 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. Major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. All Rights Reserved. In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local police. Sonny Liston Wife According to our records, Sonny Liston married to Geraldine Seithel. After winning most of his matches by knockout, he turned pro in 1951. aged 38years old. Liston continued fighting following the loss of his title, mainly because it was the only legal way he knew how to make a buck. It was scandal on top of scandal; Listons reputation, already tainted by prison time, allegations of mob connections, and charges of sexual assault, never recovered. 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. Liston was buried in the Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas under the simplest of epitaphs: A MAN.. Did he need Liston's cooperation to beat the rapidly aging champion that night in February of 1964? Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous phantom punch. Though it appeared that Liston had barely been grazed by Clays right fist, the boxer went down just one minute and 45 seconds into the first round.