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The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. Liston continued to box until the time of his death. He compiled a career record of Cruel Beginnings. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. He went on to win several amateur matches. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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. He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. Family (1) Spouse Sonny Liston went from boxing champion and national anti-hero to a Las Vegas thug who drove around in a pink Cadillac and sold drugs. WebThe son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. Let's check, How Rich is Ben, All You Need To Know About Tamara Hurwitz. His sporting agility was electrifying to watch. Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2019-2020? According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. He earned the money being a professional Boxer. He is from AR. He was one of many American professional boxer who became world heavyweight champion in 1962, Born on May 08, 1932 QUICK FACTS. Liston, who was viewed as nearly invincible before the fight, was unable to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay (soon to take the nameMuhammad Ali) was named champion on February 25, 1964. Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). Basically, for a guy like Liston, it meant that you either dealt with them, or you didn't deal at all. 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. He was officially knocked out by Muhammad Ali in one minute for the fastest KO in heavyweight history up to that time. Liston had a rough and violent childhood. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights. However, it turned out to be his stepdaughter, the daughter of his wife. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. In a short amount of time, he rose to prominence as a contender in the heavyweight division. Sonny had to put the proper face forward to the public. He was one of many Foes like the murderous-punching Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn and Nino Valdez succumbed to Liston's heavy fists. He died under mysterious conditions on December 30, 1970. Clay is certainly to be counted among the greatest heavyweights of all time. Official Sites. {{ mediasCtrl.getTitle(media, true) }} Trivia He was convicted of robbery and larceny. 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. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up In 1966, following his loss to Clay, Liston launched a comeback. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. 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 was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion to die (age 38). All Rights Reserved. For a while, he even lost his license to box in the United States. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. He quickly destroyed all the leading heavyweight contenders--Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams--to earn a title shot against Floyd Patterson. He kept fighting and kept winning against a progressively better grade of opponents. Copyright 2020, ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA. He supported many in his life. Maybe Liston was concerned about the death threats that had been made against Ali in the wake of the assassination of Malcolm X and Liston just wanted to get out of the ring that night as quickly as possible. His final record as a professional was fifty wins, thirty-nine by knockout, and four losses. He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders. When Liston became the top challenger to champion Floyd Patterson by 1960, it was a The official date of Charles L. Liston is given as May 8, 1932. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. Boxer Charles L. Sonny Liston was bornin St. Francis County, Arkansason May 8, 1932. At the age of 14, he was almost 6 feet tall. His dad was an abusive alcoholic and at the age of 13, Sonny left to live with his aunt in Liston continued fighting following the loss of his title, mainly because it was the only legal way he knew how to make a buck. He was sired by Lawman out of the Galileo mare Stars In Your Eyes. Armed robbery. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. At 6 feet 1 inch and 217 pounds, Liston had devastating punching power, an iron chin, and lightning reflexes, along with a powerful jab. In his next fight he bounced back to TKO Chuck Wepner shortly before his mysterious death in 1970. Hungry fighters eager to break free from the shackles of their own environment bring an element of savage desperation into their ring encounters. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. Helen Liston Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. He quickly learned how to box and within three years was fighting on the amateur circuit. Even Sonny's mother, who was called Big Hela, didn't know, though she believed him to be born during the month of January. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American. In the end, one can't help feeling some sympathy for Liston. Auspiciously, the massive man is known as "The Bear" then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. Hardly. 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. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Big Hela had moved there in 1946. With the proceeds he traveled to St. Louis and reunited with his mother and siblings. All Rights Reserved. While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. 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. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings, and with virtually no schooling. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. Tobe was mean to his children, and especially to Sonny. Steen, Rob. Served time in prison for robbery and later for assaulting a police officer. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. in rural St. Francis County. . At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing by Reverend Father Alois Stevens. 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. He managed to turn his cruel past to his advantage. Tosches goes to great lengths in his book to convey the ubiquitous presence of the mob in those days and the power that men like Frank "Gray Man" Carbo and Frank "Blinky" Palermo wielded in boxing. He maintained a winning streak in eight matches. With Cus DAmato as his coach, Liston reigned as champion for seventeen months. A story is told of Liston ordering his driver to stop on a busy highway, so that Liston could go and buy some pencils from an obviously poor, old, white women whom he had observed. Liston started boxing at the age of 14 because there were no sports available in Florida at the time. 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. WebHe had seven siblings. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. For additional information: He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. Early Life. Username and password are case sensitive. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. (There is some speculation about his year of On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Boxer. What advantage would there be to having the brash young boxer from Louisville installed as heavyweight champ in place of Liston? The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights. Liston was the most feared man in the world, until Muhammad Ali arrived on the scene and knocked him out twice, ending his championship days and his reputation as the "World's Baddest Man." (LogOut/ Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. His final record as a professional was 50 wins, 39 by knockout, and four losses. He was referred to as the man with the steel punch and an iron chin.. Won his last fight on June 29, 1970, at the Jersey City Armory, stopping. Sonny Listons height Unknown & weight Not Available right. Geneastars | Facebook. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. contains thousands of pictures and GeneaStars. From the start, it was apparent that he had a future in the ring. WebHis parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. Liston claimed he was born in 1932, yet his rap sheet for his 1950 arrest for armed robbery listed his age as 22, making him born in 1928. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. His parents were peasant farmers who grew cotton in the south. 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Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. The second was a boy. Pressure resulting from appearing before the committee, and from the diatribes of Patterson's manager Cus D'Amato, caused Liston to buy out the contract of his manager, Pep Barone, who was considered to be an undesirable, and name old-time Philadelphia political hack George Katz as his manager. London: Aurum Press, 2008. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. He had been dead for some time, an ending every bit as murky as the Clay/Ali fights. He was still a fringe contender at the age of 40 or so when he died under mysterious circumstances in December of 1970 at his house in Las Vegas. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. Liston, in fact, had great respect for Father Murphy and behaved admirably around him. Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. Major support provided through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. From the start, Liston was a devastating puncher. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights, according to the. In the films the good guy always wins, but this is one bad guy who ain't gonna lose. Knocked out #2-rated heavyweight contender Roy Harris (27-1) in one round. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. There, he became a thug, committing various muggings and robbery. Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932, but that is off by at least two years. Sand Slough, Arkansas, United States of America, Sonny Liston is still regarded as the best heavyweight boxer with a taste of violence. There were also times when he showed surprising compassion for the less fortunate. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. 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.". 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. William Friedkin was intended to direct his biopic "Night Train" with Ving Rhames as Sonny Liston. In a short amount of time, those felonious deeds cost Sonny Liston his freedom. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. Liston destroyed the champion in one round and destroyed him again in the rematch. Liston went back to the ring. In October 1952, Liston was released on parole. Tosches believes the latter. 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. He, however, won in the subsequent rematch. Eddie Dooley, chairman of the New York Boxing Commission in the 1960s, said that as long as he was chairman of the commission Sonny Liston would never be granted a license to box in New York State. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. 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. Liston penalized two points for low blows. His wife found his lifeless body in their home on January 5, 1971. In 1957, he was sentenced to nine months in the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a police officer. 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. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. As the top fighter in the world, Liston became an easy target for sports columnists who remarked frequently on not only his menacing demeanor and vicious punching power but also his criminal background. Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2020-2022? No one knows how Sonny Liston died. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. 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. WebListon retired on his stool citing an injured shoulder; After this fight Cassius Clay changed his name to Cassius X and then to Muhammad Ali; 1964 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. Twenty-two-year-old Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, defeated reigning world boxing champ Sonny Liston on this day in history, Feb. 25, 1964, in Miami, Florida. 4 among heavyweights, on Dec. 4, 1961. Copyright 2020 ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA, All rights Reserved.