"When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". It is hardly the first recording by a rock musician about boxing. "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). 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. The Devil and Sonny Liston. "There is power in both his left and his right, even though the fists move with the languor of motoring royalty or as if passing through a gaseous envelope more dense than air." But then again, he took a pretty good beating in the fight. [31] While Liston began working into shape with hopes for a heavyweight title shot, he also continued his criminal behavior. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. I was about to say look at those mitts! The fight lasted less than one full round, with Ali knocking out Liston at the 1:44 mark. After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. Liston angrily responded by questioning whether Dempsey's failure to serve in World War I qualified him to moralize. Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and his infamously intimidating appearance. Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. Liston's criminal record, compounded by a personal association with a notorious labor racketeer, led to the police's stopping him on sight, and he began to avoid main streets. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. Roy Harris, who had gone 13 rounds with Floyd Patterson in a title match, was crushed in one round by Liston. Rogin called Liston's physique "awesomearms like fence posts, thighs like silos." In his sixth bout, he faced ranked heavyweight Johnny Summerlin (18-1-2) on national television and won in an eight-round decision. . It was more likely that Liston was out of shape according to a story in Esquire at the time, Liston trained as normal, running around five miles a day, eating hot dogs and drinking beer. He was also possibly much older than his listed 32 years than anything else Liston was the second-youngest of 25 children to parents who didnt exactly keep records of birthdates. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. ", Ali clearly did not think he knocked Liston out. Like Dylan's subject, Rubin Carter, Knopfler's version of Liston is sympathetic. These transcripts contain material that did not appear in the final program. He had been deliberately snubbed. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. The film starred Ving Rhames as Liston and was produced by Rhames, Hassain Zaidi and Marek Posival. Liston's noticeably more muscular left arm, crushing left jab and powerful left hook lent credence to the widely held belief that he was left-handed, although he fought in an orthodox stance. According to a New York Times report the day after the fight, Clay was indeed an official member of the Nation of Islam. "He was scared of the police. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. [76][77] Foreman stated: "There wasn't anything missing from Sonny Liston. [citation needed], The fight turned out to be a mismatch. Liston's story, Knopfler said, "is great for a writer for many reasons. In The Greatest, the 1977 film about the life of boxer Muhammad Ali in which Ali played himself, Liston was portrayed by Roger E. Mosley. Liston had thrown a jab with his left arm and, leaning forward, took a right hook from Ali right to the skull. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' And I said, 'Whoa, whoa, back up, baby. Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. [74], Writer Gilbert Rogin assessed Liston's style and physique after his win over Zora Folley. His death was, too. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. 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/ Sheed says that the punch and the knockdown "may have been genuine, but when referee Joe Walcott blew the count and gave him all evening to get up, Liston's rendition of a coma wouldn't have fooled a possum. "At about noon on the day of the fight, (Magids) reached Resnick again by phone," the memo read. [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. Interview Date: March 13, 1989 Camera Rolls: 2104-2105 Sound Rolls: 248 Editorial Notes: Interview with , conducted by Blackside, Inc. on March 13, 1989, for . I'm the best ever. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. The champion was stripped of the belt when he refused to be drafted into the armed services during the Vietnam War, and he didnt box again in a match that counted until 1970. It was a shocking result, not only because Liston was favored in the match, but because hardly anybody saw the punch that took him down. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. And the Muslims were coming up. While true he also sent women to the hospital, which his sparring partner confirms. [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. All Rights Reserved. [43] A month later, Liston was accused of impersonating a police officer by using a flashlight to wave down a female motorist in Fairmount Park, although all charges were later dropped. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. 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 . [92] He had been suffering from hardening of the heart muscle and lung disease before his death. ", Knopfler compared writing a song about Liston to the work a sculptor performs on a statue. "He told me in the strictest confidence, but it was like he wanted to get it off his chest." Knopfler, who now records as a soloist and performs with a backup band, has a wide-ranging curiosity that has produced an eclectic collection of songs. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. 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. He was poking the bear a bit there . Clay brought Malcolm X along with him to Miami, and amid the controversy, the fight was almost canceled. Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. To the rest of the world, it would be known as "The Phantom Punch." That shot, which Ali dropped Sonny Liston with on May 25, 1965, was far from a phantom. Before he left for his bout with Clay, Sonny's training in Denver took him to some strange places. [30], Liston became the No. [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. [66], Former champions Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson and Gene Tunney, as well as contender George Chuvalo all declared they considered the fight to be a fake. Name: Sonny Liston Birth Name: Charles L. Liston Hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA Birthplace: Johnson Township, Arkansas, USA Died: 1970-12-30 (Age:40) Stance: Orthodox Height: 185cm Reach: 213cm Referee: Record Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record Managers: Jack Nilon, Joe (Pep) Barone, Eddie Polino, George Katz, Frank Mitchell, Dick Sadler He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. "He was scared, he was scared of so many things," Knopfler said. Naturally, they decided that Ali would take on Liston. [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. 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. What are you doing? Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" Be respectful and come chat with us. When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. 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. Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, said after his career was over that Liston was the hardest puncher he faced. Shaun Assael wrote "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights", published in 2016. His eyes swept the whole scene. [84], Liston married Geraldine Chambers in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 3, 1957. r/boxing does not tolerate racism or intolerance of any kind. and he was pointing at some little bandage over the needle mark in his arm. From the opening bell Liston attempted to close with Clay, looking to land a hard punch to the head to end the fight quickly and decisively. Press J to jump to the feed. 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. It'll just be for slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell.". [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. He took one and went down. Sonny Liston was one of the hardest hitters the boxing world has ever seen. He was a gentle man. The interference of ringside reporters regarding interpretation of the rules, the fight stoppage and the controversy after the fight had not been seen since The Long Count Fight between champion Gene Tunney and challenger Jack Dempsey in 1927. Very Rare interview with Sonny Liston and Joe Louis. Support this Channel:https://www.patreon.com/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise:LegendsofBoxing.redbubble.com I restore \u0026 colorize your projects, PayPal Donations: LegendsofBoxingYT@gmail.comThank you!________________________________________________________________________________All My YouTube ChannelsMy Main Channel \"Legends of Boxing\": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73ffQAknNEWJlRoFSWH_awMy Second Boxing Channel \"Legends of Boxing Strikes Back\": 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/

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