The Devil and Sonny Liston. Because of that, Cage may have thought Sonny was an informant and shot him with a hot dose as retribution. "Some songs just seem to reverberate with people.". "The public is not with me. 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. I never saw. Liston won 14 consecutive bouts, 13 by knockout, before fighting third-ranked Leotis Martin, previously beaten by Clark, in December 1969. The World Boxing Association one of several boxing organizations was not too pleased, moving to strip Ali of his title and advising states not to agree to host the rematch. ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." Liston's story, Knopfler said, "is great for a writer for many reasons. [52][53] It was the first time since 1919when Jack Dempsey defeated Jess Willardthat a world heavyweight champion had quit on his stool. This interview is missing a "BOOOOOOOMZQUAD!!" Liston went down on his back. 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. 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. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. His "Speedway at Nazareth" was about auto racing. He was hardly leading a life of health and fitness. 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. Biographer Wilfrid Sheed wrote in his book, Muhammad Ali: A Portrait in Words and Photographs, that Clay's protests were heard by ringside members of the Nation of Islam who initially suspected Dundee had blinded his fighter, and that the trainer deliberately wiped his own eyes with the corner sponge to demonstrate to Clay's approaching bodyguards that he had not intentionally blinded him. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Liston was a heavy favorite. 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. Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. On May 7, backers of the rematch ended the court battle by pulling the fight out of Boston. [72], "I was an 'intimidator' until I fought Sonny Liston. Top contender Zora Folley was stopped in three rounds. Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. The torn tendon had bled down into the mass of the biceps, swelling and numbing the arm. Liston was the subject of a 2008 feature film based upon his life titled Phantom Punch. No, I'm Alexanderhe's no Alexander. His death was, too. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. Tale of the tape: Fight poster for Sonny Liston v Cassius Clay in 1964. . [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. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. The NAACP had urged Patterson not to fight Liston, fearing that a Liston victory would hurt the civil rights movement. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. "[35] Although largely illiterate through lack of schooling, Liston was a more complex and interesting individual than has often been acknowledged. . He had been deliberately snubbed. [37] Frustrated, Liston changed his management in 1961 and applied pressure through the media by remarking that Patterson, who had faced mostly white challengers since becoming champion, was drawing the color line against his own race. The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. He was poking the bear a bit there . Sonny Liston is considered by many as the most intimidating boxer of all time with a devastating jab which is widely regarded as one of the best in heavyweight history. Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. 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. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. "[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 tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. Tradues em contexto de "with Sonny" en ingls-portugus da Reverso Context : I think you should stay here with Sonny. The bout would need to be delayed by six months. Remembering One Of Boxing's Storied Bouts Robert Siegel and Melissa Block recall the fight between Cassius Clay and and Sonny Liston, the fight at the heart of the off-Broadway play Fetch Clay, . [87], Liston was found dead by his wife, Geraldine, in their Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971. "He was afraid of needles," echoed Father Edward Murphy. Stuttgarter Amtsblatt No. [93] Liston had been hospitalized in early December, complaining of chest pains. 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. "[35], Patterson and Liston had a rematch clause in their contract. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Gary Robinov, director of Raising Ali, a film about the 50th anniversary of the heavyweight boxing match between Muhammed Ali and Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine.. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. Liston believed his date of birth to be May 8, 1932, and used this for official purposes[11] but by the time he won the world title an aged appearance added credence to rumors that he was actually several years older. Banker said, "Sheriff [Ralph] Lamb told me, 'Tell your pal Sonny to stay away from the West Side because we're going to bust the drug dealers.'" His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. Press J to jump to the feed. The most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. #muhammadali #henrycooper #sonnyliston #dougjones #heavyweight #greatness #boxing #legend #larryholmes #ironmike #sonnyliston #intimidating #bad #big #greatb. The match had more storylines than a soap opera. He had the whole package. That got him killed. [10][11] It has been suggested Liston himself may not have known what year he was born, as he was not precise on the matter. [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. [86] Former light-heavyweight champion Jose Torres said, "I have never met an athlete in baseball, basketball or football who is smarter, more intelligent than Sonny Liston". The fight lasted less than one full round, with Ali knocking out Liston at the 1:44 mark. Dr. Alexander Robbins, chief physician for the Miami Beach Boxing Commission, diagnosed Liston with a torn tendon in his left shoulder. 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. Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. Sonny Liston was one of the hardest hitters the boxing world has ever seen. This is a place for friendly and civil debate about the greatest sport on earth. [89], Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose. I don't think there was any way for him to beat Clay at that time, but if he entered the ring in a different mindset, to box and not try and get him like Patterson and others, he could of went the distance. The previous month, Schreibauer had won a bronze medal in the European Championships. Sonny Liston was a bad, bad guy who was also a victim, and I dont know that anyone can point to when a victim becomes a perpetrator and how much sympathy he deserves, but I also think any holistic take is fair this far in history. After repeated overnight detention by the St. Louis police and a thinly veiled threat to his life, Liston left for Philadelphia. Because of the shirt he wore during robberies, the St. Louis police called Liston the "Yellow Shirt Bandit." I'm Sonny Liston, I'm Jack Dempsey, there's no one like I'm from their . He pulled the same stuff Walcott did against Marciano. The mysterious life of Sonny Liston. Tocco left the house before the police did. The fight lasted four seconds longer than the first one. [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. "He was scared of the police. Liston, with a 25-pound weight advantage, 214lb (97kg) to 189lb (86kg), knocked out Patterson at 2:06 of the first round, putting him down for the count with a powerful left hook to the jaw. Time magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. The connections to organized crime were an advantage early in his career but were later used against him. Unlike Dylan or Carter, however, Knopfler does not present Liston as innocent of a crime for which he was imprisoned. [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]. "There's no doubt that he was mean," Knopfler said of Liston. 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. Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. The film starred Ving Rhames as Liston and was produced by Rhames, Hassain Zaidi and Marek Posival. "[98], Some claim Liston was murdered. Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. 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. 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. Anyone can read what you share. He said it was taught to him by comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchit, who learned it from Jack Johnson. Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. "[95], Sgt. The Murder of Sonny Liston is an absorbing, albeit speculative, attempt at addressing the mystery that died with the man. After Ali's win against Sonny Liston, he wouldn't . The photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground. That would prove to be an understatement. Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, during which the photo was snapped, was already shaping up to be the stuff of legends. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. For those too young to remember, Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston was a legendary heavyweight boxer. After two rounds, Wilson had taken enough. It is hardly the first recording by a rock musician about boxing. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. (. Sports Illustrated predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating: "Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. Mike DeJohn was the highest paid boxer at $15,000 while James Dickey received $20,000. QUESTION 1 [50] Officially, Liston died of lung congestion and heart failure. "It was common knowledge that Sonny was a heroin addict," said Sgt. [71] Credence to the latter theory is provided by the fact that Liston, immediately after his fight with Chuck Wepner, seemed more concerned about supporting the proposed Ali-Frazier bout and Ali's claims to be champion than promoting his own career. 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. Good lord, Sonny's mitts are massive. Felix later said Clay was seconds from being disqualified. Gary Beckwith said, "It wasn't uncommon for family members in these cases to go through and tidy up to save family embarrassment. He sunk to the canvas, and as he was down, Ali stood over him, taunting and demanding his stunned opponent get back up. [76][77] Foreman stated: "There wasn't anything missing from Sonny Liston. Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. Naturally, they decided that Ali would take on Liston. 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 . "[18], After Liston was released from prison on October 31, 1952, he had a brief amateur career that spanned less than a year. You really never watched the first fight did you? Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. Also, McDonough did not bang on the canvas or motion a number count with his fingers. [67] Some felt the knockdown was real but the knockout was fake. It made a champion out of Clay, who declared that hed shook up the world.. With the proceeds, he traveled to St. Louis to live with his mother. . 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. "[82] Johnny Tocco, a trainer who worked with George Foreman and Mike Tyson as well as Liston, said Liston was the hardest hitter of the three. Liston had never been knocked out before, and most people didnt even see the punch happen. He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. It was probably Liston's best moment in the entire fight. 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. I was about to say look at those mitts! [39] Leading up to the fight, Liston was an 85 betting favorite, although many picked Patterson to win. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. Gallender claimed, "A lot of officers knew Sonny was dead before Geraldine returned home on January 5, but they chose to let him rot. The governor of nearby Maine, John Reed, stepped up and volunteered to host it in the small town of Lewiston, where a resort and ice rink could provide some infrastructure. The official time of the stoppage was announced as 1:00 into the first round, which was wrong. "Nat Fleischer [editor of The Ring] was sitting beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." 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. [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. It was the third-fastest knockout in a world heavyweight title fight, and the first time the defending champion had been knocked out in round one. Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik said his hands "looked like cannonballs when he made them into fists." [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. [30], Liston became the No. [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. The story goes that Liston was born somewhere . 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. 589 Share 23K views 1 year ago Rare interview of Sonny Liston colorized. Another depicts Liston's death scene and autopsy: "There was dope in his veins and a pistol on the drawer Criss-crossed on his back, scars from his daddy like slavery tracks.". . Theories regarding the circumstance of Liston's death. [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. 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. THE PREFIGHT MOODS OF SONNY LISTON. My man. I remember thinking as a child that this was a man who wanted to be left alone.". He could have remained typecast as a musician performing rock songs. As the years passed and Liston's financial situation worsened, he got angry and told the mob he would go public with the story unless they gave him the money. Walcott never did pick up the count. "Johnny wasn't a braggart," Davi told Liston biographer Paul Gallender. A sudden violent combination delivered with 30 seconds left in the round electrified the crowd. At the IBHOF, the casts of Listons hands were bigger than Lennox Lewis' which were also gigantic. One memo, dated 24 May 1966, outlined an interview with Houston gambler Barnett Magids, who believed Liston would win. He was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence, and was not prohibited from boxing during 1957. Sonny Liston in his prime . "When he first got to the big city, he was hanging out with a bunch of people who were just looking for trouble.". There are no official records of his birth In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. Be respectful and come chat with us. "[18] The only backers willing to put up the necessary money for him to turn professional were close to underworld figures, and Liston supplemented his income by working for racketeers as an intimidator-enforcer. Wepner needed 72 stitches and suffered a broken cheekbone and nose. Sonny was definitely a specimen. 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. 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. 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. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." There was something caustic in both eyes." 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. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" Before he left for his bout with Clay, Sonny's training in Denver took him to some strange places. Pan, 2017. Like Dylan's subject, Rubin Carter, Knopfler's version of Liston is sympathetic. Tocco said that the living room furniture was in disarray, but the house did not yet smell of death. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. [91] Coroner Mark Herman said traces of heroin byproducts were found in Liston's system, but not in amounts large enough to have caused his death. 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. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. Ira Gay Sealy/The Denver Post via Getty Images According to the post, he returned back home later that morning and called his sparring partner Gary Bates to tell him he was leaving for Los Angeles but that they should get together when he returned in a couple of days. When caught in January 1950, Liston gave his age as 20, while the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported that he was 22. [38], Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago. ", One of the most vivid verses creates a word-picture of Liston in his prime with photographic clarity: "Black Cadillac, alligator boots, money in the pockets of his sharkskin suits." 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. At that point, the fight was scored as even on the official scorecards. When he tried to muscle in for a bigger share, Conrad thinks his employers got him very drunk, took him home and stuck him with a needle. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. After demolishing these top-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, Liston was regarded as the top-contender champion-in-waiting. Reminds me of former UFC fighter Shane Carwin. Concert Preview/Interview: John Lodge of the Moody Blues on Reprising "Days of Future Passed . Hed shown up to the fight in the best shape of his life no hot dogs or beer in his diet this time and promised to take down Ali. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. And the face, it was an unforgettable face. "[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. [17] The athletic director at Missouri State Penitentiary, Rev. I dont have to be what you want me to be, Clay told agitated reporters. [35] There are several theories as to why: (1) publicist Harold Conrad and others believed Liston had been deeply involved as a bill collector of a loansharking ring in Las Vegas. 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 champion. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. Don't confuse shyness with dullness, Sonny was. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. I wasn't hit. Subsequently, Liston spent some months in Denver where a Catholic priest who acted as his spiritual adviser attempted to help bring his drinking under control. "Now (after seeing video) I think Clay, seeing the opening, snapped the punch the last six inches. I didn't want anything to do with him. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? [73] The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. "But can he hit!" So I went down. The second round saw Liston continue to pursue Clay. 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.