A couple weeks later, he was still complainin' about that needle mark. #1 December 1963 extended Interview with Champion Sonny Liston - discusses Ali defense, his contenders, even the JFK Assassination 12-02-2022, 12:32 PM Pretty cool interview. You've seen him before but probably didn't realize it because the most famous photo ever taken of Sonny was not at his best angle. The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston . 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.". "There's no doubt that he was mean," Knopfler said of Liston. . To this day, I'm convinced that's what the coroner saw in his examthat hospital needle mark. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. 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 died circa December 30,. Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. 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", Hutchison, Phillip J. A few months after Alis fight, Liston was dead from lung congestion though even that was shrouded in mystery and controversy. 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. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. "He would do everything to avoid taking shots." He was a gentle man. Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "no phantom punch." A stoic Liston finished the fight, but lost in an eight-round split decision. 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. Liston was a heavy favorite. ", Ali clearly did not think he knocked Liston out. [87], Liston was found dead by his wife, Geraldine, in their Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971. Boston: Little, Brown. In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before his death in May 2009, Liston said he regretted . There are no official records of his birth His eyes swept the whole scene. Liston's story, Knopfler said, "is great for a writer for many reasons. Liston's wife also recalled that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. In the third round, Marshall nailed Listonreportedly while he was laughingand broke his jaw. Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. After Liston arose, Walcott wiped off his gloves. 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.". He was scared of the black-power movement. (, Shaun Assael. Soon, he was known as Cassius X, eschewing the last name given to his enslaved family by their owners. [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin wrote that "that final left hook crashed into Patterson's cheek like a diesel rig going downhill, no brakes." 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. Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. Furthermore, that count cannot be started until the fighter scoring the knockdown goes to and remains in a neutral corner. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. Two of the best-known are "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel and "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan. 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. In a pre-fight poll, 43 of 46 sportswriters picked Liston to win by knockout. Emily Post would probably recommend a ticker-tape parade. [8][9], There is no official record of Liston's birth. [19], On June 23, 1953, a team consisting of ten recent St. Louis Golden Gloves champions of all weight classes, with Liston on top as the heavyweight, was gathered to represent the United States in an International Golden Gloves (USA vs. West Europe) competition at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. He rounded out the year by stopping Nino Valdez and Willi Besmanoff. 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. Anyone can read what you share. ", 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]. [59], Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. Sonny Liston Interview 82,818 views Apr 2, 2014 1.3K Dislike Share Save haNZAgod 93.2K subscribers Subscribe A rare interview with former Heavyweight champion of the world, Sonny Liston.. [45][46] A clearly angered Liston rallied at the end of the round when Clay seemed tired, delivering punishing body shots. The film starred Ving Rhames as Liston and was produced by Rhames, Hassain Zaidi and Marek Posival. I didn't want anything to do with him. Liston was overwhelmed by an abusive father, confrontations with the law, underworld managers and a change in African-American culture represented by Ali, Knopfler said. 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. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated hernia. Ali is waiting to hit me, the ref can't control him. 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. Ali brought his big personality to the small town, but Liston was still the favorite. 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 . Tocco left the house before the police did. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. In that same book Liston was quoted two years after the fight: "Ali knocked me down with a sharp punch. Liston had never been knocked out before, and most people didnt even see the punch happen. One mile up on a mountain 13 miles west of Denver is the Shrine of Mother Cabrini. [83] Herb Goldman stated that Liston, when in his prime between 1958 and 1963, was the most feared fighter in boxing history. 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. Two of the three official scorers, or judges, awarded the round to Liston, and the other scored the round even. [85] Geraldine had a daughter from a previous marriage, and the Listons subsequently adopted a boy from Sweden. Frank Mir was around that height and was noticeably taller than Carwin. 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/ Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. Support this Channel: https://www.patreon.com/join/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise: https://www.redbubble.com/peo. But he spoke to his friend Resnick on the day of the fight and was told not to bet on the champion. ", 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. I know it", Liston said afterward. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. A wax model of Liston appears in the front row of the iconic sleeve cover of the Beatles' Sgt. ", Still, some found it hard to believe that the punch could have floored a man like Liston. Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. [64] Strict interpretation of the knockdown/count rule states it is the referee's count and not the timekeeper's that is the official count. Unlike Dylan or Carter, however, Knopfler does not present Liston as innocent of a crime for which he was imprisoned. America's first look at Liston since the Ali rematch was when he fought fifthranked Henry Clark in a nationally broadcast bout in July 1968. 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. [21], Liston made his professional debut on September 2, 1953, knocking out Don Smith in the first round in St. Louis, where he fought his first five bouts. [22], Early in his career, Liston faced capable opponents. 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Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. In the sixth round, he carried it at belt level so that it was of no help in warding off the right crosses with which Clay probed at the cut under his left eye." 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. 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, . 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. THE PREFIGHT MOODS OF SONNY LISTON. Good lord, Sonny's mitts are massive. Knopfler, 55, said inspiration for the Liston song has been growing for a long time. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. 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. Dude was only 6'2 and his hands dwarfed Lesnar's. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. ", 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." As Liston pursued his target Clay retreated, using his foot speed to slip away into open space in the ring, largely circling to the left and away from the threat of a Liston left hook. [47] Sitting on his stool between rounds, however, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on his cut. ", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 06:36. Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. Sonny Liston fought for only $10,000 during his career. The Ring magazine ranks Liston as the tenth greatest heavyweight of all time,[4] while boxing writer Herb Goldman ranked him second and Richard O'Brien, Senior Editor of Sports Illustrated, placed him third. (. Sonny Liston vs Eddie Machen (1960) As usual, Liston wasted no time throwing his jab and keeping Machen at bay, who was trying to get his hands off with minimal success. Standing 185 centimeters (6'1) tall and packing over 90 kilograms (200 lb) of pure muscle, there's a reason he was nicknamed "The Big Bear," and it wasn't for the hugs he gave.. His career in heavyweight boxing spanned from 1953 to 1970, and he spent all 17 of those years going guts for glory against the . "From Bad Buck to White Hope: Journalism and Sonny Liston, 19581965. [49], Clay later said that in round five he could only see a faint shadow of Liston during most of the round, but by circling and moving frantically he managed to avoid Liston and somehow survive. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. Liston assaulted the officer, breaking his knee and gashing his face. Be respectful and come chat with us. Because of that, Cage may have thought Sonny was an informant and shot him with a hot dose as retribution. "[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. Liston won his final fight, a tough but one-sided match against future world title challenger Chuck Wepner in June 1970. 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. 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. [27][28], Liston's streak of nine straight knockout victories ended when he won a unanimous twelve-round decision against Eddie Machen on September 7, 1960. Very rare interview of Sonny Liston talking about how he got started in boxing, his fights with Williams and Patterson and his training routine. 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. Clay countered in verse, "If you want to lose your money, then bet on Sonny! Liston was supremely confident of easily beating Clay, trained minimally for the fight and went ahead with it despite an injury to his left shoulder.[44]. Larry Merchant, then a writer with the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote: "A celebration for Philadelphia's first heavyweight champ is now in order. What are you doing? He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. 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. The suspension was honored in all states. So I went down. I forgot about the rules." He also wrote that Liston's win over Patterson proved that "in a fair fight between good and evil, evil must win." Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. In the 2001 film Ali, Liston was portrayed by former WBO Heavyweight Champion Michael Bentt. Also in 1970, Liston appeared on an episode of the TV series Love, American Style and in a television commercial for Braniff Airlines with Andy Warhol.[12][102]. "Nat Fleischer [editor of The Ring] was sitting beside McDonough and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over." 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. At the IBHOF, the casts of Listons hands were bigger than Lennox Lewis' which were also gigantic. "[57] Those findings were confirmed in a formal investigation immediately after the fight by Florida State Attorney Richard Gerstein, who also noted that there was little doubt that Liston went into the fight with a sore or lame shoulder. 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/ [62] The promoters needed a new location quickly, whatever the size, to rescue their closed-circuit television commitment around the country. My man. C'mon now, this is for the title, this is the big apple. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. Many did not see the punch land, and some who did questioned that it was powerful enough to knock Liston out. 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. Midway through the first round, Liston threw a left jab and Ali went over it with a fast right, knocking the former champion down. Time magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. I'm Sonny Liston, I'm Jack Dempsey, there's no one like I'm from their . It made a champion out of Clay, who declared that hed shook up the world.. The toxicology report said his body was too decomposed for the tests to be conclusive. Muhammad Ali called it his "anchor punch," a quick right hand that the young heavyweight champion claimed he had learned from his friend, actor Stepin Fetchit. [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. "[68], While Liston publicly denied taking a dive, Sports Illustrated writer Mark Kram said that years later Liston told him, "That guy [Ali] was crazy. [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. Also, scar tissue, possibly from needle marks, was found in the bend of Liston's left elbow. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "He said: 'Look what they did!' The photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground. Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Midwest Gymnasium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Pittsburgh Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. New Masonic Temple, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Sources vary on his reach, with some listing it as 80in, Reputations: Sonny Liston: The Champion Nobody Wanted (2001), 50 min, BBC Documentary, Mailer: A Biography By Mary V. Dearborn, page 186. He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. Boston: Little, Brown. BOXING Correction: July 15, 2005, Friday A sports picture caption on Wednesday with an article about Mark Knopfler's ballad for the boxer Sonny Liston referred incorrectly in some copies to the year in which Muhammad Ali knocked out Liston in Lewiston, Me.