in rural St. Francis County. 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.". Deceased persons are not concerned by this provision. Again rumors were rife that the match was fixed by the criminal underworld. (LogOut/ Steen, Rob. He served brief prison terms and on one occasion was introduced to boxing by a prison chaplain. Charles L. Sonny Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. His father was 30 years older than his mother. Lets check, How Rich is Sonny Liston in 2020-2022? 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. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. However, it turned out to be his stepdaughter, the daughter of his wife. 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. Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. Foes like the murderous-punching Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn and Nino Valdez succumbed to Liston's heavy fists. George Foreman was his sparring partner from 1969 to 1970. The continual conflicts with the police. Reverend Stevens arranged the match for him. Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. We are all related! 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. Let's check, How Rich is Mario, Ben Villaflor estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. 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. 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. 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. Liston was arrested more than 20 times. Dowling He compiled a career record of Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. 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." Liston was an excellent boxer. The Dowling Family Tree with over half a million relatives, If there is a flaw in Tosches' book, it's that the author seems bent on carrying the theme of Liston and the mob beyond its logical parameters. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Nine years of steady fighting later, and following additional scrapes with the law, Liston fought Floyd Patterson for the Heavyweight Championship. First heavyweight title challenger to earn a purse of $1,000,000. He was born in St. Francis in the state of Missouri, USA. 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. WebHis parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. A Champion of Something New - by Eli Jones - The Riverside Tosches does a nice piece of reporting on the incident that led to Liston's arrest, objectively revealing all available viewpoints. He compiled a career record of 50-4, competing against such boxing legends as Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson. Geneastars | Facebook. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Some suspect foul play; others believe Liston died of a self-inflicted drug overdose. Liston didn't find gainful employment in St. Louis. 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. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. Liston destroyed the champion in one round and destroyed him again in the rematch. 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. Profile: Sonny Liston (1932 1970) Black Art Story 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. 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 defeated heavyweight contenders Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn, Henry Clark, and Chuck Wepner. Liston continued to fight in the ring until June 1970. His dad was an abusive alcoholic and at the age of 13, Sonny left to live with his aunt in contains thousands of pictures and GeneaStars. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000. In a short amount of time, he rose to prominence as a contender in the heavyweight division. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. Liston and Geraldine had no children, but Liston loved kids and enjoyed being in their company. Even as a grown up, the physical scars were still visible. Liston was arrested more than 20 times. 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. Sonny Liston Biography - Life of American Boxer - Totally History QUICK FACTS. Sonny Liston Wife According to our records, Sonny Liston married to Geraldine Seithel. The local police classified him as the yellow shirt bandit.. On this day in history, Feb. 25, 1964, a young Muhammad Ali His sporting agility was electrifying to watch. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. The match was held in Miami Baech, Florida. He became a professional fighter in 1953. After being unable to reach Liston for 12 days, his wife Geraldine returned to their Nevada home on January 5, 1971, at which time she discovered Liston's dead body. L'arbre He cleared out his opponents to become the topmost contender. 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. Black Pioneers: Sonny Liston - Arkansas Soul | Black and For additional information: We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, Apart from his demeanor, Liston was a charming man with a captivating smile. All Rights Reserved. His best years were 195862 when he destroyed everyone while Patterson shamelessly ducked him. World heavyweight boxing champion, 1962-1964. Least of all, Sonny himself. William Friedkin was intended to direct his biopic "Night Train" with Ving Rhames as Sonny Liston. He knocked out the reigning world champion in the first round. 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. 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. Sonny Liston Biography, Life, Interesting Facts - Famous aged 38years old. There were also times when he showed surprising compassion for the less fortunate. The only misgiving was his association with the criminal gangs. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. London: Aurum Press, 2008. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. He told them that he had no education, couldn't write and worked as a child to help feed his 24 siblings. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1991. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. The author begins appropriately at the beginning with his subject, providing more comprehensive information about Sonny's childhood than probably even Sonny himself knew. 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. 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Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings, and with virtually no schooling. Liston's purpose was to show the Pennylvania State Athletic Commission, and the world, that he was turning a new leaf. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. In 1950, he was arrested by the police. At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works like The Devil and Sonny Liston (2000) by Nick Tosches. Liston had a rough and violent childhood. 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 name .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) was named champion on February 25, 1964. On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Boxer. Tosches believes the latter. Liston, who posted a career record of 50 wins and 4 losses with 39 knockouts, reveled in this role of the fighter America loved to hate. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. The place had a name, but it was not to be found on any map. By all accounts, Liston had a woeful childhood. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. | Made a comeback in 1968-1969 and won 14 straight before losing to Leotis Martin. Let's check, How Rich is Ben, All You Need To Know About Tamara Hurwitz. He got little good press, even from sports columnists, and was routinely subjected to overtly racist slurs in print: in 1964, Look ran a story titled Sonny Liston: King of the Beasts. Liston moved to Las Vegas in 1966 and was found dead there on January 5, 1971, when his wife returned to their Las Vegas home from a Christmas visit with her mother. He never shied away from street fights. 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 won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. Liston, in fact, had great respect for Father Murphy and behaved admirably around him. Tired of being exploited as a manual laborer, Sonny Liston turned to crime. In 1957, he was sentenced to nine months in the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a police officer. His last fight was against Chuck Wepner. In a short amount of time, those felonious deeds cost Sonny Liston his freedom. Gambling. Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. WebPatterson defended against Liston in Comiskey Park, Chicago, on September 25, 1962, and the rest is history. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. That hurt him deeply, though he instinctively hid the scars behind a scowl. Sanders was the reigning Olympic 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. Very little is known about his birth and his The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights. His alcoholic and violent father was thirty years older than Sonnys 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. Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. He was one of many BoxRec Liston was sentenced to nine months in jail. Liston was inducted into the international Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born circa 1930 into a sharecropping family who farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. Nous sommes tous (LogOut/ Or it would be history, if boxing historians would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. Listons career was interrupted for nine months beginning in December 1956, when he was sent to the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a policeman and stealing the officers gun. His mother worked several jobs to support her children. After having his license revoked, Liston made a smart decision, as he had when he bought out Barone. Basically, for a guy like Liston, it meant that you either dealt with them, or you didn't deal at all. Liston, who posted a career record of 50 wins and 4 losses with 39 knockouts, reveled in this role of the fighter America loved to hate. Do we really know how good Sonny Liston was? His Auspiciously, the massive man is known as "The Bear" then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. Sonny Liston prefers not to tell the details of marital status & divorce. Wrong side of history: Sonny Liston In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. Tosches, who hails from Newark, writes in an engaging style that is as beautifully stylish as a Liston left jab and as savagely straightforward. 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. During his two-plus years in the state penitentiary, Liston attained a new nickname, "Sonny," and a new vocation, boxing. Carbo was in prison and Palmermo would soon follow. 72201. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. His time at the summit was brief. 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. There, he became a thug, committing various muggings and robbery. He quickly destroyed all the leading heavyweight contenders--Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams--to earn a title shot against Floyd Patterson. He won in the first round against Don Smith. Knocked out #2-rated heavyweight contender Roy Harris (27-1) in one round. His epitaph reads: "A Man.". Sonny Liston turned professional in September 1953. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. He became a professional fighter in 1953. He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. DAmato went on to coach another great boxer in Mike Tyson. Geraldine married Sonny Liston in 1950 That doesn't make sense. When he won the heavyweight title in 1962 at age 30, he had a daughter age 25. In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local police. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. He maintained a winning streak in eight matches. He was trained by Charles Hills and has raced for Chelsea Thoroughbreds, and was bred in [Add Data] by [Add Data] . 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). In the films the good guy always wins, but this is one bad guy who ain't gonna lose. angelsunchained, Other Works He became a professional fighter in 1953. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. 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. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. Liston was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion to die (age 38). Sonny Liston - Biography - IMDb After winning most of his matches by knockout, he turned pro in 1951. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). The Troubled Life And Sad Legacy Of Sonny Liston (There is some speculation about his year of WebHe was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin, and he endured frequent beatings as a child. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover. Though it appeared that Liston had barely been grazed by Clay's right fist, the boxer went down just one minute and 45 seconds into the first round. He was adopted when the couple was together. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous "phantom punch." Sonny Liston: The mysterious death that haunts boxing 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. boxer had the look of a champion. Sonny Liston Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. Liston had a huge physique. Liston claimed he was born in Survived by his wife Geraldine and a step-daughter. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. Served a prison sentence at Missouri State Penitentiary for robbing a gas station at age 18. Jack Dempsey and Roberto Duran are two cases in point. The rematch, in Lewiston, Maine, on May 25, 1965, was even more controversial. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on May 8, 1932. At least two sexual assaults. 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. with Cornelia Winfrey, born in April 1873 - Montgomery Co., MS, deceased. Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932, but that is off by at least two years. Family In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. Charles L. Liston Sonny : Family tree by Tim DOWLING In June of the following year, Liston won the rematch with another knockout. . He, however, won in the subsequent rematch.