Before his sentencing, Liston had been arrested more than twenty times. 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. Sonny Liston: The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. That hurt him deeply, though he instinctively hid the scars behind a scowl. He, however, won in the subsequent rematch. While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. Helen Liston Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. DAmato went on to coach another great boxer in Mike Tyson. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). Official Sites. By all accounts, Liston had a woeful childhood. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. After a little while, Liston followed his mother and was reunited with his other siblings. He married Geraldine Chambers on June 10, 1950. He was trained by Willie Redish and later by Dick Sadler. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. No one knows how Sonny Liston died. Joe Louis rated Liston's jab one of the best in boxing history. Liston had a short and successful amateur career, following which he turned pro. He went on to win several amateur matches. He died under mysterious conditions on December 30, 1970. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. Ward, who resides today in Forrest City, Ark. At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. Liston had a rough and violent childhood. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born into a sharecropping family who farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. Liston was arrested more than 20 times. He quickly destroyed all the leading heavyweight contenders--Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams--to earn a title shot against Floyd Patterson. In the films the good guy always wins, but this is one bad guy who ain't gonna lose. Is mentioned in the song "Swinging" by Tom Petty. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. He is one of the Richest Boxer who was born in AR. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. Sonny Liston turned professional in September 1953. Tired of being exploited as a manual laborer, Sonny Liston turned to crime. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. Nine years of steady fighting later, and following additional scrapes with the law (fourteen arrests between 1953 and 1958 and a conviction in 1956 for assaulting a police officer), Liston finally fought Floyd Patterson for the Heavyweight Championship. Liston was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion to die (age 38). 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 Listons dead body. Username and password are case sensitive. 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. Owing to his bold physique and strict upbringing, Liston loved training. Liston started boxing at the age of 14 because there were no sports available in Florida at the time. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Even Sonny's mother, who was called Big Hela, didn't know, though she believed him to be born during the month of January. In Michael Mann's Ali, Liston was portrayed by famous boxer Michael Bentt, with whom he shares a strong resemblance. In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local police. He quickly learned how to box and within three years was fighting on the amateur circuit. From the start, Liston was a devastating puncher. 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. Tosches here betrays an ignorance of boxing that no doubt hurts his credibility with those know know the sport. Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. 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. Tosches, Nick. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. 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. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. Lets take a look at Sonny Liston past relationships, ex-girlfriends and previous hookups. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American. Liston's formative years were spent growing up as a physically and mentally abused child living in a forsaken patch of land known as Sand Slough, Ark. First heavyweight title challenger to earn a purse of $1,000,000. 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. Liston excelled in his newfound love, boxing, and, after a short amateur career, turned professional. 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. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. When Liston became the top challenger to champion Floyd Patterson by 1960, it was a Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. The local police classified him as the yellow shirt bandit.. 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. He became a professional fighter in 1953. Nine years of steady fighting later, and following additional scrapes with the law, Liston fought Floyd Patterson for the Heavyweight Championship. L'arbre All Rights Reserved. The Dowling Family Tree with over half a million relatives, Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. 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. Time magazine photograph of Ali standing over Liston, taunting him, is one of the most popularly published in boxing. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, 1932 in Sand Slough, AR. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dating is to describe a stage in a persons life when he or she is actively pursuing romantic relationships with different people. Charles "Sonny" Liston was pronounced dead at the scene. Sonny Listons height Unknown & weight Not Available right. Big Hela had moved there in 1946. At the age of 14, he was almost 6 feet tall. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. . Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. His father physically molested him. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. Rate and review titles you borrow and share your opinions on them. Sonny Liston is a 4 year old colt and has raced in 2022. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. He compiled a career record of 50-4, competing against such boxing legends as Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson. His mother believed he was born in January, 1928, but Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932. He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. As for the rematch between the two fighters in an ice rink in Lewiston, Maine, in May of 1965, there are a lot of possible explanations for Liston's bizarre actions that night. He managed to turn his cruel past to his advantage. Hardly. Liston scored another knockout in a rematch with Patterson, but his 17-month reign as heavyweight champion ended at the hands of a brash fighter named Cassius Clay. What advantage would there be to having the brash young boxer from Louisville installed as heavyweight champ in place of Liston? In the end, one can't help feeling some sympathy for Liston. James Ellroy portrayed Sonny Liston as a fight loser, a heroin addict, a black racist, and a Mafia jawbreaker in his novel "The Cold Six Thousand.". In October 1952, Liston was released on parole. He is from AR. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. In 1962, Liston went officially from being the poverty-stricken, illiterate child of an abusive tenant farmer in Arkansas to being the heavyweight champion of the whole world. In accordance with the legal provisions, you can ask for the removal of your name and the name of your minor children. His 17-year ring log was an impressive 50-4 with 39 knockouts. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Steen, Rob. gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, 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. Served a prison sentence at Missouri State Penitentiary for robbing a gas station at age 18. Served 7 months in jail for beating up a police officer over a parking ticket in St. Louis in the mid-1950s. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. The continual conflicts with the police. He had been dead for some time, an ending every bit as murky as the Clay/Ali fights. He was one of many On September 25, 1962, Liston made history by becoming the heavyweight champion. From the start, it was apparent that he had a future in the ring. The place had a name, but it was not to be found on any map. 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. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Least of all, Sonny himself. He started boxing in prison and was likely over 30 then. in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Sonny LISTON (1932), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. 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." After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous phantom punch. Though it appeared that Liston had barely been grazed by Clays right fist, the boxer went down just one minute and 45 seconds into the first round. 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. When he won the heavyweight title in 1962 at age 30, he had a daughter age 25. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. Best Known For: Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. 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. {{ mediasCtrl.getTitle(media, true) }} Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). She had been away on holiday. 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 was referred to as the man with the steel punch and an iron chin.. 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. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works likeThe Devil and Sonny Liston(2000)by Nick Tosches. (There is some speculation about his year of Apart from his demeanor, Liston was a charming man with a captivating smile. He maintained a winning streak in eight matches. All Rights Reserved. His final record as a professional was 50 wins, 39 by knockout, and four losses. Tosches believes the latter. Trivia He was convicted of robbery and larceny. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. Liston was beholdin' to the mob and everybody knew it. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. He served brief prison terms and on one occasion was introduced to boxing by a prison chaplain. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on May 8, 1932. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights. His death was as mysterious as his birth. After the court case, he was sentenced to a five-year jail term in the Missouri State Prison. He was one of many 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. Liston lost his rematch to Ali in May 1965. The title fight was in Chicago, Illinois, on September 25, 1962, with a wide public pulling for the champ (including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and authors James Baldwin and Norman Mailer). He was sired by Lawman out of the Galileo mare Stars In Your Eyes. Liston continued to fight in the ring until June 1970. WebSonny Liston Photo Gallery. WebHe had seven siblings. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. At the age of thirteen, he ran away to St. Louis, Missouri, following his mother, who had left earlier. Tobe was mean to his children, and especially to Sonny. 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. He kept fighting and kept winning against a progressively better grade of opponents. Liston claimed he was born in Sonny Liston prefers not to tell the details of marital status & divorce. 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. He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. 100 Rock Street Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works like The Devil and Sonny Liston (2000) by Nick Tosches. In a short amount of time, those felonious deeds cost Sonny Liston his freedom. He never shied away from street fights. (There is some speculation about his year of birth, but most sources state sometime from 1929 to 1932.) Less than a year later, on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali) when he refused to answer the bell for the seventh round, claiming a shoulder injury. Creating an account gives you access to all these features. (LogOut/ He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. (LogOut/ WebHalf-siblings. Publicity Listings He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. For additional information: Clay, later to be known as Muhammad Ali, may have had the fastest hands of any heavyweight ever to lace on a pair of gloves. L'arbre For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. Liston celebrated the speedy reinstatement of his license with an impressive 1-round knockout of German baker Albert Westphal, who was ranked No. We are all related! Geraldine married Sonny Liston in 1950 All Rights Reserved. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. Gambling. - IMDb Mini Biography By: (LogOut/ It was there in Sand Slough that Charles L. Liston was born, on the 50 acres that Tobe rented from the Man.". 4 among heavyweights, on Dec. 4, 1961. Pre-European Exploration, Prehistory through 1540, European Exploration and Settlement, 1541 through 1802, Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood, 1803 through 1860, Civil War through Reconstruction, 1861 through 1874, Post-Reconstruction through the Gilded Age, 1875 through 1900, Early Twentieth Century, 1901 through 1940, World War II through the Faubus Era, 1941 through 1967, Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform, 19682022, World War II through the Faubus Era (1941 - 1967). WebAsuncin "Sunny" Cummings Hostin (/ h s t n /; born October 20, 1968) is an American lawyer, journalist, and television host.Hostin is co-host on ABC's morning talk show The Touring the local hospital in a grey tweed overcoat with a black velvet collar, the intimidating, burly, 6-foot-tall, 215 lb. An error has occured while loading the map. Tosches, who hails from Newark, writes in an engaging style that is as beautifully stylish as a Liston left jab and as savagely straightforward. Liston and Geraldine had no children, but Liston loved kids and enjoyed being in their company. In 1950, he was arrested by the police. WebIn 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. Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. His epitaph reads: "A Man.". Auspiciously, the massive man is known as "The Bear" then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. Because of his arrest and prison term, Liston didn't have a fight between March of 1956, when he decisioned Marty Marshall in Pittsburgh, to January of 1958, when he knocked out Bill Hunter in two rounds in Chicago. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. lis! He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders. WebHis parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. 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. Change). According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. contains thousands of pictures and GeneaStars. Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife, and the Phantom Punch. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. Liston didn't find gainful employment in St. Louis. | In 1966, following his loss to Clay, Liston launched a comeback. Or it would be history, if boxing historians would stop sweeping the legacy of Sonny Liston under the ring canvas. Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. William Friedkin was intended to direct his biopic "Night Train" with Ving Rhames as Sonny Liston. During his two-plus years in the state penitentiary, Liston attained a new nickname, "Sonny," and a new vocation, boxing. For all his womanizing, Liston had a respect for his wife Geraldine and was faithful to her in his own way. Instead, he and some friends took to robbing people on the street and robbing gas stations with a loaded pistol. Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). WebPatterson defended against Liston in Comiskey Park, Chicago, on September 25, 1962, and the rest is history. | His time at the summit was brief. QUICK FACTS. World heavyweight boxing champion, 1962-1964. The dark side is evident. . Later, films of the fight showed the bout ended at the 1:25 mark. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. His best years were 195862 when he destroyed everyone while Patterson shamelessly ducked him. WebParents and Siblings Charles L. "Sonny" Liston 19321970 Geraldine Chamber 19252005 Spouse and Children Charles L. "Sonny" Liston Male19321970 Male 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. He acted in a number of films, the most famous being "Harlow" with Carroll Baker. Liston was an excellent boxer. New York: Blue Rider Press, 2016.