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. This enabled him to get hired as a manual laborer in the farms. Maybe Liston was concerned about the death threats that had been made against Ali in the wake of the assassination of Malcolm X and Liston just wanted to get out of the ring that night as quickly as possible. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. 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 sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. 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 However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights. Even as a grown up, the physical scars were still visible. Drinking. With the proceeds he traveled to St. Louis and reunited with his mother and siblings. (LogOut/ In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. First heavyweight title challenger to earn a purse of $1,000,000. Nevertheless, he had a soft spot for children. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. 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 thirty-eight years. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born into a sharecropping family who farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. 100 Rock Street . He compiled a career record of As with the date of Liston's birth, no one knows for sure. Helen Liston It has been rumored that the crime boss John Vitale arranged for his early release. Reverend Stevens was both the prisons chaplain and sports director. angelsunchained, Other Works 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. in Sand Slough, Arkansas, USA , United States, Died on December 30, 1970 Sonny Liston turned professional in September 1953. That hurt him deeply, though he instinctively hid the scars behind a scowl. The only misgiving was his association with the criminal gangs. 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. Outside of the ring, Liston had a charming personality. The official cause of his death was given as cardiac arrest and lung congestion. He rose from poverty in the rural south to become one of the most dominant and feared professional fighters of the 20th century. 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. Little Rock, AR. For additional information: Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife, and the Phantom Punch. At the age of thirteen, he ran away to St. Louis, Missouri, following his mother, who had left earlier. Folley knocked down twice in 2nd round; 9 count and saved by the bell at 9 count. Reverend Stevens arranged the match for him. Ward, who resides today in Forrest City, Ark. In a short amount of time, those felonious deeds cost Sonny Liston his freedom. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. But there is another side. Aligning himself with the Devil. L'arbre Sonny Liston keeps his personal and love life private. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, The Man Behind the First All-Black Basketball Team, 8 Times Brothers Have Faced Off in a Championship, Every Black Quarterback to Play in the Super Bowl, Soccer Star Christian Atsu Survived an Earthquake. Touring the local hospital in a grey tweed overcoat with a black velvet collar, the intimidating, burly, 6-foot-tall, 215 lb. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Dowling He became a professional fighter in 1953. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. With Cus DAmato as his coach, Liston reigned as champion for seventeen months. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Deceased persons are not concerned by this provision. He overcame tremendous odds to win the title and earn a measure of fame, but even so he was never embraced by the public. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. On the same night at a different location, but on the same closed-circuit broadcast, Patterson defeated unheralded Tom McNeeley in four rounds in what would be the final successful defense of his crown. 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. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. The Dowling Family Tree with over half a million relatives, (LogOut/ He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover. Sonny Liston was a violent person even outside the ring. When Liston became the top challenger to champion Floyd Patterson by 1960, it was a After winning most of his matches by knockout, he turned pro in 1951. Liston and Geraldine had no children, but Liston loved kids and enjoyed being in their company. The rematch in Las Vegas on July 22, 1963, was another first-round knockout. 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. Introduced to boxing by Father Stevens in the St. Louis City Jail during 1950. His father physically molested him. As Liston made himself a serious challenger to Floyd Patterson for the heavyweight title, Liston made his alliance with the Devil, as Tosches refers to the mob. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 and added three more wins in 1969 before losing a brutal bout to Leotis Martin. Much of what Tosches gleans about Liston's youth stem from interviews with people who lived on the Morledge Plantation in the 1930s and from Sonny's older half-brother E.B. 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. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Dating is to describe a stage in a persons life when he or she is actively pursuing romantic relationships with different people. He quickly destroyed all the leading heavyweight contenders--Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams--to earn a title shot against Floyd Patterson. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. Cruel Beginnings. Ironically, by the time Liston finally became champ in September of that year with his 1-round KO of Patterson, the mob was beginning to lose its iron grip on the sport and on Liston himself. Gallender, Paul. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up Liston was arrested more than 20 times. Served time in prison for robbery and later for assaulting a police officer. Least of all, Sonny himself. William Friedkin was intended to direct his biopic "Night Train" with Ving Rhames as Sonny Liston. His death was as mysterious as his birth. To give back to society, he supported many children. 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. Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932, but that is off by at least two years. He only served six. In Michael Mann's Ali, Liston was portrayed by famous boxer Michael Bentt, with whom he shares a strong resemblance. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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. Tosches is admirably objective in his presentation of Liston. Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). He was trained by Charles Hills and has raced for Chelsea Thoroughbreds, and was bred in [Add Data] by [Add Data] . 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. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing by Reverend Father Alois Stevens. Tired of being exploited as a manual laborer, Sonny Liston turned to crime. Nous sommes tous Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. Owing to his many siblings and a brutal, hardscrabble Arkansas childhood with an abusive father (excruciatingly detailed in the movie and book), Liston had an affinity for needy children. Some suspect foul play; others believe Liston died of a self-inflicted drug overdose. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. 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. It was there in Sand Slough that Charles L. Liston was born, on the 50 acres that Tobe rented from the Man.". His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. Major children and living persons must directly contact the. Liston's 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 officer's gun. WebHalf-siblings. He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders. He was one of many childrenone account lists twenty-two siblings and half-siblings. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. Tosches does a nice piece of reporting on the incident that led to Liston's arrest, objectively revealing all available viewpoints. Sanders was the reigning Olympic heavyweight champion. He was accused of stealing an officers gun. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. In accordance with the legal provisions, you can ask for the removal of your name and the name of your minor children. 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. Geneastars | Facebook. 72201. Best Known For: Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. They called it Sand Slough. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. The reader can form his own conclusion based on the reports of those involved. In the films the good guy always wins, but this is one bad guy who ain't gonna lose. After a little while, Liston followed his mother and was reunited with his other siblings. Robert B. Cochran Liston claimed he was born in 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The local police classified him as the yellow shirt bandit.. Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. 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. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! 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. Won his last fight on June 29, 1970, at the Jersey City Armory, stopping. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. 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. 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.". He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. Before his sentencing, Liston had been arrested more than twenty times. He was born in St. Francis in the state of Missouri, USA. Sonny Liston estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. He was adopted when the couple was together. His 17-year ring log was an impressive 50-4 with 39 knockouts. WebHe had seven siblings. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. Very little is known about his birth and his WebPatterson defended against Liston in Comiskey Park, Chicago, on September 25, 1962, and the rest is history. His dad was an abusive alcoholic and at the age of 13, Sonny left to live with his aunt in . During the years that Liston was champ, the mob was in retreat. No one knows how Sonny Liston died. As a young man in 1949, Liston left Arkansas for good and followed his mother's footsteps to St. Louis. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. He became a professional fighter in 1953. 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). Jack Dempsey and Roberto Duran are two cases in point. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings, and with virtually no schooling. Liston was an excellent boxer. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works likeThe Devil and Sonny Liston(2000)by Nick Tosches. Sonny Liston Wife According to our records, Sonny Liston married to Geraldine Seithel. Liston celebrated the speedy reinstatement of his license with an impressive 1-round knockout of German baker Albert Westphal, who was ranked No. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. Sonny never really had a Prime. Liston had a rough and violent childhood. 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. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. in rural St. Francis County. Liston excelled in his newfound love, boxing, and, after a short amateur career, turned professional. With the help of a farsighted, black St. Louis businessman and some other backers who were aware of Sonny's potential, Liston pursued a ring career after leaving the joint and rejoining society at large. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. The Devil and Sonny Liston. At least two sexual assaults. He earned the money being a professional Boxer. It was scandal on top of scandal; Listons reputation, already tainted by prison time, allegations of mob connections, and charges of sexual assault, never recovered. WebParents and Siblings Charles L. "Sonny" Liston 19321970 Geraldine Chamber 19252005 Spouse and Children Charles L. "Sonny" Liston Male19321970 Male Again rumors were rife that the match was fixed by the criminal underworld. Made a comeback in 1968-1969 and won 14 straight before losing to Leotis Martin. Liston lost his rematch to Ali in May 1965. In 1950, he was arrested by the police. contains thousands of pictures and GeneaStars. He was arrested twice in a period of months in Philadelphia in the summer of 1961. The continual conflicts with the police. George Foreman was his sparring partner from 1969 to 1970. 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. Auspiciously, the massive man is known as The Bear then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. {{ mediasCtrl.getTitle(media, true) }} World heavyweight boxing champion, 1962-1964. Because of this alliance, which was public knowledge, Liston was called before the committee investigating organized crime that had been established by Tennessee Democratic Senator Estes Kefauver. Liston continued to box until the time of his death. L'arbre He knocked out the reigning world champion in 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 Listons dead body. The author begins appropriately at the beginning with his subject, providing more comprehensive information about Sonny's childhood than probably even Sonny himself knew. Liston continued fighting following the loss of his title, mainly because it was the only legal way he knew how to make a buck. 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. Liston, in fact, had great respect for Father Murphy and behaved admirably around him. 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. Ali and Liston: The Boy Who Would Be King and the Ugly Bear. All Rights Reserved. He went on to win several amateur matches. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. He was officially knocked out by Muhammad Ali in one minute for the fastest KO in heavyweight history up to that time. His parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. Tosches here betrays an ignorance of boxing that no doubt hurts his credibility with those know know the sport. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. Lets take a look at Sonny Liston past relationships, ex-girlfriends and previous hookups. Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. 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. The CALS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. aged 38years old. He had the biggest fist of any heavyweight champion: 15 inches. Primary Income source Boxer (profession). The couple had two children; one was a daughter from Chambers previous marriage. 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. At 13, he escaped from his father's control and hitchhiked to He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was one of many Liston was the youngest heavyweight boxing champion to die (age 38). His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. He maintained a winning streak in eight matches. There, he became a thug, committing various muggings and robbery. Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. {{ media.date_translated }}, {{ asCtrl.bannerRights.content|translate }}, The Geneanet family trees are powered by Geneweb 7.0. After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. Armed robbery. His epitaph reads: "A Man.". When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Trivia He was convicted of robbery and larceny. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous "phantom punch." He supported many in his life. He married Geraldine Chambers on June 10, 1950. He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. After the court case, he was sentenced to a five-year jail term in the Missouri State Prison. 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. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. We are all related! Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1991. Instead, he and some friends took to robbing people on the street and robbing gas stations with a loaded pistol. WebHis parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. WebHe was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin, and he endured frequent beatings as a child. QUICK FACTS. Sonny Listons height Unknown & weight Not Available right. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. (Which isn't to say that Liston took advantage of Father Murphy, or that he had a disregard for what Father Murphy had to say. 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. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. Was the favorite fighter of the famous Fab Four, the Beatles, and he appears on their "Sgt. Liston, one of 25 children by his father, is reputed to have been born in May 1932, yet prison records show various birth dates, among them 1928. He died under mysterious conditions on December 30, 1970. (LogOut/ Encyclopedia of Arkansas In a short amount of time, he rose to prominence as a contender in the heavyweight division. Liston didn't find gainful employment in St. Louis. His mother separated from his father and went to St. Louis in Missouri. Even as champion, Liston was never able to escape his prison beginnings or the allegations of mob connections. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. His relationship status is single. Sonny Liston existed, and, Ali bouts or no Ali bouts, he was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace on a glove. The second was a boy. 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 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). That doesn't make sense. 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). Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. 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. Please try again. The tactic worked. The cover was one of the most famous images of the early 1960s, as Liston embodied the fears of White America during the days when Southern police officials had attacked the burgeoning civil rights movement with violence, a violence white Americans feared might be returned onto them. All Rights Reserved. There's no question that the hard-scrabble existence of youth prepared Liston for the success he would later enjoy as a prizefighter.