A grateful Liston found there was no need to give chase. 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. The photo depicted Ali standing over his opponent, Sonny Liston, after delivering a final blow that knocked Liston to the ground. "Yes, it was good and honest". [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. 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. There's never been anybody as ruthless. He offered no comment on the matter, but his victory would soon turn it into an international story. Sonny Liston: The Tragic Story of a Terrifying Man [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. He was also seeking to prove himself after his two embarrassing and suspicious losses to Ali. ", 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [48] The challenger, his arms held high in surrender, was demanding that the fight be stopped and Dundee, fearing the fight might indeed be halted, gave his charge a one-word order: "Run! You could feel the deflation, see the look of hurt in his eyes. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. The FBI was on the hunt for evidence for match-fixing, given Listons mob ties mobsters still owned much of his fight promotion contract and the sports shady business model. that startles everyone in a 100 foot radius. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. At one point, Liston had Clay against the ropes and landed a hard left hook. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. Maybe he was. He had a whiplash, so they took him to the hospital," said boxing trainer Johnny Tocco. Sad how they portrayed sonny in such a negative light he seems like a genuinely kind person. 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. "Now (after seeing video) I think Clay, seeing the opening, snapped the punch the last six inches. He also took his gun. Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston: The Controversial Fight Behind Their Biographer Wilfrid Sheed wrote in his book, Muhammad Ali: A Portrait in Words and Photographs, that Clay's protests were heard by ringside members of the Nation of Islam who initially suspected Dundee had blinded his fighter, and that the trainer deliberately wiped his own eyes with the corner sponge to demonstrate to Clay's approaching bodyguards that he had not intentionally blinded him. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. [12], Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed three meals every day. The fight quickly descended into chaos. [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. He would later employ McCarter as a sparring partner. Liston's story, Knopfler said, "is great for a writer for many reasons. With Clay quickly ducking his head left, right or away, Liston's leading left jabs largely failed to land. Sonny Liston interview with Max Goldberg before his fight with Cassius 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, . The mysterious life of Sonny Liston : r/Boxing - Reddit "I remember him telling me one day that he found himself watching boxing but he didn't like the way it made him feel," Knopfler said. I didn't think it was a powerful punch when I saw the fight from ringside," he said. Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. 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. [83] Herb Goldman stated that Liston, when in his prime between 1958 and 1963, was the most feared fighter in boxing history. According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. Like Dylan's subject, Rubin Carter, Knopfler's version of Liston is sympathetic. He allegedly later told an assistant that he took a dive because he was afraid of the consequences of beating Ali he thought it would put a target on his own back. "Better get me out of this ring," exclaimed Wilson, "he is going to kill me! However, when Clay returned to his corner, he started complaining that there was something burning in his eyes and he could not see. 'Raising Ali' Remembers The 'Worst Mess In The History Of Sports' - NPR Suddenly, the world had to come to grips with a new kind of heavyweight champion. I wasn't hit. [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. "[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. What are you doing? It burned like hell. Thom Jones titled his 2000 collection of short stories Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine. [76][77] Foreman stated: "There wasn't anything missing from Sonny Liston. 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. At one point, Clay was wiping his eyes with his right hand while extending his left arm"like a drunk leaning on a lamppost" Bert Sugar wroteto keep Liston at bay. The victim sought out the executioner." Sonny Liston Once Shot a Gun at Muhammad Ali - Sportscasting [5][6] Alfie Potts Harmer in The Sportster also ranked him the third greatest heavyweight and the sixth greatest boxer at any weight. The connections to organized crime were an advantage early in his career but were later used against him. "He was scared of the police. Liston, with a 25-pound weight advantage, 214lb (97kg) to 189lb (86kg), knocked out Patterson at 2:06 of the first round, putting him down for the count with a powerful left hook to the jaw. Two of the best-known are "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel and "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan. More on that in a second. Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. Was Pariah boxing legend Sonny Listons OD really a mob murder? "There was nothing Sonny feared more than a needle. 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. Lennox is a conqueror? Geraldine called Liston's attorney and his doctor, but did not notify the police until two to three hours later. And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. Wepner, who also fought George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, said after his career was over that Liston was the hardest puncher he faced. Rogin called Liston's physique "awesomearms like fence posts, thighs like silos." [66], Former champions Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson and Gene Tunney, as well as contender George Chuvalo all declared they considered the fight to be a fake. The Devil And Sonny Liston. He cited Liston's inability to lift his arm: "There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color Legends of Boxing in Color 22K views 10 months ago On the Spot show with Max Goldberg featuring the heavyweight champion. said Liston's Philadelphia dentist, Dr. Nick Ragni. Press J to jump to the feed. "I didn't know what the heck was going on", Angelo Dundee, Clay's trainer, recalled on an NBC special 25 years later. #muhammadali #henrycooper #sonnyliston #dougjones #heavyweight #greatness #boxing #legend #larryholmes #ironmike #sonnyliston #intimidating #bad #big #greatb. I'm the best ever. [97], "The month before he died, some guy ran into Sonny while he was making a left turn. Only Massachusetts was willing to host the fight, though it was delayed from November 1964 to May 1965 so that Ali could recover from hernia surgery. . with Sonny - Traduo em portugus - Reverso Context A few months after Alis fight, Liston was dead from lung congestion though even that was shrouded in mystery and controversy. Savant Sundays: Sonny Liston - Bad Left Hook Tosches, Nick (2000). Very Rare interview with Sonny Liston and Joe Louis. 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