Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. He was trained by Charles Hills and has raced for Chelsea Thoroughbreds, and was bred in [Add Data] by [Add Data] . Tosches, Nick. 1932-1970 Sonny Liston was the heavyweight boxing champion from 1962 to 1964. 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. The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin, and Heavyweights. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. 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. lis! WebSonny Liston is 6 feet 0 inches tall. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. 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. His mother separated from his father and went to St. Louis in Missouri. {{ media.date_translated }}, {{ asCtrl.bannerRights.content|translate }}, The Geneanet family trees are powered by Geneweb 7.0. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. Reverend Stevens arranged the match for him. Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. 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.". Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. 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. Boxer Charles L. Sonny Liston was bornin St. Francis County, Arkansason May 8, 1932. 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. Tosches, who hails from Newark, writes in an engaging style that is as beautifully stylish as a Liston left jab and as savagely straightforward. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. All Rights Reserved. . 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. 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. in rural St. Francis County. Hungry fighters eager to break free from the shackles of their own environment bring an element of savage desperation into their ring encounters. His time at the summit was brief. Astrological Sign: Taurus, Death Year: 1970, Death date: December 30, 1970, Death State: Nevada, Death City: Las Vegas, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Sonny Liston Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/sonny-liston, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 23, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. 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. Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. Big Hela had moved there in 1946. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. On the side of Tobe Liston, born in 1872 - Choctaw Co., MS, deceased. 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. The local police classified him as the yellow shirt bandit.. Trivia He was convicted of robbery and larceny. Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Sonny Liston, Birth Year: 1932, Birth date: May 8, 1932, Birth State: Arkansas, Birth City: St Francis County, Birth Country: United States. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. For those interested in knowing more about the life and times of one of the most enigmatic and troubled heavyweight champs, the book "The Devil and Sonny Liston," by Nick Tosches (Copyright 2000, published by Little, Brown and Company), is a wealth of knowledge. 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. Liston penalized two points for low blows. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. . Twenty-two-year-old Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, defeated reigning world boxing champ Sonny Liston on this day in history, Feb. 25, 1964, in Miami, Florida. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on May 8, 1932. From the time he was old enough to be useful in the fields, Sonny was a laborer for his tenant farmer father. Liston went back to the ring. Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. 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. From the start, it was apparent that he had a future in the ring. Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. Drinking. . 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 was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American. 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). Sonny Liston lost his title to the little known Cassius Clay in the seventh round in February 1964. His dad was an abusive alcoholic and at the age of 13, Sonny left to live with his aunt in There were also times when he showed surprising compassion for the less fortunate. 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 mother believed he was born in January, 1928, but Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932. New York: Blue Rider Press, 2016. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. WebTogether with his 24 siblings and half siblings, Sonny grew up in the local cotton fields. Introduced to boxing by Father Stevens in the St. Louis City Jail during 1950. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. He managed to turn his cruel past to his advantage. Folley knocked down twice in 2nd round; 9 count and saved by the bell at 9 count. 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 While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. WebParents and Siblings Charles L. "Sonny" Liston 19321970 Geraldine Chamber 19252005 Spouse and Children Charles L. "Sonny" Liston Male19321970 Male We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. George Foreman was his sparring partner from 1969 to 1970. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings, and with virtually no schooling. 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. Again rumors were rife that the match was fixed by the criminal underworld. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights. For a while, he even lost his license to box in the United States. Charles "Sonny" Liston was born into a sharecropping family who farmed the poor land of Morledge Plantation near Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. WebHe was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin, and he endured frequent beatings as a child. Education: Sonny Liston Net Worth: Sonny Liston net worth or net income is estimated to be between $1 Million $5 Million dollars. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. 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. Cruel Beginnings. There's no question that the hard-scrabble existence of youth prepared Liston for the success he would later enjoy as a prizefighter. Womanizing. Liston defeated Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson on Sept. 25, 1962. Tosches insists that films of Liston losing to Clay reveal that Liston was missing punches intentionally. 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. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. 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. His alcoholic and violent father was thirty years older than Sonnys mother. He compiled a career record of 50-4, competing against such boxing legends as Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson. With the proceeds he traveled to St. Louis and reunited with his mother and siblings. Creating an account gives you access to all these features. He was accused of stealing an officers gun. In 1950, he was arrested by the police. It has been rumored that the crime boss John Vitale arranged for his early release. In October 1952, Liston was released on parole. At least two sexual assaults. Outside of the ring, Liston had a charming personality. There were rumors of drug peddling, heroin use, and murder, but no answers. He became a professional fighter in 1953. When Liston became the top challenger to champion Floyd Patterson by 1960, it was a Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works likeThe Devil and Sonny Liston(2000)by Nick Tosches. First World Heavyweight Boxing Champion banned from fighting in New York State by the New York Boxing Commission. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. At 13, he escaped from his father's control and hitchhiked to This enabled him to get hired as a manual laborer in the farms. The official cause of his death was given as cardiac arrest and lung congestion. New York: Skyhorse, 2011. 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. Won his last fight on June 29, 1970, at the Jersey City Armory, stopping. In 1966, following his loss to Clay, Liston launched a comeback. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. 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. Liston was arrested more than 20 times. His sporting agility was electrifying to watch. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. angelsunchained, Other Works aged 38years old. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. 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. Liston excelled in his newfound love, boxing, and, after a short amateur career, turned professional. Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. With Cus DAmato as his coach, Liston reigned as champion for seventeen months. Liston started boxing at the age of 14 because there were no sports available in Florida at the time. Steen, Rob. 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. He was born in St. Francis in the state of Missouri, USA. 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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). Tosches believes the latter. The Dowling Family Tree with over half a million relatives, 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. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. World heavyweight boxing champion, 1962-1964. Liston emptied his pockets of bills and returned to the car with all of the women's pencils. The author begins appropriately at the beginning with his subject, providing more comprehensive information about Sonny's childhood than probably even Sonny himself knew. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Liston was beaten in his ninth match by Marty Marshall. 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 defeated heavyweight contenders Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn, Henry Clark, and Chuck Wepner. Due to the poverty in the family, Sonny never went to school. Liston is another. Liston continued fighting following the loss of his title, mainly because it was the only legal way he knew how to make a buck. 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. It was just a matter of semantics, though. From the start, Liston was a devastating puncher. Encyclopedia of Arkansas 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. Username and password are case sensitive. He was friendly with his fans and had a soft spot for children. He started boxing in prison and was likely over 30 then. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous "phantom punch." After winning most of his matches by knockout, he turned pro in 1951. Before Fame He sold pecans from his brother-in-law's tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. William Friedkin was intended to direct his biopic "Night Train" with Ving Rhames as Sonny Liston. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. Sanders was the reigning Olympic heavyweight champion. in Sand Slough, Arkansas, USA , United States, Died on December 30, 1970 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. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife, and the Phantom Punch. boxer had the look of a champion. There, he committed various muggings and robberies. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He went on to win several amateur matches. But the champ went down in a hurry: two minutes and six seconds in the first round. In his next fight he bounced back to TKO Chuck Wepner shortly before his mysterious death in 1970. Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, around 1932. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. (LogOut/ Owing to his bold physique and strict upbringing, Liston loved training. Joe Louis rated Liston's jab one of the best in boxing history. 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. As with the date of Liston's birth, no one knows for sure. He quickly destroyed all the leading heavyweight contenders--Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams--to earn a title shot against Floyd Patterson. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. It was there in Sand Slough that Charles L. Liston was born, on the 50 acres that Tobe rented from the Man.". After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. She was working in a shoe factory when her son Charles unexpectedly came to the city and looked her up. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. Clay was no debtor to the mob. Liston claimed he was born in Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000. When he won the heavyweight title in 1962 at age 30, he had a daughter age 25. 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. What advantage would there be to having the brash young boxer from Louisville installed as heavyweight champ in place of Liston? | Liston lost his rematch to Ali in May 1965. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. Sonny Liston: The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. General Melvin Krulewitch, chairman of the New York Boxing Commission in the 1950s, refused to issue Liston a license to fight in New York because he was guilty of associating with "questionable" characters. Was the favorite fighter of the famous Fab Four, the Beatles, and he appears on their "Sgt. 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. Sand Slough, Arkansas, United States of America, Sonny Liston is still regarded as the best heavyweight boxer with a taste of violence. In June of the following year, Liston won the rematch with another knockout. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. Publicity Listings He was one of many childrenone account lists twenty-two siblings and half-siblings. Relationship with Timothy Michael Dowling (Sosa/Ahnentafel #1), Relationship with Geraldine Clark (spouse), Browse using this individual as Sosa/Ahnentafel #1, , born in1872 - Choctaw Co., MS, deceased, , born inApril1873 - Montgomery Co., MS, deceased, Sources: Dowling Family Tree - Tim Dowling - rootsweb, 2001-2015 - - electronic - I435533, Marriage (with Geraldine Clark) - St. Louis, MO, List of all individuals in the family tree, {{ 'gw_downgraded_access_back_to_max'|translate }}, Born 8May1932 - Sand Lough, St. Francis Co., AR, Deceased 30December1970 - Las Vegas, Clark Co., NV, The tactic worked. Sonny never really had a Prime. 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Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). Liston on his age: "I'm like Jack Benny, I never tell my age.". He had been dead for some time, an ending every bit as murky as the Clay/Ali fights. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award.
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