Before his sentencing, Liston had been arrested more than twenty times. Copyright 2020 ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA, All rights Reserved. Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932, but that is off by at least two years. 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. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. Family (1) Spouse Sonny Liston went from boxing champion and national anti-hero to a Las Vegas thug who drove around in a pink Cadillac and sold drugs. The couple had two children; one was a daughter from Chambers previous marriage. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. Geraldine married Sonny Liston in 1950 Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. Liston turned professional in September 1953, earning his first paycheck in St. Louis with a first-round knockout of Don Smith. Big Hela had moved there in 1946. Primary Income source Boxer (profession). After winning most of his matches by knockout, he turned pro in 1951. 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. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Reverend Stevens was both the prisons chaplain and sports director. There, he committed various muggings and robberies. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. New York: Skyhorse, 2011. Following his release from the workhouse, Liston quickly returned to the ring against Hunter and got his career back on track. Just three months after Sonny's move to Denver, his license was reinstated. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on May 8, 1932. There were rumors of drug peddling, heroin use, and murder, but no answers. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. William Friedkin was intended to direct his biopic "Night Train" with Ving Rhames as Sonny Liston. 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. He was arrested twice in a period of months in Philadelphia in the summer of 1961. WebSonny Liston is 6 feet 0 inches tall. His mother believed he was born in January, 1928, but Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932. Time magazine photograph of Ali standing over Liston, taunting him, is one of the most popularly published in boxing. WebHe had seven siblings. He kept fighting and kept winning against a progressively better grade of opponents. The subsequent rematch with Clay on May 25, 1965, included the infamous "phantom punch." The official cause of his death was given as cardiac arrest and lung congestion. WebParents and Siblings Charles L. "Sonny" Liston 19321970 Geraldine Chamber 19252005 Spouse and Children Charles L. "Sonny" Liston Male19321970 Male She was working in a shoe factory when her son Charles unexpectedly came to the city and looked her up. He was one of many Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing by Reverend Father Alois Stevens. WebHalf-siblings. {{ media.date_translated }}, {{ asCtrl.bannerRights.content|translate }}, The Geneanet family trees are powered by Geneweb 7.0. 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. Sonny Liston: The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. He managed to turn his cruel past to his advantage. He overcame tremendous odds to win the title and earn a measure of fame, but even so he was never embraced by the public. His alcoholic and violent father was thirty years older than Sonnys mother. He maintained a winning streak in eight matches. Robert B. Cochran 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. During that same period, he got married (in 1957 to Geraldine Clark), moved from St. Louis to Philadelphia, and was questioned by a congressional committee about the takeover of his management by mob elements in 1960. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. Tosches is admirably objective in his presentation of Liston. Liston defeated Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson on Sept. 25, 1962. If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. In 1956, he found himself on the wrong side of the law again. Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. Copyright 2020, ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA. 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. Dating is to describe a stage in a persons life when he or she is actively pursuing romantic relationships with different people. Sonny Liston lost his title to the little known Cassius Clay in the seventh round in February 1964. 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His mother separated from his father and went to St. Louis in Missouri. Sonny Liston estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. His wife found his lifeless body in their home on January 5, 1971. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. Did he need Liston's cooperation to beat the rapidly aging champion that night in February of 1964? Sonny never really had a Prime. He defeated heavyweight contenders Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn, Henry Clark, and Chuck Wepner. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. Scroll below and check our most recent updates about Sonny Liston Net Worth, Salary, Biography, Age, He was adopted when the couple was together. The continual conflicts with the police. Liston penalized two points for low blows. Even Sonny's mother, who was called Big Hela, didn't know, though she believed him to be born during the month of January. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. In a short amount of time, he rose to prominence as a contender in the heavyweight division. In the films the good guy always wins, but this is one bad guy who ain't gonna lose. Touring the local hospital in a grey tweed overcoat with a black velvet collar, the intimidating, burly, 6-foot-tall, 215 lb. 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. The place had a name, but it was not to be found on any map. Lets take a look at Sonny Liston past relationships, ex-girlfriends and previous hookups. Was the favorite fighter of the famous Fab Four, the Beatles, and he appears on their "Sgt. Joe Louis rated Liston's jab one of the best in boxing history. 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. His epitaph reads: A Man.. Maybe Liston realized that he couldn't beat the youthful Clay/Ali, and he opted not to get up off the canvas in round one instead of absorbing another beating. gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, 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. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. (There is some speculation about his year of birth, but most sources state sometime from 1929 to 1932.) After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. He had earned the title shot with an impressive string of 195960 victories over top contenders. Drinking. His relationship status is single. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. Owing to his bold physique and strict upbringing, Liston loved training. He became a professional fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Don Smith in a single round in St. Louis. 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. 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. Assael, Shaun. Hungry fighters eager to break free from the shackles of their own environment bring an element of savage desperation into their ring encounters. He was friendly with his fans and had a soft spot for children. (LogOut/ The dark side is evident. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Cruel Beginnings. 72201. Liston is another. 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). The author begins appropriately at the beginning with his subject, providing more comprehensive information about Sonny's childhood than probably even Sonny himself knew. He had been dead for some time, an ending every bit as murky as the Clay/Ali fights. Reverend Stevens arranged the match for him. 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. Wrong username or password. After the court case, he was sentenced to a five-year jail term in the Missouri State Prison. Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. He rose from poverty in the rural south to become one of the most dominant and feared professional fighters of the 20th century. Sonny Liston was born in Sand Slough, AR on May 8, 1932. As Toches brings out, Liston's brooding temperament can be explained in part by his insecurity. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. Liston claimed he was born in 1932, yet his rap sheet for his 1950 arrest for armed robbery listed his age as 22, making him born in 1928. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. His father physically molested him. 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. 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 buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. Foes like the murderous-punching Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn and Nino Valdez succumbed to Liston's heavy fists. Some suspect foul play; others believe Liston died of a self-inflicted drug overdose. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. The local police classified him as the yellow shirt bandit.. Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. He compiled a career record of 50-4, competing against such boxing legends as Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against Bayonne Bleeder Chuck Wepner. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppersin rural St. Francis County. Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his fathers 25 children. Instead, he and some friends took to robbing people on the street and robbing gas stations with a loaded pistol. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Liston had a rough and violent childhood. Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. Why he died remains one of sport's most enduring mysteries. Served 7 months in jail for beating up a police officer over a parking ticket in St. Louis in the mid-1950s. 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. 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. He organized a criminal gang that robbed and mugged locals. 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 He started boxing in prison and was likely Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings, and with virtually no schooling. His death certificate states his death as December 30, 1970, based on milk deliveries at his doorstep. If two unmarried celebrities are seen in public together, they are often described as dating which means they were seen in public together, and it is not clear whether they are merely friends, exploring a more intimate relationship, or are romantically involved. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. Nous sommes tous 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. After his release, Liston relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his career quickly flourished again. First heavyweight title challenger to earn a purse of $1,000,000. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Boxer. 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. Won his last fight on June 29, 1970, at the Jersey City Armory, stopping. Sonny had to put the proper face forward to the public. On September 25, 1962, Liston made history by becoming the heavyweight champion. When Liston died, he was rated 7th in the world heavyweight rankings by Ring Magazine. In June of the following year, Liston won the rematch with another knockout. He started boxing in prison and was likely over 30 then. Change). {{ mediasCtrl.getTitle(media, true) }} (LogOut/ He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. However, it turned out to be his stepdaughter, the daughter of his wife. He became a professional fighter in 1953. What advantage would there be to having the brash young boxer from Louisville installed as heavyweight champ in place of Liston? During his two-plus years in the state penitentiary, Liston attained a new nickname, "Sonny," and a new vocation, boxing. 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. Before he was 18, Liston was convicted of six muggings. He served brief prison terms and on one occasion was introduced to boxing by a prison chaplain. The rematch in Las Vegas on July 22, 1963, was another first-round knockout. Liston went down in the first round, felled by a punch few saw. By all accounts, Liston had a woeful childhood. Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. Before Fame He sold pecans from his brother-in-law's tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. . As with the date of Liston's birth, no one knows for sure. He is from AR. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Pressure resulting from appearing before the committee, and from the diatribes of Patterson's manager Cus D'Amato, caused Liston to buy out the contract of his manager, Pep Barone, who was considered to be an undesirable, and name old-time Philadelphia political hack George Katz as his manager. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. He knocked out the reigning world champion in the first round. As most boxing fans know, it was in the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City that Sonny learned to box. Let's check, How Rich is Ben, All You Need To Know About Tamara Hurwitz. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. 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 had his first competitive match in prison. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Sonny Liston prefers not to tell the details of marital status & divorce. Boxer Charles L. Sonny Liston was bornin St. Francis County, Arkansason May 8, 1932. From the start, it was apparent that he had a future in the ring. In 1950, he was arrested by the police. contains thousands of pictures and GeneaStars. Liston claimed he was born in Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up 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. Even as a grown up, the physical scars were still visible. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. During the years that Liston was champ, the mob was in retreat. He quickly learned how to box and within three years was fighting on the amateur circuit. His epitaph reads: "A Man.". L'arbre Family Liston moved to Las Vegas in 1966 and was found dead there on Jan. 5, 1971, when his wife returned to their home from a Christmas visit with her mother. Clay later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Tosches does a nice piece of reporting on the incident that led to Liston's arrest, objectively revealing all available viewpoints. Official Sites. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover. 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. Early Life and Family: Before he was famous, He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. (There is some speculation about his year of Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works like The Devil and Sonny Liston (2000) by Nick Tosches. Cox, who was interviewed extensively by Tosches, went as far as to say that Liston would still be alive if he had "spent more time with Father Murphy."). Jack Dempsey and Roberto Duran are two cases in point. Gallender, Paul. 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. 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. 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. 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. Username and password are case sensitive. L'arbre 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. 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. He was sired by Lawman out of the Galileo mare Stars In Your Eyes. He is one of the Richest Boxer who was born in AR. His best years were 195862 when he destroyed everyone while Patterson shamelessly ducked him. - IMDb Mini Biography By: | Hardly. In 1957, he was sentenced to nine months in the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a police officer. With Cus DAmato as his coach, Liston reigned as champion for seventeen months. In accordance with the legal provisions, you can ask for the removal of your name and the name of your minor children. Liston's purpose was to show the Pennylvania State Athletic Commission, and the world, that he was turning a new leaf. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. 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. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works likeThe Devil and Sonny Liston(2000)by Nick Tosches. 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. 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. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American. Liston and Geraldine had no children, but Liston loved kids and enjoyed being in their company. No one knows how Sonny Liston died. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! World heavyweight boxing champion, 1962-1964. His sporting agility was electrifying to watch.