Sonny Liston

Sonny Liston was born Charles L. Liston on May 8, 1932 in St. Francis County, Arkansas. Liston was a professional boxer, and in his career, compiled a stellar record of 50 victories, against 4 defeats and no draws. Thirty nine of his wins came of the knockout variety.http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9031&cat=boxer

Liston was the tenth of eleven children brought into the world by his mother, Helen Baskin and was reportedly the twenty fourth of a staggering twenty five children supposedly procreated by his father, Tobe Liston. Liston had a tough childhood and was in and out of trouble with the law.

He served 19 months in prison starting in 1950 after being convicted of robbery and larceny. On top of that, he was charged with assault in St. Louis, Missouri in 1956 where he had a physical altercation with a police officer. He spent nine months in prison and was prohibited from boxing for the entire year of 1957.http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:9031

Liston would defend the title he took from Patterson against him again in a rematch, which took place on July 22, 1963. This fight went no better for Patterson, as he was floored by a barrage of punches from the champion Liston, who put an end to the fight after just 2:09 of the first round, during which time Patterson hit the canvas three times.http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9031&cat=boxer

That set up a match with Cassius Clay, a brash up and comer who wanted his crack at the title. The bout took place on February 25, 1964 in Miami, Florida. Liston was a heavy favorite, but Clay battled him punch for punch, round for round through seven grueling rounds of a scheduled fifteen round bout. The cards were even, with each man ahead on one judge's scorecard and the third scoring it a draw. However, Liston couldn't answer the bell for the seventh round, citing an injured shoulder, and retired, losing his championship in the process.http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9031&cat=boxer

The two men clashed again on May 25, 1965, where Clay, who had now changed his name to Muhammad Ali, would defend his belt under questionable circumstances. In the opening round, Liston was knocked to the mat on an innocent looking right hand while he was backpedaling in the ring. Referee, former heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott, ushered Ali to a neutral corner but failed to pick up the count from the timekeeper. Liston got up and Walcott told the fighters to continue boxing, but Nat Fleischer shouted to Walcott from ringside that Liston had been down for more then ten seconds. The punch remains clouded in controversy to this day, with many people inclined to believe that Liston took a dive, either for the mob or the Black Muslims.http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Liston_Sonny.html

Liston fought a string of lesser lights and non entities in racking up another long winning streak, but his chances at championship gold again were thwarted when he was knocked out by Leotis Martin via a ninth round knockout on December 6, 1969. In the final fight of his career, Liston defeated Chuck Wepner by TKO in the tenth round.http://cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/sliston.htm

Liston died on December 30, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada of heart failure. He was not found until over a week later by his wife on January 5, 1971. Heroin was suspected to be an underlying cause of the heart failure though some have said that Liston had an abject fear of needles. This has led to speculation that Liston's enemies might have killed him.http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Liston_Sonny.htmlhttp://www.nndb.com/people/167/000085909/

After being arrested and sent to prison in 1950, Liston caught the eye of a Catholic priest, who helped start his career. Liston was paroled early for his transgressions and started boxing on a regular basis.

Liston's amateur career was brief but successful. In a span of less than twelve months, he claimed the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Chicago, Illinois on March 6, 1953. In the process, he dethroned 1952 Olympic gold medalist Ed Sanders, no pushover himself. http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:9031

Liston also would go on to win the Intercity Golden Gloves championship over Julius Griffin in a bout that went to decision.http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:9031

Liston entered the professional ranks later in 1953 and in his first professional fight, on September 2, 1953, he dispatched Don Smith in a scant thirty three seconds. It was the first of seven quick wins for Liston in less than a year, including a pair of decisions over Johnny Summerlin, the second of which was Liston's television debut on August 10, 1954.http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9031&cat=boxerhttp://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:9031

Liston suffered his first professional defeat, and perhaps learned some humility, in his next bout less than a month later against journeyman fighter Marty Marshall. Reports say Liston was laughing at the tactics of Marshall when he was clipped by a right hand that broke his jaw in the fourth round of an eight round bout. Liston went the distance, but lost a split decision. The two would face each other twice more, both won by Liston: one a sixth round TKO, the other a ten round unanimous decision.http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9031&cat=boxer

After going to prison and being unable to fight in 1957, Liston rededicated himself in the ring and began chasing the heavyweight title.

Liston began 1958 with one goal in mind: taking the world heavyweight championship away from Floyd Patterson. The only problem was that Patterson's management found ways to duck the fight. That didn't slow Liston down, as he systematically obliterated any and all competition to step through the ropes to face him.

In his first fight in nearly twenty three months, Liston showed little to no ring rust, wiping out Billy Hunter via TKO in the second round of a scheduled six round contest. In fact, from 1958 through the end of 1961, Liston fought nineteen times. Of those nineteen, only three fights went the distance: two with Bert Whitehurst, though in one he was knocked through the ropes and was climbing back into the ring at the count of seven as the final bell sounded, and the other involving Eddie Machen. The Machen fight was only as close as it was on the judge's scorecards due to Liston being penalized three points for low blows.http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9031&cat=boxer

After the dismantling of Albert Westphal in the first round on December 4, 1961, Patterson defied the advice of his manager Cus D'Amato and agreed to fight Liston for the title. That bout would take place on September 25, 1962. Liston was fully prepared, and dismantled the champion, ending the fight in a stunningly short time of 2 minutes and five seconds of the first round. Boxing had a new champion, and his name was Sonny Liston.http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9031&cat=boxer

In Liston's career, he polished off 39 fights by knockout. Of those, eight ended in round one, including his debut, and the fight that was the pinnacle of his career.

When Liston stopped Floyd Patterson after just 2:05 of the first round in 1962 to claim the heavyweight championship of the world, the boxing world was stunned. Liston unleashed a barrage of shots to the champion, driving him into the ropes and then battering him to the canvas. Patterson was unable to beat the ten count back to his feet, and as quickly as it began, the fight was over.

Liston's ability to punch and counter punch were too much for Patterson, and the rematch a year later was no better for him, as he would survive just an additional four seconds. Every boxer has a weakness, a foil, and for Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston was it. For that seventeen month span between September 1962 and February 1964 when he was dethroned, Liston was on top of the world.