sonny liston interview

But as it approached, there were fears that the promoters were tied to organized crime and Massachusetts officials, most notably Suffolk County District Attorney Garrett H. Byrne, began to have second thoughts. A grateful Liston found there was no need to give chase. Sonny Liston vs Eddie Machen (1960) As usual, Liston wasted no time throwing his jab and keeping Machen at bay, who was trying to get his hands off with minimal success. In his own words in Thomas Hauser's 1991 biography: "The punch jarred him. Rogin discounted speculation that Patterson had thrown the fight, writing: "The genesis of all this wide-eyed theorizing and downright baloney was the fact that many spectators failed to see the knockout blows. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. "At about noon on the day of the fight, (Magids) reached Resnick again by phone," the memo read. Liston retired in his corner due to an inflamed shoulder. "The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him outthe fight is over,'" Walcott said after the fight. Caputo, one of the investigating police officers, "The whole department knew about it." In the months ahead of the fight, Muhammad Ali went all sorts of routes to get into Sonny Liston's head. Although Clay often carried his gloves down at his waist, seemingly open to attack, he proved very difficult to hit. Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". Dave Anderson of the New York Times said Liston "looked awful" in his last workout before the fight. [7] Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. After Ali's win against Sonny Liston, he wouldn't . Sonny Liston, I think was possibly the greatest intimidator of all time. [56] Sports Illustrated writer Tex Maule wrote that Liston's shoulder injury was legitimate. Philadelphia wanted nothing to do with him. Mark Knopfler enjoyed widespread popularity in the 1980's as the leader of Dire Straits, lending his husky voice to hit songs like "Sultans of Swing" and "Money for Nothing." I remember thinking as a child that this was a man who wanted to be left alone.". [35] Liston's victory was loudly booed. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. On May 5, 1956, a policeman confronted Liston and a friend about a cab parked near Liston's home. He returned with four consecutive knockout victories in Sweden between July 1966 and April 1967, all four co-promoted by former world heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson. . Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. I'm the best ever. ", It was later theorized that a substance used on Liston's cuts by Joe Pollino, his cut man, may have caused the irritation. "[95], Sgt. Tocco called the police, and they broke into the house. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him, "Get up and fight, sucker!" A sudden violent combination delivered with 30 seconds left in the round electrified the crowd. Good lord, Sonny's mitts are massive. Then again, you can also have guys like Ali or Mike Tyson. "[82] Johnny Tocco, a trainer who worked with George Foreman and Mike Tyson as well as Liston, said Liston was the hardest hitter of the three. He talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming, "It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel." Ali would lose his title a year later, though it didnt happen in the ring. The Ring magazine ranks Liston as the tenth greatest heavyweight of all time,[4] while boxing writer Herb Goldman ranked him second and Richard O'Brien, Senior Editor of Sports Illustrated, placed him third. The bout would need to be delayed by six months. ", Ali clearly did not think he knocked Liston out. [citation needed], Rogin wrote that Patterson backers expected him to "go inside on Liston, fire away and then run like a thief in the night. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. He was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence, and was not prohibited from boxing during 1957. Less than 10 days later, he was Muhammad Ali, a name given him to Elijah Muhammad, the head of the Nation of Islam. Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Sonny Liston | Boxing's Most Intimidating and Unwanted Champion Rainy Day Boxing 302K subscribers 5.6M views 1 year ago Join Rainy Day Boxing for an in depth career tribute to arguably the most. The suspension was honored in all states. (, Shaun Assael. "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). ", Hutchison, Phillip J. He had the whole package. Ali did neither. Liston was depicted as a bad guy by the media, a handbreaker for the mafia. The connections to organized crime were an advantage early in his career but were later used against him. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. That would prove to be an understatement. Top contender Zora Folley was stopped in three rounds. (4) Liston was supposed to take a dive when he fought Chuck Wepner six months earlier, and killing him was payback for his failure to do so. [36], Jack Dempsey spoke for many when he was quoted as saying that Sonny Liston should not be allowed to fight for the title. "A blues song just for fighters: The legend of Sonny Liston. .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. "[78] While much has been written about the effectiveness of his left jab, others have commented favorably on Liston's wide range of boxing skills. Very Rare interview with Sonny Liston and Joe Louis. 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", 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. [38], Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago. Liston went down at 1:44, got up at 1:56, and Walcott stopped the fight at 2:12. Knopfler, who now records as a soloist and performs with a backup band, has a wide-ranging curiosity that has produced an eclectic collection of songs. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This victory is regarded by some as Liston's most impressive performance. More on that in a second. It became known as the phantom punch and has been the subject of controversy and speculation for the last 55 years. There's never been anybody as ruthless. Liston was overwhelmed by an abusive father, confrontations with the law, underworld managers and a change in African-American culture represented by Ali, Knopfler said. Sonny Liston is considered by many as the most intimidating boxer of all time with a devastating jab which is widely regarded as one of the best in heavyweight history. Tocco left the house before the police did. Liston went down on his back. Asked by a young white reporter why he was not fighting for freedom in the South, Liston deadpanned, "I ain't got no dog-proof ass. When Patterson met with the president in January 1962, Kennedy suggested that Patterson avoid Liston, citing Justice Department concerns over Liston's ties to organized crime. Boston: Little, Brown. It was probably Liston's best moment in the entire fight. Cleveland Williams was the last person to defeat Liston and made $100,000 for his efforts. kos k.o.s ko.s knockouts fight of the year joe louis lewis primo carnera buddy max baer tony galento lamon brewster monte barrett barret amir khan oleg maskaev nicolai valuev nikolai joe calzaghe sergej sergey liakhovich liakovich shannon briggs evander holyfield zultan ibragimov sultan meldrick taylor pauli ayala paul spadafora prince prinze naseem hamed naz johnny tapia john ruiz wilfredo gomez wilfried benitez george foreman big ron lyle earnie shavers joe frazier ken norton angelo dundee eddie futch riddick bowe Henry Akinwande Muhammad Ali Max Baer Michael Bentt Riddick Bowe James J. Braddock Shannon Briggs Tommy Burns Primo Carnera Ruslan Chagaev Ezzard Charles Gerrie Coetzee James J. Corbett Francesco Damiani Jack Dempsey Michael Dokes Jimmy Ellis Bob Fitzsimmons Joe Frazier Marvin Hart Herbie Hide Evander Holyfield James J. Jeffries Ingemar Johansson Jack Johnson Vitali Klitschko Sonny Liston Joe Louis Rocky Marciano Ray Mercer Tommy Morrison Greg Page Floyd Patterson John Ruiz Max Schmeling Bruce Seldon Jack Sharkey James Smith John L. Sullivan John Tate Ernie Terrell Tony Tubbs Nikolay Valuev Jersey Joe Walcott Mike Weaver Jess Willard Tim Witherspoon Muhammad Ali Lou Ambers Sammy Angott Fred Apostoli Ray Arcel Alexis Argello Baby Arizmendi Henry Armstrong Abe Attell Max Baer Caleb Baldwin Carmen Basilio Wilfred Bentez Nino Benvenuti Jack Kid Berg Jimmy Bivins Umberto Branchini Joe Brown Panama Al Brown Ken Buchanan Charley Burley Orlando Canizales Miguel Canto Tony Canzoneri Michael Carbajal Jem Carney Jimmy Carter Marcel Cerdan Antonio Cervantes Bobby Chacon Arthur Chambers Ezzard Charles Kid Chocolate Joe Choynski Stanley Christodoulou Billy Conn Eugne Criqui Jos Cuevas Jack Dempsey Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey Jack Dillon Professor Mike Donovan Paddy Duffy Don Dunphy Roberto Durn Lou Duva Billy Edwards Gabriel Elorde Jeff Fenech Bob Fitzsimmons George Foreman Bob Foster Joe Frazier Gene Fullmer Khaosai Galaxy Vctor Galndez Joe Gans Kid Gaviln Joey Giardello Mike Gibbons Wilfredo Gmez Humberto Mike Tyson Rocky Marciano, the former heavyweight champion, said that he appreciated the punchs strength upon re-examination. Banker later learned that the police told Liston the same thing to his face. Im free to be who I want.. [107] The story speculates that Liston threw the Ali match for the good of society. During the interim, officials in Boston also got cold feet. "[59], Liston is ranked second in the ESPN.com list of "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History. Skeptics called the knockout blow "the phantom punch." At about 30 seconds into the round he hit Liston with several combinations, causing a bruise under Liston's right eye and a cut under his left, which eventually required eight stitches to close. The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. Liston knocked out Hermann Schreibauer of West Germany at 2:16 of the first round. Liston won 14 consecutive bouts, 13 by knockout, before fighting third-ranked Leotis Martin, previously beaten by Clark, in December 1969. and he was pointing at some little bandage over the needle mark in his arm. Rare interview of Sonny Liston colorized. Reminds me of former UFC fighter Shane Carwin. BOXING Correction: July 15, 2005, Friday A sports picture caption on Wednesday with an article about Mark Knopfler's ballad for the boxer Sonny Liston referred incorrectly in some copies to the year in which Muhammad Ali knocked out Liston in Lewiston, Me. 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. McDonough, however, claimed Walcott was looking at the crowd and never at him. Knopfler, who was born in Scotland and grew up in northern England, said Liston's story was "exciting subject matter because it's so mysterious." I don't think there was any way for him to beat Clay at that time, but if he entered the ring in a different mindset, to box and not try and get him like Patterson and others, he could of went the distance. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Some writers thought Liston brought bad press on himself by a surly and hostile attitude toward journalists. He said he could not hear McDonough, who did not have a microphone. I was down but not hurt, but I looked up and saw Ali standing over me. Liston decked Martin with a left hook in the fourth round and dominated most of the fight, but Martin came back and knocked Liston out cold in the ninth round. One of the victories was over Amos Johnson, Liston's former sparring partner, who had recently defeated British champion Henry Cooper. [94], On January 1, Liston's wife, Geraldine, called Johnny Tocco and said she had not heard from her husband in three days and was worried. Be respectful and come chat with us. "And I suppose Sonny Liston always stuck with me. Standing 185 centimeters (6'1) tall and packing over 90 kilograms (200 lb) of pure muscle, there's a reason he was nicknamed "The Big Bear," and it wasn't for the hugs he gave.. His career in heavyweight boxing spanned from 1953 to 1970, and he spent all 17 of those years going guts for glory against the . "[40][41], Upon winning the world heavyweight title, Liston had a speech prepared for the crowd that friends had assured him would meet him at the Philadelphia airport. That saw him drive a big red bus to Liston's home that read, "Sonny Liston is a great but will fall in eight" along with the words "World's most colorful fighter Cassius Clay.". He also had a reputation for bullying people such as porters and waitresses. It was a shocking result, not only because Liston was favored in the match, but because hardly anybody saw the punch that took him down. [72], "I was an 'intimidator' until I fought Sonny Liston. The year 1959 was a banner one for Liston: after knocking out contender Mike DeJohn in six rounds he faced Cleveland Williams, a fast-handed fighter who was billed as the hardest-hitting heavyweight in the world against whom he showed durability, power and skill, nullifying Williams' best work before stopping him in the third round. Press J to jump to the feed. Hed shown up to the fight in the best shape of his life no hot dogs or beer in his diet this time and promised to take down Ali. THE PREFIGHT MOODS OF SONNY LISTON. These transcripts contain material that did not appear in the final program. I want to prove to the world there's dirty work afoot.' Ali called it "the anchor punch." The toxicology report said his body was too decomposed for the tests to be conclusive. Rogin called Liston's physique "awesomearms like fence posts, thighs like silos." [30] Before his bout with Liston, Muhammad Ali consulted Machen and was advised that the key to survival was to make Liston lose his temper. His defense was described as "the gate-crossing of arms la Archie Moore. "He had a left like Henry's hammer," Knopfler sings, "a right like Betty Bamalam. Odds makers gave Liston 71 to win. "He said, 'Cut the gloves off. Watch the interview you be the judge. Sonny Liston had a very sad upbringing & had to learn to survive at a young age. He would not close in until the accumulated inside damage and Liston's own frustration had sapped the challenger's strength and will." "[35], U.S. President John F. Kennedy also did not want Patterson to fight Liston. We cooked up that shoulder thing on the spot. His fists measured 15 inches (38cm) around, the largest of any heavyweight champion. Authorities theorized that he was undressing for bed when he fell over backward with such force that he broke the rail of the bench. "[96], Many people who knew Liston insisted he was afraid of needles and never would have used heroin. [42], Liston's run-ins with the police had continued in Philadelphia. This is a place for friendly and civil debate about the greatest sport on earth. Walcott never began a count in the ring because of Ali's non-compliance and his physical struggle with getting Ali to go to that neutral corner. People around the world tuned in via satellite to watch the match, which was fought in front of 2,434 paying ticket-holders, the smallest crowd in heavyweight championship fight history; people there suggested the crowd was more like 4,000, but nonetheless, it was a very small in-person audience. During these same years Sonny Liston was on the comeback trail as well. Liston's story, Knopfler said, "is great for a writer for many reasons. Liston was the subject of a 1995 HBO documentary titled Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. Liston had thrown a jab with his left arm and, leaning forward, took a right hook from Ali right to the skull. Elizabeth Bear wrote the short story "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall", published in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2008. The most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. A dominant contender of his era, he became the world heavyweight champion in 1962 after knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, repeating the knockout the following year in defense of the title; in the latter fight he also became the inaugural WBC heavyweight . Liston believed his date of birth to be May 8, 1932, and used this for official purposes[11] but by the time he won the world title an aged appearance added credence to rumors that he was actually several years older. He then outpointed Julius Griffin, winner of the New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, to capture the Intercity Golden Gloves Championship on March 26 (representing Chicago). The Devil and Sonny Liston. [27][28], Liston's streak of nine straight knockout victories ended when he won a unanimous twelve-round decision against Eddie Machen on September 7, 1960. [70] There have been a number of unproven theories as to the background to the purported dive including that Liston was threatened by the Muslims, or agreed to lose in return for a share in the more marketable Ali's future purses. that startles everyone in a 100 foot radius. [31] While Liston began working into shape with hopes for a heavyweight title shot, he also continued his criminal behavior. Although the opening round saw Clay largely on the defensive, it was soon established that Clay could reverse roles quickly and take to the offensive with a remarkably fast series of combinations delivered to Liston's head. When Machen clinched in . Lennox is a conqueror? Sad how they portrayed sonny in such a negative light he seems like a genuinely kind person. "It really has made an impact, actually from the very first time I performed it on 'A Prairie Home Companion,"' Knopfler said in a telephone interview. Technically, contracts for boxing matches werent supposed to have rematch clauses, though pretty much all of them had some sort of loophole and agreement when each side wanted to guarantee a return bout again, the laws by which boxing governed itself were really more suggestions at the time. He offered no comment on the matter, but his victory would soon turn it into an international story. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. Entire books have been written about the fight, and one, released in 2015, sought to end the suggestion that Liston took another fall. He also took his gun. 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. [21], Liston made his professional debut on September 2, 1953, knocking out Don Smith in the first round in St. Louis, where he fought his first five bouts. Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. Tocco said that the living room furniture was in disarray, but the house did not yet smell of death. Even before the first punch was thrown, the May 25, 1965 bout between .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 and Sonny Liston, during which the photo was snapped, was already shaping up to be the stuff of legends. Any objective observer would have had to concede that Ali's counterpunch had landed, and landed with enough force to turn Liston's head, Rob Sneddon wrote in The Phantom Punch: The Story Behind Boxing's Most Controversial Bout. Muhammad Ali stands over Sonny Liston after dropping Liston with a short hard right to the jaw on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine, Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston: The Controversial Fight Behind Their Iconic Boxing Photo, Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, an official member of the Nation of Islam, Senate subcommittee hearing turned up no evidence, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. At that point, the fight was scored as even on the official scorecards. In the third round, Clay began to take control of the fight. 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. But by the sixth round his sight had cleared, and a clearly enraged Clay fought a blisteringly aggressive round landing numerous combination punches. The Murder of Sonny Liston: A Story of Fame, Heroin, Boxing & Las Vegas Pan publisher; 2017. In that same book Liston was quoted two years after the fight: "Ali knocked me down with a sharp punch. He won by a seventh-round technical knockout, and seemed on the verge of making a comeback to the big time. Inter-Continental said local veteran Sam Silverman was the promoter. [73] The bout was stopped after the ninth round due to cuts over both of Wepner's eyes. [34] Many African-Americans disdained Liston. Ali is waiting to hit me, the ref can't control him. It was a good punch, but I didn't think I hit him so hard that he couldn't have gotten up. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. [86] Former light-heavyweight champion Jose Torres said, "I have never met an athlete in baseball, basketball or football who is smarter, more intelligent than Sonny Liston". interview with Alex Haley in Muhammad Ali by Thomas Hauser. Tosches, Nick (2000). According to a New York Times report the day after the fight, Clay was indeed an official member of the Nation of Islam. . It was the first time in his career that Liston had been cut. [30], Liston became the No. ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." 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, . On April 21, 1955, he defeated Marshall in a rematch, dropping him four times en route to a sixth-round knockout. Time magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. [29] Machen's taunting and his spoiling tactics of dodging and grapplingat one point almost heaving Liston over the ropesso alienated the audience that Liston received unaccustomed support from the crowd. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. It'll just be for slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell.". He then left the fighters to go over to McDonough. [60] The extent to which Liston's heavy drinking and possible drug use may have contributed to his surprisingly poor performances against Ali is not known.[15]. . So I went down. Soon, he was known as Cassius X, eschewing the last name given to his enslaved family by their owners. ", Knopfler compared writing a song about Liston to the work a sculptor performs on a statue. [71] Credence to the latter theory is provided by the fact that Liston, immediately after his fight with Chuck Wepner, seemed more concerned about supporting the proposed Ali-Frazier bout and Ali's claims to be champion than promoting his own career. We had a return bout clause with Clay, but if you say your guy just quit, who is gonna get a return bout? I know!" [84], Liston married Geraldine Chambers in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 3, 1957. He was more angry about that shot than he was about the car wreck. 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. In these feckless clinches he only managed to tie up one of Liston's arms. [15] In 1946, Helen Baskin, along with some of her children, moved to St. Louis to seek factory work. 1 contender in 1960, but the handlers of world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson refused to give him a shot at the title because of Liston's links to organized crime. One of the reasons why sports stays alive in us is that there's part of us that wants to keep the child alive and recognizes that there is something important in doing that. The World Boxing Association one of several boxing organizations was not too pleased, moving to strip Ali of his title and advising states not to agree to host the rematch. After the second loss to Ali, Liston stayed out of the ring for more than a year. Writer Jack McKinney said, "I watched Sonny. While true he also sent women to the hospital, which his sparring partner confirms.

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