The fight ranks as one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history. [61] The new date was set for May 25, 1965. I was down but not hurt, but I looked up and saw Ali standing over me. (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. But upon arrival, Liston was met by only a handful of reporters and public-relations staff. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former world heavyweight champion, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. Many did not see the punch land, and some who did questioned that it was powerful enough to knock Liston out. The Devil And Sonny Liston. Traduo Context Corretor Sinnimos Conjugao Conjugao Documents Dicionrio Dicionrio Colaborativo Gramtica Expressio Reverso Corporate [49], Clay later said that in round five he could only see a faint shadow of Liston during most of the round, but by circling and moving frantically he managed to avoid Liston and somehow survive. But a Senate subcommittee hearing turned up no evidence of any match-fixing, and doctors confirmed his explanation that hed taken such damage to his shoulder that he couldnt feel his arm. [38], Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago. Liston's criminal record, compounded by a personal association with a notorious labor racketeer, led to the police's stopping him on sight, and he began to avoid main streets. Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection. Ali's "Phantom Punch" Controversy Explained - PBS I never saw. Underworld connections and his unrecorded dates of birth and death added to the enigma. But audiences attending Knopfler's concerts around North America this summer are hearing and responding favorably to a song of a different genre, a bluesy narrative ballad called "Song for Sonny Liston," about the troubled fighter who preceded Muhammad Ali as heavyweight champion in the early 1960's. [32] Ironically, Patterson's manager, Cus D'Amato, associated with racketeers and had his manager's license revoked by the New York State Athletic Commission for alleged misconduct in connection with the Floyd PattersonIngemar Johansson title fight in June 1959. 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. Subsequently, Liston spent some months in Denver where a Catholic priest who acted as his spiritual adviser attempted to help bring his drinking under control. 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. Byrne sought an injunction blocking the fight in Boston because Inter-Continental Promotions was promoting the fight without a Massachusetts license. Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson all picked Patterson to win. Patterson wanted a chance to redeem himself, so they met again on July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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). [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. There's something really primal about the whole thing, obviously. Hall of Fame announcer Don Dunphy said, "Here was a guy who was in prison and the guards used to beat him over the head with clubs and couldn't knock him down." According to Liston's trainer, Willie Reddish, Liston cancelled a planned tour to Africa in 1963 because he refused to get the required inoculations. The suspension was honored in all states. But then again, he took a pretty good beating in the fight. Both fights were in Summerlin's hometown of Detroit.[23]. ", Hutchison, Phillip J. Because of that, Cage may have thought Sonny was an informant and shot him with a hot dose as retribution. After he won the title, Liston relocated to Denver permanently, saying, "I'd rather be a lamppost in Denver than the mayor of Philadelphia. Paul R Gallender, 2012. Sonny Liston in his prime . Liston didn't seem to mind though. There were some, however, who believed the fight was legitimate. Liston said he quit because of a shoulder injury. Liston was allegedly present at dealer Earl Cage's residence during a raid by narcotics detectives. [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. Pan, 2017. Sonny Liston interview with Max Goldberg before his fight with Cassius Numerous fans booed and started yelling, "Fix!" Sonny Liston: The mysterious death that haunts boxing No, I'm Alexanderhe's no Alexander. For me, the most fascinating thing about Liston was the fact that his birth date is unknown. His death was, too. Liston knocked out Hermann Schreibauer of West Germany at 2:16 of the first round. 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. To this day, I'm convinced that's what the coroner saw in his examthat hospital needle mark. Top contender Zora Folley was stopped in three rounds. Unfortunately for Martin, however, his career ended after that fight due to a detached retina he suffered during the bout. "[42], Liston made his second title defense on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Florida against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). Alois Stevens, suggested to Liston that he try boxing, and his obvious aptitude, along with an endorsement from Stevens, who was also a priest, aided Liston in getting an early parole. Dr. Alexander Robbins, chief physician for the Miami Beach Boxing Commission, diagnosed Liston with a torn tendon in his left shoulder. [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. What are you doing? Liston tried going to school but quickly left after jeers about his illiteracy; the only employment he could obtain was sporadic and exploitative. Time magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. A sudden violent combination delivered with 30 seconds left in the round electrified the crowd. [43] A month later, Liston was accused of impersonating a police officer by using a flashlight to wave down a female motorist in Fairmount Park, although all charges were later dropped. Tosches, Nick (2000). [12], Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed three meals every day. Interview Date: March 13, 1989 Camera Rolls: 2104-2105 Sound Rolls: 248 Editorial Notes: Interview with , conducted by Blackside, Inc. on March 13, 1989, for . But he spoke to his friend Resnick on the day of the fight and was told not to bet on the champion. Odds makers gave Liston 71 to win. During the fourth round Liston appeared dominant as Clay coasted, keeping his distance. After the second loss to Ali, Liston stayed out of the ring for more than a year. [47] Sitting on his stool between rounds, however, Liston was breathing heavily as his cornermen worked on his cut. His family's home state of Arkansas did not make birth certificates mandatory until 1965. Carwin probably wasn't even that tall. Liston's story, Knopfler said, "is great for a writer for many reasons. 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 and he was pointing at some little bandage over the needle mark in his arm. Genuinely kind mobster who had been convicted of armed robbery and assault. (2) Professional gambler Lem Banker insists that Liston was murdered by drug dealers with whom he'd become involved. with Sonny - Traduo em portugus - Reverso Context While valuing the photograph, appraiser Kathleen Guzman told. [20], Liston signed a contract in September 1953, proclaiming: "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. [94], Liston was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was probably Liston's best moment in the entire fight. RARE Sonny Liston Interview before the first Ali fight 1964 in Color These transcripts contain material that did not appear in the final program. I forgot about the rules." [37] Frustrated, Liston changed his management in 1961 and applied pressure through the media by remarking that Patterson, who had faced mostly white challengers since becoming champion, was drawing the color line against his own race. He died circa December 30,. Sheed says that the punch and the knockdown "may have been genuine, but when referee Joe Walcott blew the count and gave him all evening to get up, Liston's rendition of a coma wouldn't have fooled a possum. [10][11] It has been suggested Liston himself may not have known what year he was born, as he was not precise on the matter. The governor of nearby Maine, John Reed, stepped up and volunteered to host it in the small town of Lewiston, where a resort and ice rink could provide some infrastructure. It was 1965, not 1955. In a pre-fight poll, 43 of 46 sportswriters picked Liston to win by knockout. And, while Patterson was growing as a fighter, Sonny was taking on mostly journeyman and starting to age. And Tex Maule of Sports Illustrated wrote, "The blow had so much force it lifted Liston's left foot, upon which most of his weight was resting, well off the canvas. Dennis Caputo of the Clark County Sheriff's Department was one of the first officers on the scene. 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. During a ringside interview after the fight, Terrellwith his swollen eye and deflated egowould later say he respected all boxers. [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! Two of the best-known are "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel and "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan. ", The Liston song appears on an album called "Shangri-La." A few months after Alis fight, Liston was dead from lung congestion though even that was shrouded in mystery and controversy. Tale of the tape: Fight poster for Sonny Liston v Cassius Clay in 1964. . In the sixth round, he carried it at belt level so that it was of no help in warding off the right crosses with which Clay probed at the cut under his left eye." It made a champion out of Clay, who declared that hed shook up the world.. At the IBHOF, the casts of Listons hands were bigger than Lennox Lewis' which were also gigantic. On the album's lyric sheet, below the Liston song, Knopfler includes a famous quotation from Liston from 1962: "Some day, they're gonna write a blues for fighters. "[95], Sgt. "He was afraid of needles," echoed Father Edward Murphy. ", It was later theorized that a substance used on Liston's cuts by Joe Pollino, his cut man, may have caused the irritation. Knopfler, 55, said inspiration for the Liston song has been growing for a long time. He used the platform to expound on the political theory that was so reviled in white America, defending Malcolm X and condemning racial oppression this was still months before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sonny Liston shot a gun at Muhammad Ali. Watch the interview you be the judge. Shaun Assael. In the 2015 British crime film Legend, Liston is played by Mark Theodore in a scene where gangster Reggie Kray poses for a picture with the boxer. 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.". The opening round was fought an extra eight seconds, since both fighters and referee Barney Felix apparently did not hear the bell. Press J to jump to the feed. On This Day: Muhammad Ali knocks out Sonny Liston with - The Ring In an interview with The Associated Press shortly before his death in May 2009, Liston said he regretted . ", 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. "You're putting things on and you're taking this out and molding it," Knopfler said. Many in attendance did not see Ali deliver the punch. [25][26], In 1960 Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. [14], Tobe Liston inflicted whippings so severe on Sonny that the scars were still visible decades later. The Real Story behind the Ali-Liston Fights. He particularly resented a 1961 arrest by a black patrolman for loitering, claiming to have merely been signing autographs and chatting with fans outside a drugstore. I know it", Liston said afterward. 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. Sonny Liston Interview - Rare - YouTube The most iconic photo in boxing history documents the knockout that almost nobody saw happen. "[69] The fact that Liston did not complain about the clear breach of boxing rules (being declared knocked out without a count) and Ali's obvious state of bewilderment, shouting at Liston "Nobody will believe this" and asking his handlers "Did I hit him? [33], Civic leaders were also reluctant, worrying that Liston's unsavory character would set a bad example for youth. 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. It'll just be for slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell.". Never before seen Sonny Liston interview. Support this Channel: https://www.patreon.com/join/LegendsofBoxing Merchandise: https://www.redbubble.com/peo. Joe Louis commenting on TV at ringside said "It's looking good for Sonny Liston". In the third round, Clay began to take control of the fight. Machen's mobility enabled him to go the distance but he was clearly outpointed despite Liston being penalised for a low blow in the 11th round. When Machen clinched in . 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. Walcott then rushed back to the fighters, who had resumed boxing, and stopped the fightawarding Ali a first-round knockout victory. [51], Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by technical knockout. The photo captures the champions exhortations, with all the fire and passion and dynamic physicality that made him such a phenomenon. The torn tendon had bled down into the mass of the biceps, swelling and numbing the arm. On September 7, 1954, Liston suffered defeat for the first time in his eighth professional fight, losing to Marty Marshall, a journeyman with an awkward style. 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 .