He was one of many Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, 1932 in Sand Slough, AR. 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. He climbed back into the ring on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout against "Bayonne Bleeder" Chuck Wepner. Touring the local hospital in a grey tweed overcoat with a black velvet collar, the intimidating, burly, 6-foot-tall, 215 lb. WebHalf-siblings. Mee, Bob. He sold pecans from his brother-in-laws tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. Rate and review titles you borrow and share your opinions on them. Drinking. Foes like the murderous-punching Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn and Nino Valdez succumbed to Liston's heavy fists. But there is another side. Auspiciously, the massive man is known as The Bear then won his first nine fights before dropping an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall. 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). Basically, for a guy like Liston, it meant that you either dealt with them, or you didn't deal at all. He is one of the Richest Boxer who was born in AR. 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. His mother believed he was born in January, 1928, but Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932. There were rumors of drug peddling, heroin use, and murder, but no answers. Armed robbery. While Liston was incarcerated, prison athletic director Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing. At the age of thirteen, he ran away to St. Louis, Missouri, following his mother, who had left earlier. His final record as a professional was fifty wins, thirty-nine by knockout, and four losses. 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. He put himself under the care of still another Catholic priest, Father Edward P. Murphy, a kindly Jesuit who was the pastor of a predominantly black church in Denver. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. 72201. 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.". angelsunchained, Other Works Following his release from the workhouse, Liston quickly returned to the ring against Hunter and got his career back on track. The author begins appropriately at the beginning with his subject, providing more comprehensive information about Sonny's childhood than probably even Sonny himself knew. {{ mediasCtrl.getTitle(media, true) }} Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State Penitentiary. 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. 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. However, it turned out to be his stepdaughter, the daughter of his wife. 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. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. Liston went back to the ring. 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. The son of tenant farmer Tobey Liston and his second wife, Helen, Liston was the 24th of his father's 25 children. Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. Deceased persons are not concerned by this provision. 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. Known for his powerful punch, the majority of his victories were knockouts. There, he committed various muggings and robberies. It was just a matter of semantics, though. Two Catholic priests who served as chaplains, Father Edward Schlattmann and Father Alois Stevens, helped to direct Liston toward the controlled violence of the ring. Geneastars | Facebook. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. Ward, who resides today in Forrest City, Ark. He told them that he had no education, couldn't write and worked as a child to help feed his 24 siblings. 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. With the help of a farsighted, black St. Louis businessman and some other backers who were aware of Sonny's potential, Liston pursued a ring career after leaving the joint and rejoining society at large. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. 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. Made a comeback in 1968-1969 and won 14 straight before losing to Leotis Martin. Sonny Liston estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. {{ media.date_translated }}, {{ asCtrl.bannerRights.content|translate }}, The Geneanet family trees are powered by Geneweb 7.0. His last fight was against Chuck Wepner. Some believed that the fight was fixed as reported in later biographical works likeThe Devil and Sonny Liston(2000)by Nick Tosches. He knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962 to become world heavyweight champion. His relationship status is single. His 17-year ring log was an impressive 50-4 with 39 knockouts. Along with his many siblings, Liston grew up working in the local cotton fields. At 13, he escaped from his father's control and hitchhiked to There, he committed various muggings and robberies. Tosches here betrays an ignorance of boxing that no doubt hurts his credibility with those know know the sport. He served brief prison terms and on one occasion was introduced to boxing by a prison chaplain. She had been away on holiday. His final record as a professional was 50 wins, 39 by knockout, and four losses. It was there in Sand Slough that Charles L. Liston was born, on the 50 acres that Tobe rented from the Man.". Liston claimed he was born in In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local police. 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 was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings, and with virtually no schooling. Liston had a short and successful amateur career, following which he turned pro. 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. New York: Blue Rider Press, 2016. (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Ivn Popoca estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. Sonny Liston is a 4 year old colt and has raced in 2022. Education: Sonny Liston Net Worth: Sonny Liston net worth or net income is estimated to be between $1 Million $5 Million dollars. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. Outside of the ring, Liston had a charming personality. With the proceeds he traveled to St. Louis and reunited with his mother and siblings. Copyright 2020 ARKANSAS SOUL MEDIA, All rights Reserved. By that time, Liston had already attracted the attention of organized crime. Sonny Liston was officially born on May 8th 1932, even if no one knows exactly when he was born, that is the date that he set up for all the official records. 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. Liston continued to box until the time of his death. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, 1991. All Rights Reserved. - IMDb Mini Biography By: There, he became a thug, committing various muggings and robbery. In 1950, he was arrested by the police. To give back to society, he supported many children. 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. On the side of Tobe Liston, born in 1872 - Choctaw Co., MS, deceased. Liston defeated Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson on Sept. 25, 1962. Former World Heavyweight Champion who learned to fight while in jail. Little Rock, AR. Time magazine photograph of Ali standing over Liston, taunting him, is one of the most popularly published in boxing. That doesn't make sense. But the champ went down in a hurry: two minutes and six seconds in the first round. WebAnswer (1 of 2): At anytime in their careers Clay / Ali would have been too fast and elusive for Sonny. Hungry fighters eager to break free from the shackles of their own environment bring an element of savage desperation into their ring encounters. Liston went down in the first round, felled by a punch few saw. He compiled a career record of Apart from his demeanor, Liston was a charming man with a captivating smile. He organized a criminal gang that robbed and mugged locals. Instead, he and some friends took to robbing people on the street and robbing gas stations with a loaded pistol. We are all related! His trademark shirt during his illegal raids was yellow. He knocked out the reigning world champion in the first round. WebHe had seven siblings. Sanders was the reigning Olympic heavyweight champion. Folley knocked down twice in 2nd round; 9 count and saved by the bell at 9 count. Less than a year later in Miami Beach, Liston lost his title to Cassius Clay when he refused to answer the bell for the seventh round, claiming a shoulder industry. Wrong username or password. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. Dating is to describe a stage in a persons life when he or she is actively pursuing romantic relationships with different people. As Liston made himself a serious challenger to Floyd Patterson for the heavyweight title, Liston made his alliance with the Devil, as Tosches refers to the mob. The Dowling Family Tree with over half a million relatives, 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. Tobe was mean to his children, and especially to Sonny. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. The dark side is evident. No one knows how Sonny Liston died. Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas, around 1932. All Rights Reserved. He compiled a career record of 50-4, competing against such boxing legends as Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson. His father physically molested him. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Boxer Sonny Listons net worth is $82 Million before He died. Just three months after Sonny's move to Denver, his license was reinstated. He was accused of stealing an officers gun. He kept fighting and kept winning against a progressively better grade of opponents. The couple had two children; one was a daughter from Chambers previous marriage. 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. Liston had a huge physique. He defeated heavyweight contenders Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn, Henry Clark, and Chuck Wepner. Liston was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone. He became a professional fighter in 1953. 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. Liston won 26 consecutive bouts, moving inexorably toward the heavyweight championship. Paroled in 1952, Liston quickly captured the local Golden Gloves championship. 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. Lets take a look at Sonny Liston past relationships, ex-girlfriends and previous hookups. The cover was one of the most famous images of the early 1960s, as Liston embodied the fears of White America during the days when Southern police officials had attacked the burgeoning civil rights movement with violence, a violence white Americans feared might be returned onto them. Known for scowling at opponents, he combined an intimidating ring presence with awesome power. Cruel Beginnings. In a short amount of time, he rose to prominence as a contender in the heavyweight division. At the age of 13, he ran away to St. Louis, following his mother who had left earlier. Liston turned professional in September 1953, earning his first paycheck in St. Louis with a first-round knockout of Don Smith. Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing by Reverend Father Alois Stevens. Early Life. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. | Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. The second was a boy. WebSonny Liston Photo Gallery. He died circa December 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. His mother separated from his father and went to St. Louis in Missouri. Even as a grown up, the physical scars were still visible. All Rights Reserved. Soon caught (his crimes were inept, spur-of-the-moment, strong arm jobs) and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, he was sentenced in 1950 to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. Trivia He was convicted of robbery and larceny. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. In prison, encouraged by Catholic chaplains, Liston took up boxing, where he was an immediate and spectacular success. Ali and Liston: The Boy Who Would Be King and the Ugly Bear. Liston was raised on heavy farm work, many beatings and with virtually no schooling. Tired of being exploited as a manual laborer, Sonny Liston turned to crime. What advantage would there be to having the brash young boxer from Louisville installed as heavyweight champ in place of Liston? gnalogique Dowling avec plus d'un demi-million de parents, He only served six. Why he died remains one of sport's most enduring mysteries. His wife found his lifeless body in their home on January 5, 1971. Give a donation in someones name to mark a special occasion, honor a friend or colleague or remember a beloved family member. He managed to turn his cruel past to his advantage. Assael, Shaun. 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. Served 7 months in jail for beating up a police officer over a parking ticket in St. Louis in the mid-1950s. Liston turned professional in September 1953, earning his first paycheck in St. Louis with a first-round knockout of Don Smith. He quickly learned how to box and within three years was fighting on the amateur circuit. Paroled in 1952, he had a brief amateur career, winning several Golden Gloves championships and defeating 1952 Olympic heavyweight champion Ed Sanders. Liston was the second last in a family of twenty-five siblings. contient des milliers de photos et GeneaStars. Sonny Liston had a controversial boxing career, winning 54 of 58 bouts from 1953 to 1970. Appeared in a Santa Claus hat on the cover of the December 1963 edition of Esquire Magazine. The first time you log in to our catalog you will need to create an account. Least of all, Sonny himself. .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. He rose from poverty in the rural south to become one of the most dominant and feared professional fighters of the 20th century. 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. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. For a while, he even lost his license to box in the United States. However, his career was marred by criminal activity and, later, accusations of mob connections and throwing fights, according to the. lis! Reverend Stevens was both the prisons chaplain and sports director. 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. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. In 1957, he was sentenced to nine months in the St. Louis workhouse for assaulting a police officer. Before Fame He sold pecans from his brother-in-law's tree in order to reunite with his mother and his siblings. Sand Slough, Arkansas, United States of America, Sonny Liston is still regarded as the best heavyweight boxer with a taste of violence. 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. Clay was no debtor to the mob. He maintained a winning streak in eight matches. There were also times when he showed surprising compassion for the less fortunate. Did he need Liston's cooperation to beat the rapidly aging champion that night in February of 1964? 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. He was thirty-eight years. 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. Tosches, who hails from Newark, writes in an engaging style that is as beautifully stylish as a Liston left jab and as savagely straightforward. Sonny was probably born in 1929, but no one knows for sure. Sonny Liston prefers not to tell the details of marital status & divorce. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and Liston eventually left the house during his teens. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. On September 25, 1962, Liston made history by becoming the heavyweight champion. Liston was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe and Helen Liston (and one of 25 children sired by Tobe). WebHis parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. Jack Dempsey and Roberto Duran are two cases in point. As with the date of Liston's birth, no one knows for sure. Liston relocated to Denver with his wife Geraldine and friend/sparring partner Foneda Cox and underwent extensive counseling with Father Murphy. 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. Owing to his many siblings and a brutal, hardscrabble Arkansas childhood with an abusive father (excruciatingly detailed in the movie and book), Liston had an affinity for needy children. On this date in 1964, a heavily favored Liston lost his title to upstart Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. After a rough upbringing, with little formal education, Liston found himself in trouble with the law. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. He cleared out his opponents to become the topmost contender. His parents were Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. Steen, Rob. If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. In his next fight he bounced back to TKO Chuck Wepner shortly before his mysterious death in 1970. He was sired by Lawman out of the Galileo mare Stars In Your Eyes. Liston penalized two points for low blows. Please try again. Nevertheless, he had a soft spot for children. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Sonny Liston was born on May 8, probably 1932, to Tobe and Helen (Baskin) Liston, African-American sharecroppers in rural St. Francis County. The rematch in Las Vegas on July 22, 1963, was another first-round knockout. Liston was sentenced to nine months in jail. Womanizing. Charles "Sonny" Liston was pronounced dead at the scene. The rematch, in Lewiston, Maine, on May 25, 1965, was even more controversial. Boxer Charles L. "Sonny" Liston was born in St. Francis County, Arkansas on May 8, 1932. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990. 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. 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. Sonny Liston has been died on Dec 30, 1970 ( age 38). Biography, Net Worth, Gossips, Salary, News & Much More. It has been rumored that the crime boss John Vitale arranged for his early release. 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 Listons dead body. Reverend Stevens arranged the match for him. Yet, Tosches postulates that Liston threw his first fight with Cassius Clay in Miami in February of 1964 at the behest of the mob. He continued fighting until June 29, 1970, when he knocked out Chuck Wepner, but he never got another title shot. Liston won 13 of his first 14 bouts before trouble with the law cost him his freedom a second time. Charles Sonny Liston was a noted boxer who briefly reigned as Heavyweight Champion after a first-round knockout against Floyd Patterson. It was a defense mechanism designed to keep people from getting too close. in Sand Slough, Arkansas, USA , United States, Died on December 30, 1970 Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. He was one of many children one account lists 22 siblings and half-siblings. Liston on his age: "I'm like Jack Benny, I never tell my age.". He was caught and charged with first-degree robbery and larceny, and was sentenced in 1950 to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. Sonny had to put the proper face forward to the public. In June of the following year, Liston won the rematch with another knockout.