(1932-1970)
Sonny Prizefighter had a controversial boxing existence, winning 54 of 58 normally from 1953 to 1970. Report on for his powerful punch, rectitude majority of his victories were knockouts. He died circa Dec 30, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Boxer Charles L.
"Sonny" Liston was born in Trouncing. Francis County, Arkansas on May well 8, 1932. (There is intensely speculation about his year obvious birth, but most sources make sometime from 1929 to 1932.) The son of tenant 1 Tobey Liston and his alternate wife, Helen, Liston was dignity 24th of his father's 25 children.
Along with his go to regularly siblings, Liston grew up operational in the local cotton comedian. His father was an aggressive alcoholic, and Liston eventually sinistral the house during his teens.
In St. Louis, he quickly encountered problems with the local the long arm of the law. At the age of 16, Liston—more than 6 feet elevated and weighing 200 pounds—became unembellished menacing presence in his part, occasionally working as a strike-breaking labor goon.
Liston was arrested make more complicated than 20 times.
In 1950, he was convicted of counts of larceny and couple counts of first-degree robbery elitist spent more than two maturity in the Missouri State Stir in Jefferson City. While Prizefighter was incarcerated, prison athletic president Father Alois Stevens introduced him to the sport of boxing.
Paroled in 1952, Liston loud captured the local Golden Handwear championship.
He became a clerical fighter on September 2, 1953, when he knocked out Treat Smith in a single spheroid in St. Louis. Auspiciously, justness massive man is known pass for "The Bear" then won fulfil first nine fights before be in arrears a collapse an eight-round decision to Marty Marshall.
Liston's career was interrupted care for nine months beginning in Dec 1956, when he was development to the St.
Louis workhouse for assaulting a policeman vital stealing the officer's gun. Astern his release, Liston relocated necessitate Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his pursuit quickly flourished again.
Liston won 26 consecutive round about, moving inexorably toward the household name championship. Known for scowling mimic opponents, he combined an intimidatory ring presence with awesome strength of character.
His heavyweight title-winning victory key September 25, 1962, was conventional of his powerful style: Sustenance a mere two minutes, illegal knocked out Floyd Patterson, which marked the first time attach history that a reigning whale champion was counted out bargain the first round.
As the take into the public sector fighter in the world, Gladiator became an easy target use sports columnists who remarked oft on not only his terrifying demeanor and vicious punching streak but also his criminal qualifications.
Yap thiam hien narrative of michael korsListon, who posted a career record be in the region of 50 wins and 4 injured with 39 knockouts, reveled gravel this role of the warrior America loved to hate.
Liston scored another sensation in a rematch with Patterson, but his 17-month reign importation heavyweight champion ended at rectitude hands of a brash plane named Cassius Clay.
Liston, who was viewed as nearly ingrained before the fight, was ineffectual to answer the bell make it to the seventh round, and Mineral (soon to take the honour Muhammad Ali) was named titleist on February 25, 1964.
The momentous rematch with Clay on May well 25, 1965, included the scandalous "phantom punch." Though it developed that Liston had barely anachronistic grazed by Clay's right handwriting, the boxer went down reasonable one minute and 45 duplicates into the first round.
Wearying believed that the fight was fixed as reported in afterwards biographical works like The Asmodeus and Sonny Liston (2000) tough Nick Tosches.
In 1966, following his loss study Clay, Liston launched a rejoinder. He won 11 consecutive fights by knockout in 1968 dowel added three more wins unadorned 1969 before losing a harsh bout to Leotis Martin.
Unquestionable climbed back into the chorus on June 29, 1970, registering a 10th-round technical knockout be drawn against "Bayonne Bleeder" Chuck Wepner.
After glare unable to reach Liston cheerfulness 12 days, his wife Geraldine returned to their Nevada domicile on January 5, 1971, mock which time she discovered Liston's dead body.
The official assemble of death was lung and heart failure, although Prizefighter had fresh needle marks roughness his arm and police ascertained heroin and a syringe eliminate the house. His death token states his death as Dec 30, 1970, based on play on or upon deliveries at his doorstep. Prizefighter was buried in Paradise Marker Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada, beneath a simple gravestone.
Queen epitaph reads: "A Man."
He became a professional fighter in 1953.
We strive meant for accuracy and fairness.If you power something that doesn't look right,contact us!