Sonny Liston
Statistics
Real name	Charles L. Liston
Nickname(s)	Sonny The Big Bear[1]
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 0. Heavyweight is a division or weight class, in Boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds (14 st 4 lb/91 kg are considered heavyweights by the major professional 5 in (1. 84 m)
Nationality	American
Birth date	May 8, 1932(1932-05-08)?
Birth place	Sand Slough, Arkansas, U.S.
Death date	December 30, 1970 (aged 38)?
Death place	Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	54
Wins	50
Wins by KO	39
Losses	4
Draws	0
No contests	0

Charles L. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Sand Slough is a small community in Johnson Township St Francis County Arkansas, notable for being the birthplace of Boxing Heavyweight champion Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally The United States of America —commonly referred to as the "Sonny" Liston (May 8, 1932?–December 30, 1970?) was a formidable boxer who became world heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, This is a chronological list of world heavyweight boxing champions since the introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry rules: Championship recognition Floyd Patterson ( January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American heavyweight boxing champion. Liston was one of the most powerful punchers in the history of the heavyweight division.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Professional boxing career 2.1 Liston versus Ali 2.2 Subsequent fights 3 Death 4 Trivia 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Early life

Because of a lack of documentation or birth certificate, it is not known when exactly Liston was born. A birth certificate is a Vital record that documents the birth of a child His mother believed he was born in January, 1929, but Liston would later claim his birth date to be May 8, 1932, a date which is probably off by at least two years. ^[2]

Liston was born the son of a sharecropper in the sector of Morledge Plantation that lay in Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas. St Francis County is a County located in the US state of Arkansas. Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. He was the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin, and he endured frequent beatings as a child.

At 13, he escaped from his father's control and hitchhiked to St. Louis by himself to reunite with his mother.

After the teenage Liston was sentenced to prison for taking part in the robbery of a gas station, his boxing talent was discovered by a Roman Catholic priest, and it was boxing that helped him leave jail early. ^[3] On Halloween night in 1952, he was paroled, and during a brief amateur career that spanned less than a year, he won several amateur tournaments, including the Golden Gloves. Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is a Holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the honor in Major League Baseball, see Gold Glove. The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for Amateur One of his victims was Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders. Hayes Edward “Big Ed” Sanders ( March 24, 1930 – December 12, 1954) was an Olympic champion boxer was born in the Watts neighborhood of

Professional boxing career

Liston made his professional debut on September 2, 1953, knocking out Don Smith in the first round in St. Louis, where he fought the first five bouts. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Don Smith could mean Don Smith (ice hockey (1888-1959 Canadian professional hockey player Don Smith (defensive lineman (born 1957 In his sixth bout, in Detroit, Michigan, he faced John Summerlin (22-0) on national television. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Liston won an eight-round decision.

Liston beat Summerlin in a rematch, and then suffered his first defeat, also in Detroit, at the hands of Marty Marshall on September 7, 1954. Marion 'Marty' Marshall (born in Detroit Michigan, December 24 1923 – 25 October 2004) was an American professional Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) In the third round, Marshall, a defensive-minded journeyman, managed to break Liston's jaw with a right hand while Liston was laughing at the smaller man's unorthodox ring tactics. Liston proved his mettle by lasting the scheduled eight rounds despite the pain.

In 1955, he won six fights, five by knockout, including a rematch with Marshall, whom he knocked out in six rounds.

A rubber match with Marshall in 1956 saw him the winner by a ten-round decision, but in May of that year he ran afoul of the law. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In an incident for which varying accounts have emerged over time, Liston was accused of beating up a police officer. He was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence and prohibited from boxing during 1957. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar)

In 1958, he returned to boxing, winning eight fights that year. 1959 was a banner year for Liston, as he fought four times, knocking out Mike DeJohn in six, No. 1 challenger Cleveland Williams in three, and Nino Valdez also in three. Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams ( June 6, 1933 &ndash September 3, 1999) was an American heavyweight boxer who Nino Valdez (Geraldo Ramos Ponciano Valdez (December 5 1924-June 3 2001 was the Cuban heavyweight boxing champion in the 1940s and 1950's

In 1960, Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. He also had knockout wins over Roy Harris (one round) and top contender Zora Folley (three rounds). Zora Folley ( 27 May 1932 &ndash July 9, 1972) was an African-American heavyweight boxer. Eddie Machen was the only contender who was not knocked out by Liston, but Liston secured a one-sided, 12-round decision. Edward Mills Machen ( June 15 1932 - August 8 1972) was born in Redding California, on June 15, 1932.

Despite moving up in the rankings, Liston had difficulty getting a shot at world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, whose handlers cited Liston's links with the mob. Floyd Patterson ( January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American heavyweight boxing champion. In 1962, however, he finally signed to meet Floyd Patterson for the title. Floyd Patterson ( January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American heavyweight boxing champion. The fight was scheduled to be held in New York, but the New York Boxing Commission denied him a license because of his criminal record. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous As a result, the fight was moved to Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois. Comiskey Park (35th Street & Shields Avenue Chicago, Illinois) was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990 Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Liston and Patterson met on September 25 of that year, and Liston became world champion by knocking out Patterson in the first round. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France

Liston, however, was not a popular champion and was disappointed that on his return to his hometown of Philadelphia, the fans did not show up at the airport to cheer his success. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Jerry Spinelli, the author of the children's novel Stargirl, included him in its dedication because its titular character has an analogous experience. Jerry Spinelli (born on February 1, 1941 in Norristown Pennsylvania) is a noted children's author specializing on novels written for and about early Stargirl is a Novel written by Jerry Spinelli, first published in 2000

Patterson and Liston signed for a rematch, held on the evening of July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. This fight lasted two seconds longer than their first fight, with Liston once again knocking out Patterson in the first round.

Liston versus Ali

Main article: Muhammad Ali versus Sonny Liston

Liston did not box again in 1963, but in 1964 he faced a young contender named Cassius Clay on the evening of February 25 in Miami. The two Ali versus Liston fights for Boxing 's world heavyweight championship were among the most anticipated watched and controversial fights Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942 Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Ali (still known as Cassius Clay until after the bout), however, had a plan for the fight. At the pre-fight weigh-in, Ali's pulse rate was around 120, more that double his norm of 54. Liston, along with others, misread this as nervousness, and as such, was typically over-confident and unprepared for any result other than a quick knockout victory in his favor. In the opening rounds, Ali's speed kept him away from Liston's powerful head and body shots, as he used his height advantage to beat Liston to the punch with his own lightning-quick jab.

By the third round, Ali was ahead on points and had opened a cut under Liston's eye. Liston regained some ground in the fourth, as Ali was blinded by a substance in his eyes. It is unconfirmed whether this was something used to close Liston's cuts, or deliberately applied to Liston's gloves for a nefarious purpose; however, Bert Sugar (author, boxing historian and insider) has recalled at least two other Liston fights in which a similar situation occurred, suggesting the possibility that the Liston corner deliberately attempted to cheat. Bert Randolph Sugar (born June 7 1936, in Washington DC) is a well known Boxing writer

Whatever the case, Liston came into the fourth round aggressively looking to put away the challenger. As Ali struggled to recover his vision, he sought to escape Liston's offensive. He was able to keep out of range until his sweat and tears rinsed the substance from his eyes, responding with a flurry of combinations near the end of the fifth round. By the sixth, he was looking for a finish and dominated Liston. Then, Liston shocked the boxing world when he failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, later claiming a shoulder injury as the reason. Muhammad Ali had indeed "Shook up the world!" just as he had promised.

Liston lost his title when he quit in his corner before the start of the 7th round, claiming he had injured his shoulder. Some believed the fight was fixed, and doubted that Liston's shoulder injury was real. Others felt that Liston was a beaten man that night and simply lost the will to continue.

Liston was scheduled to fight a rematch with Clay, who by then had adopted the name Muhammad Ali in a bout originally scheduled for Boston, Massachusetts in the fall of 1964, but Ali, a week before the fight, was hospitalized for an operation to repair a hernia. Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942 A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure or part of an organ through the muscular tissue or the membrane by which it is normally contained The match was rescheduled for May 25, 1965, with a new venue: the Central Maine Civic Center in Lewiston, Maine (a small town for such an event). The Androscoggin Bank Colisée (formerly Central Maine Civic Center and Lewiston Colisee) is a 4000 capacity (3675 seated multi-purpose Arena in Lewiston, in Androscoggin County, is the second-largest city in the U

Less than two minutes into the fight, it was over. While he was pulling away from Liston, Ali hit Liston with what came to be known as a "phantom punch," and Liston, who had seldom been knocked off his feet, went down. In the chaos that followed, referee (and former heavyweight champion) Jersey Joe Walcott never began his count over Liston. Arnold Raymond Cream ( January 31, 1914 – February 25, 1994) better known as Jersey Joe Walcott, was a world heavyweight Instead, in an attempt to make him go to a neutral corner, he followed Ali around the ring as Ali yelled hysterically at Liston to get up and fight. Walcott stopped the fight after the two men began boxing again because Ring magazine editor Nat Fleischer yelled out that Liston had been lying on the canvas for more than 10 seconds. The Ring (often called Ring Magazine) is an American Boxing Magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing Nathaniel Stanley Fleischer ( November 3, 1887, New York – June 25, 1972) was a noted American Boxing writer The photograph of the conclusion of the fight is one of the most famous in the history of sports and was chosen as the cover for the Sports Illustrated special issue, "The Century's Greatest Sports Photos. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. "

Many believed the fight was fixed. ^[4] George Chuvalo, who sat in the fourth row at ringside and later fought Ali twice, said, "It was a phony. " Allegedly, Floyd Patterson also said he did not believe the fight was on the level, as did former heavyweight champions Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney and Joe Louis. Jack "Manassa Mauler" Dempsey ( June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983) was an American boxer who held the world James Joseph "Gene" Tunney ( May 25 1897 – November 7 1978) was the heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Joseph Louis Barrow ( May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) better known as Joe Louis, was a heavyweight boxing champion. ^[2]. Sports Illustrated in 1965 ran a frame-by-frame analysis and concluded that the punch was real. ^[5]

Subsequent fights

After the second loss to Ali, Liston took a year off from boxing, returning in 1966 and 1967, winning four consecutive bouts in Sweden, co-promoted by Ingemar Johansson. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Ingemar Johansson (born 22 September, 1932) is a Swedish boxer and former heavyweight champion of the world. These knockout victories included one over Amos Johnson, who had recently defeated Henry Cooper. In 1968, he won seven fights, all by knockout, including one in Mexico. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. During that year, he stopped the young prospect Henry Clark (seven rounds), who was ranked No. 5 at the time. This bout was broadcasted on ABC's "Wide World Of Sports" and was America's first look at Liston since the Ali rematch.

In 1969, Liston had three wins and one loss. Among his wins was a 10-round decision over Billy Joiner in St. Billy Joiner was an American boxer from Cincinnati. Amateur career Joiner was the 1962 National Golden Gloves Light-Heavyweight Champion and compiled an Louis. But, in December, Liston lost by a knockout in nine rounds to Leotis Martin in Las Vegas after dominating the majority of the fight. Leotis Martin ( March 10, 1939 &ndash November 20, 1998) was an American boxer best known for his victory over former heavyweight Martin's career ended after the fight because of a detached retina, but Liston went on to win his final fight by technical knockout, against Chuck Wepner in June 1970. Chuck Wepner (born February 26, 1939) is a former Heavyweight boxer from Bayonne New Jersey.

Death

Liston was negotiating to fight George Chuvalo in Pittsburgh, when on January 5, 1971 he was found dead by his wife in their Las Vegas home. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally [1] The time of death has been placed as six to eight days prior to that, and several sources list December 30, 1970 as his date of passing. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was supposedly 38 years old, although most experts believe Liston's true age at the time of his death was actually 41 or 42. Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded that there were no signs of foul play. Many, however, believed that the police investigation was a coverup. ^[2]

The cause of Liston's death remains a mystery. The police declared it a heroin overdose, yet Liston was known to have a phobia regarding needles. After winning the title, Liston at first refused to go on an exhibition tour of Europe when he was told he would have to get shots before he could travel overseas.

Liston's wife also reported that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. This, coupled with the fact that Liston was never known to be a substance abuser (besides heavy drinking), prompted rumors that he could have been murdered by some of his underworld contacts. For some, the cause of Liston's death remains unresolved. ^[2]

As documented on the show Unsolved Mysteries, authorities found a puncture wound on Liston's right arm, a syringe near his body, and small bags of heroin inside his kitchen. Unsolved Mysteries is an American Television program that was hosted and narrated by television and film actor Robert Stack, until his death Authorities thus ruled Liston's death a heroin overdose, although an autopsy showed only minute morphine and codeine levels in Liston's body; too small for an apparent overdose.

Additionally, authorities could not locate any other drug paraphernalia that Liston presumably would have needed to inject the fatal dose, such as a spoon to cook the heroin or an appendage to wrap around his arm. This only added to the mystery surrounding his death.

A friend of Liston's also told Unsolved Mysteries that Liston had been in a car accident a few weeks prior to his death. Liston was hospitalized with minor injuries, and received intravenous medicine. This is believed to be the source of the puncture wound that authorities found upon discovering Liston's body.

Liston is interred in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally His headstone bears the simple epitaph "A Man. "

Trivia

• Liston's image appears on The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the British rock band The Beatles.
• Liston made a cameo appearance in the 1968 film Head, which starred The Monkees. A cameo role or cameo appearance (often shortened to just cameo) is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the Performing arts, such as The year 1968 in film involved some significant events Events October 30 - The film The Lion in Winter Head is a psychedelic Motion picture released in 1968, starring TV group The Monkees (in credit order Peter For the group's self-titled album see The Monkees (album. For the TV series see The Monkees (TV series.
• Liston played the part of the "Farmer" in the 1970 film Moonfire, with Richard Egan and Charles Napier. Richard Egan may refer to Richard Egan (actor, American film actor Richard Egan (businessman, American businessman one-time Ambassador Charles Napier (born April 12, 1936) is an American Actor, known for his portrayals of square-jawed tough guys and military types
• He was 6′½″ tall.
• Liston has been the subject of songs by Sun Kil Moon, The Animals, The Mountain Goats, Phil Ochs, Morrissey, Freddy Blohm, treysuno, Chuck E. Weiss, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Sun Kil Moon is the project of singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek, best known for his previous band Red House Painters. The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s known in the United States as part of the British Invasion. The Mountain Goats is a band led by American Singer-songwriter John Darnielle. Philip David Ochs ( December 19 1940 – April 9 1976) was a U Steven Patrick Morrissey (ˈmɒɹɪsiː born May 22, 1959) known primarily as Morrissey, is a British Singer and Lyricist Chuck E Weiss is an American songwriter and vocalist He grew up in Denver Colorado, where his parents owned a record store (Record Center This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb is a Folk-punk band from Pensacola, Florida, USA. Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty (born October 20 1950 is an American singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Knopfler OBE (born August 12 1949 Glasgow, Scotland) is a British Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band with multinational personnel fronted by Nick Cave.
• Liston appeared in a 1960s Braniff Airlines TV commercial with Andy Warhol. Braniff International Airways was an American Airline that existed from 1928 until 1982 For the song by David Bowie, see Andy Warhol (song. Andrew Warhola (August 6 1928 &ndash February 22 1987 known as Andy Warhol ^[2]
• Liston's favorite song was "Night Train". " Night Train " is a Twelve bar blues Instrumental standard first recorded by Jimmy Forrest in 1951. He was known to repeat both versions (Jimmy Forrest's original 1952 version and James Brown's 1965 smash hit) during long rope jumping sessions. Jimmy Forrest ( January 24 1920 - August 26 1980) was a Jazz Musician who played Tenor saxophone throughout his James Joseph Brown Jr (May 3 1933 – December 25 2006 commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" the "King of Funk" and "The
• On a visit to Great Britain, Liston met gangsters the Kray twins. Reginald "Reggie" Kray ( 24 October 1933 &ndash 1 October 2000) and Ronald "Ronnie" Kray ( 24 October
• The exact dates of Sonny Liston's birth and death are both unknown.
• Brian DeVido's 2004 novel Every Time I Talk to Liston (Bloomsbury USA) details a boxer's attempts to draw inspiration from visits to Liston's Las Vegas grave.
• Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine is the title of a 2000 collection of short stories by Thom Jones
• Mark Knopfler's tribute to Liston, "Song for Sonny Liston," can be heard on his 2004 album Shangri-La. Thom Jones (born January 26, 1945) is an American writer primarily of short stories. Mark Knopfler OBE (born August 12 1949 Glasgow, Scotland) is a British Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter, Shangri-La is the fourth solo album by Mark Knopfler, released in 2004
• Liston is mentioned in the Gone Jackals song "Born Bad": "I dodged a sucker punch and dropped a bomb, like Liston, on an animal hunch. The Gone Jackals is a hard rock and roll band based in San Francisco, California. "
• Liston is mentioned in the Billy Joel song "We didn't Start the Fire": "Liston beats Patterson. "
• Liston is mentioned in the Mountain Goats song "Love Love Love": "And Sonny Liston rubbed some tiger balm into his glove. The Mountain Goats is a band led by American Singer-songwriter John Darnielle. Tiger Balm ( is the trade name for a Heat rub manufactured and distributed by Haw Par Healthcare in Singapore. . . "
• Liston is mentioned in the Sun Kil Moon song "Glenn Tipton". This song is also found on Mark Kozelek's 2006 live solo album "Little Drummer Boy. " Lyrics: "Cassius Clay was hated more than Sonny Liston. Some like KK Downing more than Glenn Tipton. Some like Jim Nabors, some Bobby Vinton. I like 'em all. . . "
• Liston is mentioned in the Roll Deep song "Badman": "Youths go missing in the system, get banged up like Sonny Liston. "
• Liston is mentioned in The Roots song "Don't Feel Right": "And that's the reason we livin' where they don't wanna visit, where the dope's slang and keep swingin' like Sonny Liston"
• Liston is mentioned in the Wu Tang Clan song "Triumph": "Sound convincing, thousand dollar court by convention hands like Sonny Liston. The Roots are an American hip-hop band from Philadelphia Pennsylvania. "Triumph" is a single released by Wu-Tang Clan, from their 1997 album Wu-Tang Forever. "
• Liston is mentioned in the treysuno song "A Man": "I am a man / and I did what I had to / because I'm Sonny Liston / and you're The Greatest. "
• Liston is mentioned in the Nick Cave and the Bad seeds song "Babe, I'm On Fire" from 2004's Nocturama. Nocturama is the 12th studio Album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 2003
• Liston appears as a character in a novel by James Ellroy "The Cold Six Thousand. James Ellroy (born Lee Earle Ellroy on March 4, 1948 in Los Angeles California) is an American Writer. The Cold Six Thousand is a 2001 Crime fiction Novel by James Ellroy. "
• Hunter S. Thompson's novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas mentions Liston: "The idea that two heroin pushers in a white Cadillac convertible would be dragging up and down the Strip, abusing total strangers at stoplights, was prima facie absurd. Not even Sonny Liston ever got that far out of control. "
• The TV show E-Ring features a character named Samantha "Sonny" Liston. E-Ring was a Television Military drama, created by Ken Robinson and David McKenna and executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
• The Munsters - Season 1, Episode 23 entitled Follow That Munster (original air date 2-25-1965) references Liston when Lily calls herself "Sonny Liston" as she stikes Herman in the jaw, knocking him down. The Munsters is a 1960s American television Sitcom depicting the home life of a family of Monsters. The following is an episode list for the CBS sitcom The Munsters. Lily Munster Countess of Shroudshire (née Dracula) is a Fictional character in the CBS Sitcom The Munsters, played Herman Munster 5th Earl of Shroudshire (born " Herman " alone is a Fictional character in the CBS Sitcom The Munsters
• At 6' 1/2", Liston had a disproportionately long reach, 84" (equaled only by some champs who were/are 6'4" and over). He also had the largest fists in heavyweight history, 15", at least until the recent appearance of 7-ft Nikolay Valuev.
• Liston's noticeably more muscular left arm and crushing left jab lends credence to the widely held theory that he was a "lefty" who had converted to boxing as a "righty. "
• Redd Foxx mispronounced the boxer's name (whether accidentally or deliberately isn't quite clear) as "Sonny Lister" on his comedy album Live and Dirty, vol. Redd Foxx ( December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991) born John Elroy Sanford, His father an Electrician, left the family Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public 1.
• The Season six premiere of Scrubs, "My Mirror Image": The older patient the Janitor is talking to refers to a whale going down after a punch like Sonny Liston. Scrubs is an Emmy and Peabody Award -winning American Comedy-drama that premiered on October 2 2001 on NBC. " My Mirror Image " is the 118th episode of the American Situation comedy Scrubs. For the Scrubs character see Janitor (Scrubs A janitor is a person who takes care of a building such as a School, Office

See also

• Muhammad Ali versus Sonny Liston
• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of male boxers
• List of WBC world champions

References

External links

• Professional boxing record for Sonny Liston from Boxrec
• International Boxing Hall of Fame - Sonny Liston
• The Cyber Boxing Zone - Sonny Liston
• The Sad Legacy of Sonny Liston by William Dettloff
• The Troubled Life And Sad Legacy Of Sonny Liston by Mike Dunn
• Lyrics to a song about Liston by Mark Knopfler
• Sonny Liston Memorial at Find A Grave

Preceded by Floyd Patterson

Heavyweight boxing champion 1962 – 1964

Succeeded by Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali)

BoxReccom is a website dedicated to keep updated records of professional boxers, both male and female. Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records Floyd Patterson ( January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American heavyweight boxing champion. This is a chronological list of world heavyweight boxing champions since the introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry rules: Championship recognition Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942

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